Digital Landing asked:


Perhaps you live in a rural area and you can’t get cable or DSL high-speed Internet access, but you can get satellite. Or, maybe you are at your wit’s end with the cable and/or phone (DSL) companies and don’t want to give either of them another dime. Satellite may be the answer, but you’ll need to do a bit of research before determining if it will fit your needs. Here are answers to many of the most common questions regarding satellite service.

Q: How fast is satellite access?

A: Satellite providers typically offer several levels of service with download speeds ranging between 700 Kbps and 1.5 Mbps and upload speeds as high as 256 Kbps. Note, though, that these are optimal speeds. Typical speeds, particularly during peak times, can be somewhat slower.

Q: How much does satellite access cost?

A: The price depends on your provider and the service plan that you acquire. As a generalization, prices range from approximately $60 a month for service providing roughly 700 Kbps download speed to about $80 a month for service in the 1.5 Mbps range. In addition, your equipment costs can be as much as $300 or $400 and installation can cost another $200, although vendors often have special offers for equipment and installation.

Q: What impact can weather have on satellite access?

A: As is the case with satellite television, severe rain or snow can slow or stop satellite Internet access. That is true both for bad weather in your area as well as bad weather at the location of the satellite provider’s network operations center (NOC). However, while severe weather can break the connection, satellite systems typically operate even in strong, steady downpours.

Q: Besides the weather, how reliable is satellite access?

A: Besides service degradation due to weather, satellite access is extremely reliable. The outdoor equipment is quite rugged and, while it does break down occasionally, such problems are rare.

Q: Still, should I keep a dial-up connection “just in case?”

A: While it is tempting to keep a dial-up connection because of the complex technical nature of satellite connections, it isn’t necessary for most people. As mentioned above, the satellite equipment is very robust and rarely breaks down and weather-related problems occur infrequently. However, if something does go wrong, it can take days before repair personnel can get to your house. If that concerns you, you may want to have a dial-up back-up but know that you’ll rarely, if ever, use it.

Q: What equipment is required?

A: Satellite access requires installation of two pieces of equipment. Outdoors is a dish that collects and transmits the signal to and from the satellite. Indoors is a “satellite modem” that is connected to the dish via coaxial cable. The modem is connected to a PC or to networking equipment such as a router using an Ethernet cable.

Q: Is any on-going maintenance required?

A: Although nothing is absolute, typically, no on-going maintenance is required. On rare occasions, you will need to have your dish “re-peaked,” or re-aimed at the satellite. Even more rarely, there will be an equipment failure and some part of the system such as the receiver, transmitter or modem, will have to be replaced. But, as mentioned above, the equipment is quite rugged and such problems are rare.

Q: Can I network my satellite connection so that more than one computer in my home can have access?

A: The satellite systems can be networked the same as DSL or cable connections. That is to say, you can connect the indoor satellite modem to a router using a standard Ethernet cable, which then distributes the connection to other computers. Note, however, that the satellite providers won’t help you set up or troubleshoot home networks.

Q: What is latency and how will it impact me?

A: Latency is the time required for a signal to travel from its source to its destination. In the case of satellite access, that includes the time it takes to send the signal up to a satellite and back down to the ground. Since satellites typically orbit about 22,000 miles above the earth, that latency can be as long as a second every time data is sent and received.

That delay means that certain types of applications aren’t practical when using satellite systems. One notable example is voice-over-IP. Over a satellite connection, a second or more passes between the time you say something and the time it is heard, which makes communications clumsy. Satellite connections also aren’t good for so-called “twitch” real-time online games and for use with terminal server software, which lets telecommuters connect to their company’s servers as if they were in the office.

Q: How many satellite providers are there?

A: In the U.S., there are three primary satellite providers: HughesNet (www.hughesnet.com), WildBlue (www.wildblue.com) and Starband (www.starband.com). Other vendors and organizations may offer satellite service, but it typically is provided by one of the three services. For instance, AT&T offers satellite service but actually is reselling WildBlue service.

Q: Does it matter where I mount the dish?

A: The dish must have a clear view of the southern sky, which is where the satellite is in orbit. Beyond that, the dish can be positioned using a pole stuck into the ground, on the side of your house or on your roof. Obviously, a ground-mounted dish is easier in case maintenance is required. Also, sometimes snow and ice collecting on the dish can slow down service — it is easier to brush snow and ice off a ground-mounted dish.

Q: Can I install satellite service by myself?

A: No — satellite access vendors won’t let you do that. And that’s probably a good thing since it requires certain skills to link the dish to the right satellite. Further, the Federal Communications Commission requires that professionals install satellite systems that both send and receive signals.

Q: How does satellite service operate in actual usage? Is it different than using cable or DSL?

A: Other than limits on a few specific types of applications mentioned previously, satellite Internet Service operates virtually identically to DSL or cable broadband.

Q: I live in the city. Are there any reasons to consider satellite access?

