Author Archives: Derek Willis

About Derek Willis

Derek Willis is the owner of Laser Cartridge Plus, Inc.

Selecting HP Color Toner the smart way

hp color tonerWhen you are looking for the best color laser printer, you should research a bit of information initially. Then you have to consider which color laser printer will do the job for you. Before you even begin, you need to be defining your needs so you ensure that you are obtaining the proper printer.

 

 

Researching the best color laser printer that is ideal for personal use.

What features do you need will go far in the selection process of which printer fits your needs. If users have needs to print in monochrome frequently and rarely print in color. The HP CP2025N Color Laserjet printer will be a great option. The printer comes with a print speed of 21 pages per minute, it is also cost efficient and offers feature work group using wireless connectivity. If the need to scan, copy or fax is needed then you might consider the HP CM2330nf Color multifunction printer. It too is network ready and the HP Color Toner is somewhat reasonable and available.

Researching the best color laser printer that is used for a small corporation.

Determining the usage needs of the office will help in selecting the best machine for the job. therefore the specification of printers that is used for small corporations will be a step up from the personal printers. An excellent starting point with regard to a small corporate printer can be the HP Color Laserjet CP3520. It comes with a monthly duty cycle of 10,000 prints, a print speed of 30 pages per minute and an easy network connectivity for work group. The price of this printer is very low-priced for small corporate owners. The HP Color Laser Toner is reasonably priced and found at most office supply stores.

Researching the best color laser printer that is used for a medium corporation.

Big corporations with very large print jobs will need a workhorse printer. That is why the best printing machine that is ideal for big corporations like this is the HP Color Laserjet Enterprise CP 4520. This printer comes with an array of features such as, network connectivity for work group (including wireless connectivity and wired connectivity), a print speed of 42 pages per minute, a monthly duty cycle of 10,000 prints, it will possibly endure for the large volumes of a corporations work group. Having support that is designed for legal and letter papers, and also envelopes, it is suitable for regular business paper requirements. There is also an expansion paper tray that can be used for extra 2100 sheet paper capacity. As you can see the HP Laserjet Color is the best choice.

Researching the best color laser printer that is particularly used for pictures.

In today’s realism technology has allowed color laserjet printers to play a dual role. Color laserjets can not only print vibrant photo quality pictures they can print just black letter forms as well. If it is pictures that you intend to print regularly then you should check out the HP Multifunction Color Laserjet CM1312nfi, the printer costs less than $500. No matter what your picture needs are you can scan, copy, print or fax with this wonderful printer. I can tell you from experience that if you have a shoe box full of 4×6 prints that you want to make digital reprints without loosing any quality the software that comes with this printer is like no other. The speed it takes to transfer these pictures to your hard drive is incredible. Not only will you be able to print your pictures out at 1200 dots per inch, you can also network this printer for remote access and share with several computers.

Printing checks is easy with HP MICR

HP MICRJust a couple of years ago the idea of printing your own checks was absurd and unheard of. However, today it is the norm and with it comes a whole host of questions regarding at home or in office check printing and the MICR toner used.

 

 

HP MICR Toner or Ink?

Before you get up from your desk and run to the office supply store and buy a new printer and some MICR Toner to start printing your checks, be mindful that regular toner and ink that comes with the machine will not work and could cost you money. And, while this is possible it really is not a good idea. The HP MICR Toner is special in that it allows the bank readers and sorters to read the documents quickly and process them easily. Often the ordinary consumer will ask if it is required to use MICR Toner to print their checks and the answer is definitely yes!

The banking industry has set up a standard for printing checks. This is to supply the customer fast and precise processing of all checks that go through the bank everyday. If you don’t use MICR Toner to print your checks then that check has to be entered manually and this will result in a bank charge. This charge can be as high as $30 per check. So, that is something you will definitely want to keep in mind.

Another common question is whether or not MICR toner exists for inkjet printers. The answer is no because inkjet printers use ink not toner. However, there is MICR ink that works well in inkjet printers so that is an option for you if you have an inkjet printer.

The most popular question is perhaps what MICR really stands for. The answer is magnetic ink character recognition. MICR alone will not change the characters that are required to be used also. The characters that are used are from a whole dissimilar font.

