Copier Toner

From a powder to an image

While some people still use ink for their printing needs, most people prefer to use toner these days. While many people may not know it, toner is actually a powder. It’s used in laser printers and photocopiers to form and print the images and text on the copier paper. Toner used to be a type of carbon powder originally, but it was then blended in a polymer to improve its printing quality. Because the toner contains plastic or wax, it can be melted by the heat of the fuser in the copier or printer. This causes the toner particles to bind or fuse to the fibers in the paper. The exact type of polymer that is mixed with the toner powder usually varies by manufacturer. Some of the common types used are styrene acrylate copolymers and polyester resins.

The original size of the particles in toner was about 12 micrometers years ago. However, with improved technology the image resolution for printing was improved to 600 dots per inch, and the particle dimension of toner was reduced to only 8 micrometers. As resolution increases the toner particle size will decrease. Toner manufacturers need to implement a quality control standard of these sizes in toner particles to create a powder that is suitable for use in printing devices. The particle size of toner isn’t allowed to vary very much from the specified dimension.

In earlier models of copiers and printers the toner powder had to be shaken from a small bottle into a receptacle in the appliance. These days the toner is placed into a disposable cartridge that is placed into the machine. When the toner has been used up you can usually get the cartridges refilled to be used again.

Because toner is a fine powder, it can remain suspended in the air for awhile, much like dust can, and it is considered to have the same negative health effects as dust. Toner can definitely irritate people who have respiratory conditions such as asthma or bronchitis. However, the carbon content of toner is so low it doesn’t cause any problems for people. Some types of toner are known to be a carcinogen, but you would need to be exposed to a very large amount of it to be of any concern to your health.

Toner can be messy and you should always clean up any loose powder when changing cartridges. Toner particles can collect inside your copier and may settle on a sensor which will prevent the copier from working. If you get any toner on your hands, you should wash it off with cold water because hot water will open the pores on your hands and the toner could actually stain your hands.

Toner is also available in cyan, magenta and yellow colors for color copiers. There are various types of toner available and it’s important that you get the right type of toner and cartridge for your copier.