A: In most cases, DSL or cable access is faster and cheaper. If that type of service is available to you, chances are high that it will be preferable to satellite access.

Q: Is satellite access two-way access?

A: Yes. Data that you receive, such as downloaded files and Web pages, is sent via the satellite system, as are items you upload. Early satellite systems, however, were one-way systems. Downloads occurred via the satellite but information sent by you was transmitted via a standard dial-up connection. Such old-fashioned systems haven’t been available for several years.

Q: I’m a Mac user. Can I use satellite access?

A: Yes. All major satellite access systems work with Macs.

Q: Is mobile satellite access available?

A: No. A satellite connection requires a constant connection with a satellite that is in high orbit. It is a time-consuming task for a trained installer to aim your dish at that satellite. While some companies have been experimenting with antennas that can maintain a connection with the satellite while a vehicle moves, this technology isn’t yet practical for day-in, day-out use.

Q: I also get satellite TV. Can I use only one dish for both?

A: No. While single dish solutions once were available, vendors determined that separate dishes work better for both Internet access and TV.

Q: Can I download as much as I want over a satellite system?

A: No. Like other broadband providers, satellite vendors have Fair Access Policies (FAP) that detail how much you can download at a given time. The purpose of the FAP is to prevent a few heavy downloaders from hogging bandwidth used by everybody. Satellite vendors tend to have stricter FAPs than other broadband providers. For instance, with HughesNet you can download as much as 350 MB at a time, depending on your service plan. That is roughly one-third the size of a typical downloadable feature-length movie. When you surpass the limits of the FAP, the provider has the option of temporarily throttling down your speed.

Nitzan Daphna asked:


What do we do with the used cartridges? It goes to the garbage bin instead. When you are into business and use cartridges very often, then you are certain to increase your expenditure if you spend on new cartridges every time. Thinking what to do? How to decrease the expense?

Re-use, remanufacture… You can re-use your money spent on these and re-using the money means saving the money. Remanufactured cartridges are the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) cartridges that have been used and remanufactured (recycled) and refilled with ink. Original cartridges are disassembled, cleaned, refilled and repaired again before they come to the markets. Remanufactured Ink or Toner cartridges work the same way as the original ones. Remanufactured ink cartridges give splendid print results and are compatible to your printers. These are as good as or even better than their original counterparts.

Compatible cartridges (both, ink & toner) are the ones which are not manufactured by their original manufacturers. Compatible cartridges come in two of the types. They are new as well as recycled ones. Although these cartridges are priced at half or one-third the amount of original OEM cartridges, they may be recycled or even new ones. The purchase of these help you save some additional bucks to your pockets at the quality of original cartridges.

Compatible, remanufactured toner and ink cartridges have various positive facts. These are listed below:

Cost Effective. Compatible remanufactured cartridge is priced at almost half or one-third the rates of original cartridge. The prices of these fit the size of your pockets easily. Hence, you save lot of money on printing while maintaining the same standard of the print when you buy remanufactured cartridge. So, why pay double the amount when you get the same quality print at a much cheaper cost. Head to remanufactured and compatible cartridge… Now Quality Oriented. Remanufactured ink/toner cartridge promise to maintain the standard of printing. It is of the best quality, built to the highest standards. The printing quality of such cartridge sets a standard which goes much ahead of original cartridge. Remanufactured Ink cartridge come with warranty and 100% satisfaction guarantee. It never damage your printer as it become compatible to your printer when it pass various tests before it is sold to end consumers. Environment Friendly. Remanufactured Toner or Ink Cartridges are recycled which made from reusing the original ones. Remanufacturing is the process of renovating used products in order to make them equal in quality as per the original ones. Remanufacturing cartridge puts less pressure on the environment than turning parts back into raw materials for input into the manufacturing system or reusing parts in other products. By purchasing a remanufactured cartridge, you save the environment from the long-lasting, non-decaying materials from which plastic toner cartridges are made. Readily available. Today, remanufactured, compatible cartridges are readily available with almost all the companies. You name the company and they have it for you. HP, Dell, Lexmark, Canon, Brother, NEC… all these companies have various ranges in remanufactured Ink & Toner cartridges. As the demand for these is increasing day-by-day, companies have started to produce them in big numbers.

These are some of the benefits of Remanufactured Cartridges. In short, here’s why you should opt for these rather than original ones:

Compatible. Remanufactured cartridge perform as well or better than new Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) cartridge. Remanufactured cartridge generally last 20% longer than OEM cartridge. Compatible, remanufactured Ink or Toner cartridge cost 30%-60% less per copy than OEM cartridge. Using a Compatible, remanufactured Ink or toner cartridge reduces pollution and waste by minimizing the amount of materials disposed of in landfills.

David Thomson asked:


You may wonder what to do with the empty ink cartridges once they run out of ink, but there are many computer shop owners those are willing to buy such empty ink cartridges. These stores offer decent discounts on ink cartridges. How can they offer such discounts? These ink cartridges offer an excellent alternative to the expensive ink cartridges which are very affordable.