Another funny question that people seem to ask quite regularly is how MICR is pronounced. The answer is M, I, C, R because it is an acronym and not a word. Acronyms should be spelled out, like YMCA, rather than spoken as a word. Some people have heard the MICR acronym spoken as “micker” or “my-ker” but neither of these is correct. Although, the “my-ker” would be preferred by industry leaders should it be pronounced. The easiest thing to do is just spell it out!

Those are some of the most popular questions behind MICR toner however people do have many others. If this sounds like you then do not hesitate jumping on the web and seeing what you can find. Most probable you will realize there are actually a lot of answers out there that will help educate you on MICR.

Things you should think about before you start printing your own checks:

85% of all printers in use today are HP Printers. This speaks volumes on the printer option for you.

Starting with an HP Printer with HP MICR Toner Cartridge and a good check writing program will sure enough get you up and running.

Using HP MICR will save you about 50% over other brands.

Time and time again other brands often have MICR content flaws, where HP does not normally have these problems.

Most importantly do your homework! Before you start printing checks in quantity, go to your local bank that these checks would be processed and have them check that everything is acceptable. Remember that there is currently no way to print micr checks using a Color Laser Printer.

HP MICR provides for a more secure process to print checks

hp micrHP MICR toners are special . Opposite most printer cartridges used for daily printing, HP MICR toner cartridges contain a blend of magnetic components, particularly iron oxide. MICR actually stands for magnetic ink character recognition, and the magnetic components in them allow printouts using them to be read by special reading and sorting machines.

Printing with HP MICR responds to a certain need. This need is most prevalent in the accounting and banking industry, where HP MICR cartridges are used to print out checks. Other industries, such as airlines, insurance companies and events ticketing, have come to benefit a lot from using HP magnetic toner as well.

What makes HP MICR toners so special and why do we need them? Below are a few causes why these toners have become necessary in our modern lives.

HP MICR Cartridges Allow for Accuracy in Printing

During the check printing process, account information that is printed must be exact. Size matters here, so these characters must be in the size they were supposed to be. Even more than the size the alignment on the check is critical.

There is only one reason for this, and that is to allow reading and sorting machines to read checks and other documents correctly. If checks are not read correctly, they will be rejected by the machine. This extends  the time to turn that particular check, and it can result in surcharges and penalties for the person who tried to cash in that check.

HP Laserjet MICR Toners Allow for Speed in Processing

One of the reasons why MICR engineering science came to be is that the banking industry needed a way to sort through with(p) the volumes and volumes of checks that come to them in the shortest time span possible. There are tens of millions of people and companies that have checking accounts in the United States alone, and there are trillions of checks that these people and companies issue every year. Processing checks needs to be automated, or else the banking industry would be concealed in checks.

Our system for automation highly-developed by the US banking industry for sorting checks required the use of HP MICR technology. Because this growth has paved the way for more convenience for owners of checking accounts, the use of HP MICR toners and HP Laserjet MICR toner printing has become indispensable.

HP Laserjet MICR Toner Allow for More Secure Printing

Another special function that HP magnetic toners fulfill is that they aide in the prevention of check fraud. MICR readers cannot read checks and other MICR documents that were not printed out with HP Laserjet MICR toner; thus, in simple cases such as these, check fraud is prevented.

Committed to staying one step ahead of criminals there will always be the smarter thief, but there are formulations of HP MICR that allow for more secure printing, such as the ones manufactured by Laser Cartridge Plus, Inc. These HP MICR toners do not just have the right signal strength required, but they also make it impossible for printouts using them to be with chemicals erased or altered.

You need HP MICR toners because they respond to a need for a specialized type of printing. As long as this need exists, there will always be a need for HP MICR or HP Laserjet MICR Toner.

HP Color Laserjet Toner vs Ink Cartridges

hp color laserjet tonerContemplating purchasing a new color printer and don’t know which technology, inkjet or laser?   But why should you buy a color laserjet printer over an inkjet color printer? Laserjet printers are known for the advanced technology inside them that allows for a crisp, detailed imaging when using colors to print. (They tend to blend their colors more evenly.) Technology today uses advanced polymerized toner or plastic particle toner that allows the blending of all colors evenly as well as the fast fusing for greater print speeds. When you first view side by side the sheets printed from both ink vs toner it is similar, but still you can tell which is which. Ink often has the look of “droplet technology” whereas the toner seems to blend in a more seamless transit making colors like silver or gold that ink just can’t reproduce.

