Ink and Toner Fun Facts

05/02/2023

Ink and toner cartridges are a lot more surprising than you might have thought. The following are some fun facts regarding ink and toner that we think could surprise you.

16 Surprising Facts About Ink and Toner Cartridges

1. Ink cartridge heads can dry out if not used regularly, which can cause clogging and other issues. To prevent this, it's recommended that printer owners run ink tests on a consistent basis to keep their ink cartridges from drying out and becoming clogged.

2. Some fonts consume more ink and toner than others. For example, Times New Roman, Century Gothic, and Calibri are considered to be more ink-efficient than Arial, which tends to deplete ink and toner cartridges at a faster rate.

The reason for this difference can vary depending on the font, but factors such as letter thickness and shape can play a role.

3. Speaking of fonts, many of the most popular fonts today are actually named after the person who created them. For example, Bodini was created by Giambattista Bodini and Garamond was created by Claude Garamond.

4. The world's smallest printer measures 1 x 2 x 11 inches. That's a lot smaller than the HP Color LaserJet Enterprise Flow MFP M682z.

5. Printer ink is one of the most expensive liquids in the world, with the cost of some types of ink exceeding $9,600 per gallon.

The exact price can vary depending on the type and brand of ink, but it's generally far more expensive than other common liquids like gasoline or milk.

This high cost is due in part to the complex chemical composition of ink, which can require extensive research and development to produce.

6. Believe it or not, printer ink can be more expensive than blood. When comparing the price per gallon of ink and the price per gallon of blood reported by the Red Cross, ink is often found to be more costly.

This is partly due to the fact that the ink market is dominated by a handful of major brands, which can drive up prices through limited competition.

Additionally, the production of ink involves a range of specialized chemicals and processes, which can further increase the cost.

7. Ancient civilizations used ink. Indians were known to use ink in 4th century BC made from burnt bones, pitch, and tar. There is also evidence of ink being used by ancient Chinese civilizations dating back to 256 BC. These early Chinese inks were made from fish glue.

8. While printing, the fusers in a laser printer can reach up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. This scorching heat is what causes the toner to melt onto the paper during the laser printing process.

9. The Law industry prints the most by a wide margin, followed by the Medical and Accounting industries. These top printing industries are to be expected given their respective needs for high-volume print output in relation to their paperwork-heavy daily tasks.

The tech industry, with comparatively far less administrative paperwork, prints the least.

10. Of the ten most popular printer brands, 6 are headquartered in Japan. Brother, Canon, OKI, Panasonic, Ricoh, and Sharp all have their headquarters in Japan. HP, Lexmark, and Xerox are headquartered in the US and Samsung is headquartered in South Korea.

11. The first inkjet printer was invented in 1976 by a team of engineers at IBM. This printer, known as the IBM 4640, was designed to print high-quality text and graphics on paper using tiny ink droplets.

12. Toner is a type of powder that is used in laser printers and photocopiers. Unlike ink, which is liquid-based, toner is made up of tiny particles of plastic and pigment.

13. The color "black" is actually a combination of several different ink colors, including cyan, magenta, and yellow. By mixing these colors in specific proportions, printers are able to produce a wide range of shades and hues.

14. Ink and toner cartridges can often be recycled or refilled to save money and reduce waste. Many printer manufacturers offer recycling programs or refill services for their cartridges.

15. The world's fastest printer, as of 2021, is the Memjet-powered Super Web Digital VDP System, which is capable of printing up to 200 meters of paper per minute. This printer is often used for high-speed commercial printing applications.

16.In addition to traditional ink and toner cartridges, there are also "continuous ink" and "continuous toner" systems available. These systems use large, refillable tanks of ink or toner that can be easily replaced or refilled as needed, reducing the need for individual cartridges.