In the market, we get four types of different discount ink cartridges. These are: The compatible ink cartridges, the original equipment manufactured ink cartridge, remanufactured ink cartridges, and finally, the refilled ink cartridges.

The compatible ink cartridges are best suitable ink cartridges for particular kind of printers. Since you can not use any type of ink cartridge with any type of printer, they are compatible with a certain printer only.

Though these ink cartridges are not as good as OEM ink cartridges, but the reliable and branded manufacturers of the compatible ink cartridges at least try to match the standards of the original ink cartridges.

On the other hand original equipment manufacturer ink cartridges are the products of some of the biggest names in printers and other electronics consumables. These OEM ink cartridges are costly, but the quality and performance is superior.

Getting these OEM ink cartridges is the best as they are branded and you will not loose warranties offered from printer manufacturer companies. Another kind of ink cartridges are remanufactured ink cartridges. These ink cartridges are recycled ink cartridges. Since these ink cartridges are well tested and refilled with high quality standards, their performance is almost equal to that of the original ink cartridges.

Remanufactured ink cartridges offer excellent results in printing. As these ink cartridges are comparatively cheap, these will enable you to save remarkably as well. These ink cartridges are either of equal or sometimes, even of better quality than the originals at unbelievably less that half of their price.

Since these remanufactured ink cartridges come in the market after complete inspection, hi-tech ultrasonic cleaning, and complete testing; they ensure that you will get the crisp, clear texts and images on whatever print. The manufacturers of remanufactured ink cartridge use super premium-grade inks that ensure guaranteed quality.  

The best aspect about these remanufactured ink cartridges is that these are backed by 100% guarantee. That ensures the complete satisfaction for users. There are sellers of remanufactured ink cartridges that also offer warranty that even covers your printers. In many cases, the remanufactured ink cartridges contain more ink than that in the originals ink cartridges.

And the fourth type of ink cartridges are refilled ones. Though these ink cartridges are relatively very cheap, but the quality is inferior and there is no guarantee on their performance as well. That makes it risky to use such ink cartridges. Since refilled ink cartridge can damage your printer, besides you will get lesser printing quality.

Sher Matsen asked:


Our modern world has changed the way we do business, and technology has certainly changed the way we obtain the photo ID cards necessary for that business. Today in-house printing has replaced outsourcing. That’s because it’s so affordable, and it provides you with a great deal of flexibility. Choosing the right ID card printer for your business is important, so take some time to learn what’s available, and what it has to offer.

Choose from single sided, dual sided or laminating printers. Single sided printers are capable of quality printing on one side, in either color or monochrome. Dual sided printers offer the same quality, but they can print on both sides. They also offer barcode, magnetic strip, encoding, smart card, and more. Laminating printers offer an extra layer of protection from wear and tear. You also enjoy additional security protection, because altering these cards is very difficult. Let’s have a look at some of the most popular ID card printer manufacturers.

Fargo Printers

Fargo has been meeting the needs of business for a very long time. They always offer cutting edge technology. Yet they continue to provide an affordable product, with one of the best reputations for reliability. Fargo offers single sided printers, dual sided printers, and laminating printers. You can configure your Fargo printer to work with your photo ID software. Choose from the many models on the market.

Evolis Printers

Evolis printers offer a full range of technologies including encoding. Choose either single sided or dual sided printers. The Evolis printers have a modern design that’s sleek, and requires very little space. Evolis printers have a reputation for being very intuitive. It won’t take you months to learn all the ins and outs of these printers. Evolis is considered one of the most competitively priced printers on the market. Add easy maintenance, parts that are readily available, and excellent warranties, and you can see why Evolis should be on your short list.

Zebra Printers

If you’re looking for plenty of product choice, and printers that you can afford, Zebra printers have you covered. Besides offering some of the best print quality on the market, they also offer very competitive pricing. Zebra is continuously striving to improve its already superior product line. Choose from a complete line of single sided printers, dual sided printers, and laminating printers.

Magicard Printers

Magicard Printers have earned a reputation for offering something a little different. What makes Magicard unique is its very low price point. This makes it an attractive printer choice for a business just entering the market. It’s just as attractive for those that have been in the market for some time. That’s because they offer a full range of products from the most basic, quality, entry level printer to the top of line printer with all the bells and whistles. Print membership cards, photo ID badges, or a host of other ID cards.

Nisca Printers

Nisca offers a unique line of printers. They offer a superior line of dye sublimation printers. This technology allows Nisca printers to provide brilliant 24 bit images. There are also a wide range of models, all of which offer top notch performance and security. Nisca offers a premier name in PVC card printing technology. Analyze your company’s needs and choose a printer accordingly.

Datacard Printers

Datacard printers have a reputation for providing the highest quality photo ID badges, membership cards, and other types of ID cards. You simply personalize your printer to your company needs. Choose from a range of security features and performance levels. From the most basic printers to the most sophisticated printers Datacard has a printer for every budget.