HP Color Laserjet Toner Printers cost more up front

The biggest difference comes when you are constantly changing out the cartridges. Basically the difference is in the old saying, pay me now or pay me later. Inkjet printers tend to cost less on the front end but cartridges run out of ink subsequently about 200 copies. Laserjet printers cost more on the front end but tend to last on average about 2,000 copies.

In a previous article I went and equated the cost of ink in most cartridges to average use by the consumer costing about $8000 per gallon. (And you only thought gas and milk was high!) Compared to HP Color Laserjet Toner.

Color laserjet printers are respected for their powerful printing performance, and of course the color quality is so much more vibrant that the intensity of the colors truly seem to leap off the page. Shadowing and smearing are not issues that are generally encountered with a laserjet printer thus the reason for the high demand for them. Top brands to consider are:

HP

Brother

Xerox

Samsung

Lexmark

Canon

Kyocera

But which one should you buy? Overall, the HP Color Laserjet  printer is widely considered to be the best laserjet printer on the market today. HP continues to make astonishing advances not only in their computer related sales but also in their color laserjet printer division. They hold up to extensive use and produce a quality result time after time again. That is why 85% of all printers today are HP. Not only are the printers widely used, but the supplies for these machines are reasonable and readily available. This is the point you should stop and re-read what I just said. Are you actually going to continue on?

Brother recently has entered the color laser printer industry. Since the inception of the first color laser printer Brother has geared it’s printer up for the residential application. The only real problem with Brother is the fact that they split their cartridges up as well as other manufacturers. Hence the toner may cost less but the drum will sure enough cost you plenty.

Another great laser printer is made by the Xerox company. At first, this company became well-known for its copying quality and since has interpreted this technology and now applied it to a laserjet printer. The conception in the starting time was Xerox would give you the printer if you in agreement(p) to buy the supplies. What can you imagine happened? That’s right they definitely charged an arm and a leg for those crayon type wax sticks that the machine used. Some folks tried to save money by printing their color page with the Xerox and then would flip the page and print only black on their HP printer. Wax based technology doesn’t mix well with toner based technology which includes everyone except Xerox, which equates to expensive lesson to learn when having your machine repaired.

Samsung are other well respected color laserjet printers which comes as a great surprise to many people. For the longest time, Samsung had the reputation for being a less quality knock-off brand in all of its electronics yet when it comes to its newer productions, especially their laserjet printers they have fought their way to the top. They have come out with one of the top three quality printers available today and the results and life of their machines are far superior to many other companies out there who have not had to climb up from the dismal ratings Samsung had in years past. The problem with Samsung is their supplies for their machines are not readily available.

Enter Lexmark into the formula and you will find a beautiful print from their color laserjet that would make any competition envy. The pigmentations in a Lexmark laserjet color printer are hard to beat and that makes it a truly desirable printer to invest in. The problem with Lexmark is their machines tend to be larger than the others and they use lockout features that keep you from being able to reuse their cartridge. They too tend to split the toner from the drum unit which makes the cost expensive. Hard to find supplies would be an understatement for the average consumer.

HP Color Laserjet Toner is actually Canon

Of course, the Canon color laserjet printers also rank up there in the top five printers available for consumer use today. They have continually improved their product along with the market and have a top contender for quality in the laserjet color printers in the market today. With that said it only makes sense because Canon makes the HP printer.

Other great names in color laserjet printers are Kyocera, Okidata, Konica-Minolta, Dell, Epson, and Ricoh and make up roughly 4% market share. All of these color laserjet printers provide very high quality products with all of the desirable factors prevalent in their ultimate printing product. They are long-lasting and offer little problems when it comes to exuberant use and the color on each of these is beautiful.

So when you go out to look for your next color laserjet printer, keep the manufacturers names mentioned here on your shopping list and check them out. The least you could do is look for their supplies. It is sad for the average consumer to get a great deal on a printer and then find out the color laserjet toner for their machine is unavailable. At least one of them is bound to meet all of your needs and will truly satisfy you both with your final purchase and the printings that it produces. Take that little bit of extra time to check these out; you won’t be sorry you did.

