Frequently Asked Questions

Answers...

What are Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Cartridges?
These are brand-new cartridges. While usually more expensive, they come with the added value of a manufacturer's warranty and are guaranteed to work with your printer.

What are remanufactured cartridges?
These are used cartridges that have been cleaned before being refilled with ink or toner.

What are new compatible cartridges?
New compatible cartridges are manufactured from new parts that mimic the OEM cartridge design.

What are remanufactured compatible cartridges?
Remanufactured compatible cartridges are made up of a combination of new and recycled parts. Similar to remanufactured cartridges, compatible cartridges tend to be cheaper than their OEM counterparts and are compatible.

What are Essentially The Same (ETS) cartridges?
A descriptive term for commodities that are comparable in all the prominent physical, functional or performance characteristics to items on the procurement list.

What is the Trade Agreements Act (TAA)?
The Trade Agreements Act (TAA) is the enabling statute that implements numerous multilateral and bilateral international trade agreements and other trade initiatives. The TAA applies to all GSA Schedule contracts unless otherwise stated in the solicitation or contract. The TAA limits the country of origin for products sold through a schedule contract. For more information about the TAA, refer to clause 52.225-5 Trade Agreements.

What is the imaging drum?
The imaging drum is the heart of the laser printer or the copier. It transfers the toner onto the paper. An imaging drum is also called an imaging unit or just drum by some manufacturers. A dirty or worn out drum reduces the printing quality.

What does the imaging drum do?
The drum is a 1 to a 2-millimeter tube of strong aluminum. The toner particles rotate on the toner roll and are attracted by the imaging drum and transferred onto the paper. There the toner particles are then fixed with the fuser by means of heat and pressure.

What is a maintenance kit?
A maintenance kit is a set of replacement parts for a printer. Every printer and manufacturer are different, so the parts included in the kit will also be different. Parts that may be included in a maintenance kit are the fuser assembly, transfer roller, pickup rollers, separation pads, corona assembly, fan assembly, cleaning cloths and gloves.

What is a fuser unit or fuser assembly?
A fuser is a critical part found in the maintenance kit for laser printers. Depending on the model of printer some fusers are sold separately. Using heat and pressure, it fuses the toner powder onto the page creating a print.

What does C/Y/M/K stand for?
CMYK stands for cyan (blue), magenta (red), yellow and black. These are the four colors of ink used in traditional printing.

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