The ID printer is a big part of your ID printing process. There are many excellent printers on the market. If you aren’t sure, which one is right for you, take a little time to do some research, and learn what the various printers are capable of performing.

When deciding on which printer is right for your company needs, ask yourself a few questions.

1. What type of cards do I want to print?

2. Do I need to print single sided or double sided ID cards?

3. Do I need barcode technology?

4. Do I need laminating technology?

5. Do I have any special needs in my ID card printing?

6. Do I need to print in color?

7. What is my budget?

8. What am I looking for in a warranty?

9. What does my ID card software recommend for a printer?

10. Which printers are comparable and which offer the best prices?

Give your ID card printer the attention it deserves, and find the printer that’s right for your business.

Philip Griffiths asked:


Inkjet toner cartridges which are remanufactured, have some great advantages over brand new and inkjet ink cartridges. The remanufactured inkjet toner cartridges not only reduce the cost of the business, but also reduce the impact of these discarded products on the environment to a large extent. It might be a surprising fact for most us, but it is true that remanufactured inkjet toner cartridges and inkjet ink cartridges are sometimes superior in product quality as well. One of the very important advantages, which cannot be ignored at this stage of economic recession, is the support which the remanufacturing of inkjet toner cartridges and inkjet ink cartridges provides to the declining economy of the country.

Some Important Facts – Contrary to the popular belief, these remanufactured inkjet toner and ink cartridges are compatible with most of the printers, copiers and fax machines which use all-in-one cartridges. However, Imaging systems using separate drums and toner bottles are an exception to this rule. The remanufacturing of inkjet toner cartridges and inkjet ink cartridges involves disassembling, repair or replacement of the worn out or damaged parts. It also involves the cleaning, refilling and reassembling of the inkjet ink cartridges and inkjet toner cartridges. This process can be repeated any number of times for the inkjet ink cartridges and inkjet toner cartridges.

Environmental & Health Issues – The remanufacturing of inkjet toner cartridges and inkjet ink cartridges is an infallible solution to many of the environmental and health issues as it considerably decreases the amount of plastic, metals and rubber used in incinerators. Also, the remanufacturing of these products saves significant amount of energy.

It is a well known fact that almost three quarts of oil is used in the manufacturing of a single brand new inkjet toner cartridge. One should always consider the environmental benefits one can impress upon by the use of remanufactured inkjet ink and toner cartridges which can be easily remanufactured up to four times. There is no doubt that every time an inkjet toner cartridge or an inkjet ink cartridge is remanufactured, the resources are utilised to the maximum extent compounding the benefits of remanufacturing on the environment.

Most of the users confirm that the remanufactured inkjet ink and toner cartridges perform equally well, if not better than the brand new ones.

This improved performance of the remanufactured cartridges is mainly contributed to the fact that most of the reputed remanufacturing companies exercise great quality control measures. Gone are the days when the companies used to follow the drill and fill methods to refill cartridges without proper quality control. In today’s competitive scenario, every reputed company wants to prove its mettle through quality products and hence follow superior production measures. Remanufactured inkjet ink and toner cartridges are considered to be an intelligent choice many big companies as they reduce the cost by 50 percent. Also they contain 20 percent more ink or toner than the new ones.

To Conclude – In today’s world when millions of used inkjet ink cartridges and toner cartridges are thrown in trash bins, remanufactured ink and toner cartridges prove to be a good choice as help in cost cutting without compromising with quality or performance.

Nitzan Daphna asked:


Cartridges are into two categories, first one are the new original OEM cartridges and the second one are the compatible or remanufactured cartridges. When you buy original OEM toner or ink cartridge, you pay for the whole price of the cartridge. If, you are into business and that’s the case, you are sure to increase your expenses to a larger amount. Why not look for other options then? Why not to save some money to your accounts. There are some great ways to save a great deal of money when you buy toner or ink cartridge.

The first way to save money on toner / ink cartridges is to look for compatible or remanufactured cartridges. Compatible cartridges may be original cartridge or remanufactured cartridge but it is not manufactured by the original manufacturer. Remanufactured cartridges are the cartridges which are used once and then recycled and refilled with ink. Original OEM cartridges, when finished, are disassembled, cleaned, refilled and assembled again before being sold into the markets. Compatible or remanufactured ink and toner cartridges are much cheaper than original cartridges. They price is almost half or one-third the price of original cartridge.

Another way to save money on cartridges is to look for prices of different retailers and superstores. When you buy a compatible or remanufactured ink/toner cartridge, you need to have a good know-how of market prices. Various superstores and retailers would offer different prices on these cartridges. Research needs to be done in order to verify the best market price for compatible or remanufactured ink and toner cartridge. When you buy these cartridges at the best price offered in the market, you certainly save money to your pockets.

