To start with: How a laser printer works

Before we get to how to choose consumables, it's good to understand the usefulness of each one in the operation of your printer.

Laser printers use a laser beam to create an electrostatic pattern of the text or image on a drum. The drum is covered with toner, and the pattern is transferred to the paper through heat and pressure. The developer unit is responsible for accurately transferring the toner to the drum.

Skroutz Tip: In printers from manufacturers Brother, HP, and Cannon, the developer unit is integrated into the toner, therefore, no separate purchase is needed.

Having seen how the above are connected, let's analyze what you need to pay attention to when purchasing each one.

Compatibility

This concerns all the consumables for your printer and is something you need to pay close attention to, as you may end up with a product you cannot use.

Don’t worry though! 

You can very easily find out your printer model, which is usually listed:

• on the device
• in the manual 
• on the packaging

Some popular printer models by manufacturer for example are:

• Brother: MFC-L2800DW, HL-L2400DW, DCP-L2620DW
• HP: laserJet Pro 4002dn, 150nw, LaserJet M110w
• Cannon: i-SENSYS LBP122dw, ImageRunner 1643i

So to begin with, you can identify your own model and then continue with the rest of our search!

Each toner, drum and developer unit, states in its description or title the models with which it is compatible. 

Each code is compatible only with printers from the same manufacturer, so you can filter by the manufacturer name to see only the results that concern you.

Toner

The consumable you will need to replace more often, depending on how much you use it, is the toner, that is, the powder the printer uses to print the text or images you want on paper. On average, a toner can produce from 1,000 to 10,000 pages before it needs to be replaced.

You will know it is time for a replacement when your prints come out faded, and you may also receive a relevant notification from your machine.

Color

Depending on whether you have a black-and-white or color printer, you will need to get the corresponding toner colors as well. 

In the first case, of course, you only need to buy 1 color (black), while in the second you need

• Black
• Cyan
• Yellow
• Magenta

Of course, for cost savings and easier purchasing, there are options that combine all colors in one package.

Finally, in the title of each toner, you will see the approximate number of pages it can produce until the amount of toner it contains runs out.

Skroutz Tip: If you print frequently, prefer high-yield packs, since they contain more toner than standard ones and, in the long run, are much more economical. Don't forget that unlike ink, which dries out after some time, toner does not have such limitations.

Drum

It does not require such frequent replacement, as its lifetime can range from 10,000 to 100,000 pages, depending on the model. 

At the same time, some printers integrate it into the toner cartridge, so they are replaced together. You will mainly find this in HP models as well as Cannon. 

You will know that it is time to replace your drum when you notice lines or shadows in the prints or generally reduced print quality even though the toner is new.

In the case that your printer has a separate drum, then you will need to pay attention to exactly the same things we saw above with the toner, as it depends on whether your printer is black and white or color. 

Here too, you can see in the model title the pages it can produce, but again, prefer packages that have the 3 basic color combinations ready, so you do not have to get them separately.

Developer Unit

The component that will need replacement less frequently, as in some cases it can produce up to 300,000 pages before retiring.

When its time comes, you'll start noticing uneven toner distribution in prints or even faded or smudged text.

And guess what, as with all the above, you need to ensure that it is compatible with your model and has the appropriate shade with the corresponding toners you have.

Now that you know everything about your laser printer's consumables, proceed fearlessly and find the right ones for your needs!