The importance of toner

All photocopiers use toner, but many people don’t know what it is and why it us used.

What is toner made of?
Toner is primarily a powder. The powder makes up a dry, bulk solid material, which is used to form the images and text printed on paper.

Toner is made of a polymer of carbon. Carbon is a stable element that does not fade over time, or cause damage to paper. The carbon is melted and blended with a polymer, known as a resin.  The polymer ensures that the toner does not smudge and cannot be washed off the paper.

Toner comes in 4 colours – cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK). These colours can be combined in different intensities to create all the colours required during the printing process.

How does toner work?
Toner is electrically charged so it adheres to a drum or piece of paper, which is charged with the opposite polarity. The fuser in the photocopier heats up and melts the toner so it ‘fuses’ to the paper.

When creating colours, the different toners have a different charge, so they are added in the correct amount.

Why is toner important?
Quite simply, toner forms the printed sections on your piece of paper. It is important to use high quality toner, as this will improve the overall look of your print out. To make sure you never run out of toner, Midshire offer a ‘Managed Print Service’. The automated monitoring system ensures that we know your toner is running low before you do! We can then get replacements delivered as soon as possible.