The third way to save money on cartridges is to look for special offers, discounts and discount coupons. When you buy the cartridges, you should thoroughly study the market for these products. Which superstore or retailer is providing special offers on cartridges, best discounts and who provides discount coupons. For eg., if a retailer is running on special offers like 1 cartridge free on purchase of 2, which is a good offer, you can buy from that retailer thereby adding some extra bucks to your pockets. There may also be good discounts on these cartridges with various retailers and superstores. You should make an extra effort to look for such retailers when you want to save money on purchase of these cartridges.

Buying in bulk is another way to save money on compatible or remanufactured ink and toner cartridges. Whenever we buy anything in bulk, we get really heavy discounts. So, when you buy the cartridges in bulk from a retailer or superstore, you are certain to get large discounts. Buying in bulk brings two advantages. First is that you now have a huge stock of cartridges and second is that you purchase them on heavy discounts thereby saving a great deal of money top your pockets.

Another way of saving money on toner / ink cartridge is to buy them online. When you buy the cartridges online, you need not go out to the markets and spend money on your travelling. You just make an online order to the retailers or superstores and you get the product delivered at your doorsteps. Although you have to pay some shipping charges but that’s not a big deal when you get so many advantages of it. Shopping online even saves your time which you can utilise somewhere else to earn good income.

Simon R. asked:


The printers utilizing inkjet technology were first introduced in the late 1980s and since then have gained much popularity while growing in performance and dropping in price. They are the most common type of computer printers for the general consumer due to their low cost, high quality of output, capability of printing in vivid color, and ease of use. Each printer which works on inkjet technology places extremely small droplets of ink onto paper to create a text or an image.

In the personal and small business computer market, inkjet printers currently predominate. Inkjets are usually inexpensive, quiet, reasonably fast, and many models can produce high quality output. Like most modern technologies, the present-day inkjet is built on the progress made by many earlier versions. Among many contributors, Epson, Hewlett-Packard and Canon can claim a substantial share of credit for the development of the modern inkjet technology. In the worldwide consumer market, four manufacturers account for the majority of inkjet printer sales: Canon, Hewlett-Packard, Epson, and Lexmark.

The typical inkjet printer usually includes inkjet printhead assembly, paper feed assembly, power supply, control circuitry and interface ports.

The inkjet printhead assembly contains several components. One of them is the printhead which is the core of the inkjet printer and contains a series of nozzles that are used to spray drops of ink. Another printhead component is the inkjet cartridge or inkjet tank. Depending on the manufacturer and model of the printer, ink cartridges come in various combinations, such as separate black and color cartridges, color and black in a single cartridge or even a cartridge for each ink color. The cartridges of some inkjet printers include the print head itself. The printhead along with the inkjet cartridge/s are moved back and forth across the paper by device called a stepper motor using a special belt. Some printers have an additional stepper motor to park the print head assembly when the printer is not in use which means that the print head assembly is restricted from accidentally moving. The print head assembly uses a stabilizer bar to ensure that movement is precise and controlled.

One of the paper feed assembly components is the paper tray or/and paper feeder. Most inkjet printers have a tray that the paper is loaded into. The feeder typically snaps open at an angle on the back of the printer, allowing the paper to be placed in it. Feeders generally do not hold as much paper as a traditional paper tray. A set of rollers pull the paper in from the tray or feeder and advance the paper when the print head assembly is ready for another pass after which another step motor powers the rollers to move the paper in the exact increment needed to ensure a continuous image is printed.

While earlier printers often had an external transformer, most printers sold today use a standard power supply that is incorporated into the printer itself.

A small but sophisticated amount of circuitry is built into the printer to control all the mechanical aspects of operation, as well as decode the information sent to the printer from the computer. It is connected to the computer by a cable through the interface port. The interface port can be either parallel port, USB port or SCSI port. The parallel port is still used by many printers, but most newer printers use the USB port. A few printers connect using a serial port or small computer system interface (SCSI) port.

Different types of inkjet printers exist based on the method they use to deliver the droplets of ink. There are three main inkjet technologies currently used by printer manufacturers. The thermal bubble technology used by manufacturers such as Canon and Hewlett Packard is commonly referred to as bubble jet. In a thermal inkjet printer, tiny resistors create heat, and this heat vaporizes ink to create a bubble. As the bubble expands, some of the ink is pushed out of a nozzle onto the paper. When the bubble collapses, a vacuum is created. This pulls more ink into the print head from the cartridge. A typical bubble jet print head has 300 or 600 tiny nozzles, and all of them can fire a droplet simultaneously. Thermal inkjet technology is used almost exclusively in the consumer inkjet printer market. The ink used is usually water-based, pigment-based or dye-based but the print head is produced usually at less cost than other ink jet technologies.

Contrary to the bubble jet technology, the piezoelectric technology, patented by Epson, uses piezo crystals. A crystal is located at the back of the ink reservoir of each nozzle. The crystal receives a tiny electric charge that causes it to vibrate. When the crystal vibrates inward, it forces a tiny amount of ink out of the nozzle. When it vibrates out, it pulls some more ink into the reservoir to replace the ink sprayed out.

