Refill Toner vs OEM for Transfer, and Toner Transfer vs Photo Process
2014-04-14 by Peter Johansson
I recently dug out my old laser printer (what little printing I do is on the family inkjet) and discovered I am low on toner to the point where I cannot get solid coverage. (That is probably why I put it in the closet in the first place.) From what I have read, my printer (a Samsung ML-1710) is supposedly rather good for toner transfer -- at least with factory toner. However, an OEM cartridge is close to $100. Ouch. I don't know if they were always this expensive, or just because they are so old at this point. I have also read reports of people having problems with refill toner. Are these isolated problems, or should refill toner be avoided? Is there by any chance a known source of refill toner that is known to work for toner transfer? It certainly seems worthwhile to get a refill kit and see what happens. If nothing else I can still use it for general printing. However, if it fails, might I just be better off going with a photo process? I have read that photo produces better results, but I gather it is more expensive. However, I am thinking that $100 for a toner cart and possibly another $50 for a laminator might suddenly make the photo process far more appealing. Any comments and suggestions would be appreciated. -p.