How to maintain your Printer Cartridges Taking proper care of your ink and toner cartridges can go a long way in making sure that your cartridges last and function effectively. These cartridge care tips can be a big help in helping to prolong the life of your ink, print better quality prints and ensure your cartridges for printing are in good condition and ready to use whenever you need them resulting in less troubleshooting in the future. How do I put in new cartridges in my printer? If you have never installed replacement cartridges for your printer before, first refer to the manual of your printer's owner for important instructions on how to install the new cartridge. Certain printers need you to follow certain instructions when installing a brand new cartridge. Following the manual instructions will help ensure your printer and cartridges work in a proper manner. Whenever you like to discover details about toner cartridges, you must browse around CartridgeSave site. Cartridges can be shipped in different positions. This can cause ink or toner settle at one side of the cartridge. When you receive your cartridge, you must place it on its side in the same area as your printer for at least two to four hours. This will allow the ink or toner to settle and adjust to room temperature before installation. Before installing your new cartridge, be sure to check it thoroughly for problems or damages. To make sure that you have a uniform distribution of ink and toner, gently shake the cartridge. A majority of cartridges are equipped with a protective clip, newspaper, or tape to protect and seal the cartridge during storage and shipping. To avoid any printing problems or issues with fit be sure to remove the tape prior to installing. You might want to do this over an empty trash container since ink or toner may leak when removing. What can I do to care for my toner and ink cartridges? A majority of ink cartridges and toner cartridges come with a gold contact chip that communicates with your printer. To avoid damaging the chip, it's important not to contact it while handling cartridges. If you do contact the chip then a cloth or Q-tip is a good option to scrub the area. Imaging drums are cylindrical part of laser cartridges. This delicate component plays an important role in the process of transferring the image of what you are printing to the page. Avoid touching the imaging drum since this can cause damage to the drum and may affect the quality of the print. What is the best way to store my cartridges? It is best to store your cartridges in their original, sealed package until you're ready to ensure ink or toner and other parts that function are in good condition when ready to use. The removal of them from their packaging and allowings and allowing them to sit for extended period of time can lead to messy leaks and, eventually, dry ink out and print nozzles to get blocked. Cartridges should be kept in a upright position away from direct light in a cool, dry and dark space such as the pantry or closet. Cartridges that are left in areas that are heated beyond safe levels, either too hot or cold, may cause ink to dry out or cause the toner to degrade and possibly alter the plastic of the cartridge itself and affect the performance of your toner. You may need to store an open cartridge if you have to. To stop ink from leaking or clogging, tape the cartridge to seal it. Replace opened cartridges back into the bags they came in or use the zip lock or another clean bag to protect the cartridge from the dust and open air when storing.