The continuous inkjet method is used commercially for marking and coding of products and packages. The first patent on the idea is from 1867, by William Thomson. The first commercial model was introduced in 1951 by Siemens. In continuous inkjet technology, a high-pressure pump directs liquid ink from a reservoir through a microscopic nozzle, creating a continuous stream of ink droplets. A piezoelectric crystal causes the stream of liquid to break into droplets at regular intervals. The ink droplets are subjected to an electrostatic field created by a charging electrode as they form. The field is varied according to the degree of drop deflection desired. This results in a controlled, variable electrostatic charge on each droplet. Charged droplets are separated by one or more uncharged “guard droplets” to minimize electrostatic repulsion between neighboring droplets. The charged droplets are then directed (deflected) to the receptor material to be printed by electrostatic deflection plates, or are allowed to continue on undeflected to a collection gutter for reuse. Continuous inkjet is one of the oldest inkjet technologies in use and is fairly mature. One of its advantages is the very high velocity (~50 m/s) of the ink droplets, which allows the ink drops to be thrown a long distance to the target. Another advantage is freedom from nozzle clogging as the jet is always in use

When printing is started, the software application sends the data to be printed to the printer driver which translates the data into a format that the printer can understand and checks to see that the printer is online and available to print. The data is sent by the driver from the computer to the printer via the connection interface. The printer receives the data from the computer. It stores a certain amount of data in a buffer. The buffer can range from 512 KB random access memory (RAM) to 16 MB RAM, depending on the printer model. Buffers are useful because they allow the computer to finish with the printing process quickly, instead of having to wait for the actual page to print. If the inkjet printer has been idle for a period of time, it will normally go through a short cleaning cycle to make sure that the print heads are clean. Once the cleaning cycle is complete, the inkjet printer is ready to begin printing. The control circuitry activates the paper feed stepper motor. This engages the rollers, which feed a sheet of paper from the paper tray / feeder into the printer. A small trigger mechanism in the tray / feeder is depressed when there is paper in the tray or feeder. If the trigger is not depressed, the inkjet printer lights up the “Out of Paper” LED and sends an alert to the computer. Once the paper is fed into the inkjet printer and positioned at the start of the page, the print head stepper motor uses the belt to move the print head assembly across the page. The motor pauses for the merest fraction of a second each time that the print head sprays dots of ink on the page and then moves a tiny bit before stopping again. This stepping happens so fast that it seems like a continuous motion. Multiple dots are made at each stop. It sprays the CMYK (cyan / magenta / yellow / black) colors in precise amounts to make any other color imaginable. At the end of each complete pass, the paper feed stepper motor advances the paper a fraction of an inch. Depending on the inkjet printer model, the print head is reset to the beginning side of the page, or, in most cases, simply reverses direction and begins to move back across the page as it prints. This process continues until the page is printed. The time it takes to print a page can vary widely from printer to printer. It will also vary based on the complexity of the page and size of any images on the page. Once the printing is complete, the print heads are parked. The paper feed stepper motor spins the rollers to finish pushing the completed page into the output tray. Most inkjet printers today use inkjet inks that are very fast-drying, so that you can immediately pick up the sheet without smudging it.

Compared to earlier consumer-oriented printers, inkjet printers have a number of advantages. They are quieter in operation than impact dot matrix printers or daisywheel printers. They can print finer, smoother details through higher printhead resolution, and many inkjet printers with photorealistic-quality color printing are widely available. In comparison to more expensive technologies like thermal wax, dye sublimations, and laser printers, the inkjet printers have the advantage of practically no warm-up time and lower cost per page (except when compared to laser printers).

The disadvantages of the inkjet printers include flimsy print heads (prone to clogging) and expensive inkjet cartridges. This typically leads value-minded consumers to consider laser printers for medium-to-high volume printer applications. Other disadvantages include ink bleeding, where ink is carried sideways away from the desired location by the capillary effect; the result is a muddy appearance on some types of paper. Most inkjet printer manufacturers also sell special clay-treated paper designed to reduce bleeding. Because the ink used in most inkjet cartridges and ink tanks is water-soluble, care must be taken with inkjet-printed documents to avoid even the smallest drop of water, which can cause severe “blurring” or “running.”

Besides the well known small inkjet printers for home and office, there is a market for professional inkjet printers; some being for page-width format printing, and most being for wide format printing. “Page-width format” means that the print width ranges from about 8.5″ to 37″. “Wide format” means that these are inkjet printers ranging in print width from 24″ up to 15′. The application of the page-width inkjet printers is for printing high-volume business communications that have a lesser need for flashy layout and color. Particularly with the addition of variable data technologies, the page-width inkjet printers are important in billing, tagging, and individualized catalogs and newspapers. The application of most of the wide format inkjet printers is for printing advertising graphics; a minor application is printing of designs by architects or engineers.