12 Ways for your company to save money during the recession

Printer Cartridge SavingsWith the economy in a downward spiral, you should make sure the light at the end of the tunnel isn’t a train. Small businesses, which have fewer resources, especially feel the brunt of the economy.

We’ve come up with a list of ways to trim some of the fat off your companies disbursements so you don’t become a casualty of the latest stinting downturn.

 

12 Ways to save money including with your printer cartridges

  1. Get a less expensive business phone service. Try your local cable company like SuddenLink. Chances are you are already using them for your internet service. Unlike the local phone company, there is no hardware or software to buy or maintain, so costs start low and stay low and long distance charges are eliminated.
  2. Consider switching from a merchant account to an online payment processor like Paypal. Say goodbye to statement fees and monthly fees. These services, however, do have a higher “per transaction” cost, so do some number crunching to see if devising a switch will actually save you money. Most of the time they always have an introductory rate that will get you started in the right direction.
  3. Go Green! Energy-efficient technology will save you money over the life span of your computers, printers and other tech tools. There are often tax benefits to going green, too. Not only can you save a lot of electricity with florescent lighting, you could save even more with re-manufactured Printer Cartridges, Not to mention it’ll help out the environment. So just look around the office for several ways to go green.
  4. Turning off non-essential equipment when it’s not being used. This can reduce energy consumption by over 25 percent; booting off the computers and the printers at the end of the day can save an additional 50 percent as well could prevent an overnight computer hacking. If at all harmonious consider using laptop computers. Did you know these computing machines consume less than 90 percent energy than their counterparts the desktop computer?
  5. Networked and Shared printers. If you use and maintain multiple printers in your office, you could save money by setting up a network that allows fellow workers to share printers. Every Microsoft Windows operating system has a simple network interface with tutorial that makes sharing printers easy to setup. By eliminating even one printer you could cut your Toner Cartridges in half.
  6. Keep an eye on energy consumption. Set your thermostats to a lower temperature, turn off all appliances when they’re not in-use and encourage staff to shut down their computers and printers when they’re out of the office. A $100 investment on programmable thermostats will pay for themselves in less than 90 days. Having everyone participate will add up quickly.
  7. Hire high school and college students or interns for credit. An internship program is a win-win spot for your business. You get bright, young and challenging employees to do your dirty work for little or no pay. The benefit works both ways. The student or intern gets credit for workings and a vast exposure to the real world while you may be eligible for tax credits and free help.
  8. Online coupons to the rescue. Scour the Internet for coupons and promotion codes. Everything from software to copier paper can be found with a discount. Having trouble, just Google a search for what your looking for and “coupon”. You will be surprised. A lot of the time Staples will have a coupon for purchasing anything up to a dollar quantity, averaging 25% off. So buy $100 of anything and get $25 off. “I have 2 of these sitting on my desk right now and I’m going to use them to buy my next Laser Toner Cartridge.
  9. Creating an e-newsletter. It’s much cheaper to market to previously acquired customers than to spend money printing and mailing. If your going to sit down and be creative then just cut out the middle man and the expense and e-mail your creation. Instead of wasting money on postage pass the savings on to your customer. Need help with the whole project, then checkout icontact online for a lot of resources and information.
  10. Using email. comparable to the e-newsletter, email marketing will let you interact with specific customers about new products that might interest them. In the spirit of going green, a lot of customers would rather have their statements online and scanning them into the computer and emailing them is not a problem.
  11. Evaluate your business insurance coverage and policy costs. Ask your provider about an umbrella policy, which can be cheaper. Consider raising your deductibles. valuate your risk against cash flow benefits by reviewing your insurance deductibles. Ask your agent for ideas on how to cut costs and not benefits. It is always a good idea to review and re-evaluate your insurance annually. Personally I think it is a good idea to get a quote periodically from a reputable agent.
  12. How about a four-day work week. What employee is going to object to a three-day weekend? No you don’t have to make it for the whole staff, just setup a performance pool and reinforce your top producers. Great way to boost morale and save some money.

This is just a beginning, never the less these tips will definitely help your business make ends meet during the economic crunch. Business doesn’t mean standard practice. Step outside the box and be creative, that’s the true meaning of individual ownership. If you don’t own the company and you would like to play a larger role in its profitability I can roughly assure you the owner will be impressed.

Anybody can show up to work, but few lead by example.