| ext">Color Konica Minolta printers, like most color laser | | | | raises questions about the cost-efficiency of using |
| printers, operate with CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow | | | | these consumables. Ideally, Konica Minolta printer |
| and black) toner cartridges. Most of the time, the user | | | | cartridges should have a similar end life’ as |
| encounters a consumption ratio of 4:1 for supplied laser | | | | the OPC Drum, or cartridge replacements becomes |
| toner cartridges. The ratio implies that it takes around 4 | | | | really expensive. For one, integrating the OPC drum |
| or more cartridge replacements of the black or | | | | into the toner cartridge obviously hikes up the |
| monochromatic unit before any of the color cartridges | | | | consumable’s price tag. Moreover, disposing a |
| runs out of laser toner. Given this observation, the user | | | | still functioning OPC Drum of a pronounced empty |
| must have already used up a total of 8 cartridges | | | | printer toner cartridge appears to be a very wasteful |
| when toner supply for the 3 color cartridges finally | | | | practice. In most designs the OPC Drum life can |
| dried up to necessitate the replacement of the entire | | | | outlast toner supplied by up to 4 times |
| cartridge set. | | | | For most users, this appears to be a very costly setup. |
| While rising cost of laser printer supplies is already an | | | | Each OEM cartridge and OPC Drum combo retails for |
| enduring issue among printer users, new printer | | | | around $230 so that to replace the entire CMYK laser |
| technology developed likewise added an additional | | | | toner cartridge set would cost the user almost $1,000. |
| cost component to laser printing. The 5430DL Konica | | | | In this case, toner refills became a welcome solution. |
| Minolta printer for instance is equipped with the latest | | | | For instance, the Cyan toner cartridge 1710580 |
| single pass’ print engine — a printer | | | | —004 generates a yield of 6,000 pages based |
| technology utilizing a toner cartridge and OPC drum | | | | on the Industry standard 5% coverage and the OPC |
| combo to produce laser prints. And while Konica | | | | Drum is expected to last 30,000 pages again based on |
| Minolta 5340 toner cartridges can easily run out of | | | | 5% coverage. Thus to keep the toner supply abreast |
| toner supply following a cycle of heavy print loads, the | | | | with OPC Drum life, printer toner refills must be |
| bundled OPC drum does not follow a similar life cycle. | | | | administered. |
| The OPC drum — toner cartridge combo likely | | | | |