John C. Arkin asked:


e=”font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";”>Most operating systems can only use computer hardware once this is properly installed. This includes your brand-new printer. A printer driver is a software program that allows your computer to recognize the printer to allow you to use this for all your printing needs.

Importance of Printer Drivers

Apart from allowing you to use the printer, using the printer driver specific for your printer model would assure you that all the print outs of text documents and colored images. Many users who are unable to find the specific printer driver for their printer unit would often use drivers of printers coming from the same printer model series.

Where can I get a printer driver for my printer unit?

Windows and Macintosh operating systems are often equipped with common printer drivers in their system. This could be retrieved and used during the printer installation processes. If the driver is already included in your operating system, the computer will automatically recognize the printer and would advise you that it is ready for use.

Other places where you can get printer drivers are:

Printer package CD. When you purchase a brand new printer, you are often provided with the required printer driver in CD format. This would allow you to easily install your newly-purchased printer.

Printer company website. As part of their support page, most printer manufacturing companies provide downloadable printer drivers for the various models of their printer units.

How to Install Your Printer

Windows operating systems provide you an “Add Printer Wizard” which would guide you through the entire process. To get to the “Add Printer Wizard”:

Click the Start button

Select and click Control Panel

Select and click the icon that states “Printer and Faxes”

Double click the “Add Printer” icon

Why do problems still occur on my printer?

Even if you have installed the printer with the correct printer drivers, the same problems may still occur. If this happens, the problem may be with the way how your printer has been manufactured. The best way to go about this is to bring your printer to its authorized service center. This is to ensure that any problems will be covered by your printer’s warranty and could be addressed by experienced printer technicians.

Kimberly Ben asked:


HP printers and HP Printer accessories are considered top of the line printers. They have an impressive collection of printers available to fit your individual needs. Everything from a basic inkjet to an all-in-one model for your home office is available. There are specialized large-capacity printers and compact printers designed for photo printing.

Determine Your Needs Before Making a Choice

HP printer accessories like scanners, copiers and ink cartridges are just a few of the items you can pick to help personalize your printer’s performance. Before choosing HP printer accessories for your printer, it’s important to know what you need and be aware of the many accessories that are available on the market. You will need to know how the different HP printer accessories will affect your printer’s performance.

The Advantage of HP Printer Accessories

There are many different printer accessories on the market. However, the name Hewlett Packard has a reputation for quality. HP printer accessories and other Hewlett Packard products are expected to meet certain standards in order to carry the brand name. It’s true; there are new printer and accessory products coming out all the time. But many consumers have been burned after taking a chance on lesser known products. HP printer accessories and other products are known to receive high product ratings and raving reviews by experts and consumers alike. Consumers are confident in the quality of these products.

The Most Popular HP Printer Accessories

The demand for printers in homes and businesses continues to increase. As demand in this industry shows no signs of slowing, a new market featuring printer accessories is growing quickly. Some of the more popular HP printer accessories are:

•    USB Cables. Most HP printers today require a USB cable to be connected to the port in their computer so that the printer will work.

•    Hard Drives. You can purchase a separate printer hard drive that provides extra storage space. These types of HP printer accessories are commonly used in big offices where lots of printing is performed.

•    Connectivity Devices. These HP printer accessories include items such as adapters, adapter cards and connectivity card to ensure that your printer functions properly.

•    Network Print Servers.  These HP printer accessories can allow you to print from any computer within the established network.

•    Printer Software.  There are a variety of HP printer accessories and software applications to help you customize your printer functions. Make sure the software you choose is compatible before making a purchase.

•    Paper Handling Accessories. Various paper handling trays and bins assist with organization as you print. Some bins can accommodate different sizes.

These and more HP printer accessories can allow you to get the most out of your printer by making it easier to use or improving its function. Adding the right HP printer accessories can customize your printer to work better for you.

James Kara Murat asked:


Brother Printer Cartridge

The refilling of this cartridge is messy therefore it is advised that gloves should be worn and the place where refilling is done should be covered with a newspaper or some other absorbent material.

The following steps can guide you to an easy refill of your brother printer cartridges. The different models have little variations in the procedures other remaining the same.

Brother printer cartridge LC01C, LC01Y, LC01M and LC01BK (MFC 7000 series)

1. Place any absorbent material like a towel underneath before refilling the brother ink cartridges.

2. After filling ink in the syringe bottle remove the needle and put the cone shaped adaptor on it.

3. Find the hole in the cartridge through which the ink flows out and turn the exit port down facing your lap.

4. Slowly inject the ink from the syringe bottle into the cartridge until the ink starts coming out of the vent hole and is not foamy.

5. Now turn the cartridge the other way round so that the vent hole faces you and the exit port is towards your lap.

6. Put the needle back into the syringe bottle and inject the needle into the vent hole. Continue injecting till the ink comes out of the exit hole and stops foaming.

7. Leave the cartridge in this position for about ten minutes. Then repeat the 6th step and let it rest for another ten minutes.

8. Install the cartridge in the printer. If it has to be transported then an electrical tape can be used to cover the exit and vent holes but must be removed before printing.

Brother printer cartridge for Brother MFC-7150 and MFC-7160

There is a sponge inside the cartridge which makes the refilling procedure sticky. The first step remains the same.

1. Locate the exit hole at the bottom where there is a large plug.

2. Also locate the vent hole at the bottom which exists on the same side as the large handle on the top of the cartridge.

3. Turning the exit port towards the lap place the vent hole to the right and vice versa. Seal the exit port with a black electrical tape.

4. Take out the handle on the top of the cartridge. Inside you will see two metallic seals, the smaller one round and the larger one rectangular. Either remove the seals or make holes in them.

5. To fill the syringe bottle with ink squeeze the syringe bottle and the needle be inserted into the ink bottle. Relax the grip and let the syringe **** the ink into the bottle.

6. Taking the syringe bottle slowly inject the ink into the sponge deeply through the rectangular hole till the sponge saturates.

7. Also inject ink in the round hole till the outer chamber is full. After injection seal the round hole with black electrical tape carefully. Also seal the rectangular hole with tape.

8. Put the plastic handle back on the top. Take the cartridge to a sink and remove the tape from the bottom. Let the extra ink drops flow out.

9. Printer should be installed now.

Brother printer cartridge LC41C, LC41Y, LC41M, and LC41BK

In this model the ink is retained because of the valve. The first step is the same.

1. Find the label saying LC41 with the letters such as C, M, Y or BK representing colors.

2. Holding the label side up, on the right side find a window towards the top of the cartridge. Make a hole in the window with a smoldering iron or some heated metal thing.

3. Fill the syringe bottle like step 5 mentioned above.

4. Inject the ink slowly with the syringe bottle into the window on top right of the cartridge. Fill the entire cartridge.

5. Seal the window with black electrical tape.

6. Install in the printer.

Brother printer cartridge HJ100 and HJ400

There is very difference in this cartridge. The first step remains the same.

1. Start with a ***** in the vent hole which is opposite to the longest side of the cartridge which is opposite to the print head.

2. Draw the plug out with *****. Fill the syringe bottle half with ink and insert in the hole. Inject slowly and deeply into the sponge.

3. Expect some dripping. Tape the cartridge you have to transport it.

Laser Toner Cartridge

The refilling of a laser toner cartridge is very mush similar to adding petrol or gas to your car. The refilling of toner should be done at a place where there is no breeze. It can burn so work where there is no flame. Also do not inhale it as it is irritating.

The three basic types of laser toner cartridges are:

o Canister: a tube for holding toner

o Drum: a cartridge with gears and a drum which has a gelatin coating

o Toner and developer: similar to drum cartridge but using toner and developer both.

Canister Cartridge

1. Spread some absorbent material like a towel or newspaper. Locate a plug at the end of cartridge.

2. Remove the plug if you find it. If you don’t then create a hole which is away from the paper path (smooth plastic surface).

3. If you create a hole then carefully remove the shavings. 4. Shake the bottle of toner and pour the entire bottle into the cartridge with a funnel or paper funnel.

5. Put the plug back and seal it with a black electrical tape.

6. Install in the printer. The refilling of these cartridges can be done a lot of times.

Drum Cartridges

These are more complex cartridges. The ‘pretty’ drum can have three colored coatings: red, blue or green. Before refilling you have to find the toner hopper and the waste hopper.

o Locate the drum and imagine that it runs down to the end of the cartridge.

o Lay it down to that the drum runs from left to right in front of you. The side near to you is the ‘near side’ and the one far from you is ‘far side’.

o One of these sides is larger than the other.

o The largest side is ‘toner hopper’ and smaller one is ‘waste hopper’.

Now to refill follow the following steps.

1. Locate the drum but do not touch it. It may be under a shutter.

2. Find the toner hopper. You will see a translucent plug on one side. Remove it. If you do not find it then create a hole in the toner hopper away from the paper path.

3. Vacuum the drum of shavings but do not touch the drum.

4. Shake the bottle of toner and pour the entire bottle into the cartridge with a funnel.

5.Seal the hole with the pug or a black electrical tape.

Toner & Developer Cartridges

This cartridge is very much like the drum cartridge but it has two plugs. The larger one is for toner and smaller one for developer. You will need medium sized flat and cross headed screwdrivers.

1. Find the waste box at the end of the cartridge and remove the screws. There is a sliding door for the waste box.

2. Behind the waste box is a plastic plate held by a single *****. You are to arrange it in such a way that the green colored part is towards the upper right and ***** towards lower left. ***** it open.

3. There is a clip above the green side. Push it with a flat ***** driver to release the plate.

4. You will now see a large cap for the toner. Get off the cap or make a hole in it.

5. Fill the cartridge with toner and seal it.

6. Towards the left centre is a small plug for the developer. Make a hole or unplug it.

7. Fill the hole with developer and seal. 8. Place the plastic plate and the waste box.

9. Shake the cartridge softly.