Drum cartridges are what your printer uses to put ink to paper, creating photocopies of the document you just printed. If your printer does not have a drum cartridge, it will not print. Most newer printers come with drum cartridges, which contain a built-in photosensitive drum. In other words, when you buy your black or coloured toner cartridge, there is a built-in roller which spreads the toner on the paper. This whole drum unit creates the photocopies. Some printer models have two separate units in which the toner is separate from the roller. The toner cartridge is then placed in the printer separately and both need to be replaced as the quality of photocopying diminishes, with the drum unit lasting three or four times longer than the toner itself. However, at the end of a drum unit’s shelf live, the whole unit is usually replaced, replacing both drum and toner at the same time.

Facts about drum cartridges

• It is an essential part of a printer
• It revolves
• It transfers the toner to the paper
• Usually drum cartridges are more expensive, nevertheless, they also usually last longer than just plain toner cartridges
• It is photosensitive
• It has an electrical charge
• It works with the laser to create an electrical charge during printing
• It only takes the toner it needs, unlike toner cartridges which pull from both black and coloured toner
• It is consumable and replaceable

How does it work?

Basically, very small laser beams transfer the image from the original copy to the photosensitive drum, then the drum rotates passing on its electrical charge to the toner allowing the image to transfer to the paper as the toner is dispensed. There is a heat lamp within the drum, which is activated once the drum rolls over the paper the toner bonds with the paper. The heat further bonds the toner to the paper. Voila! A photocopy has been created.

How much are drum cartridges?

It all depends on what your printer needs, as well as the brand and model of printer. Pricing is anywhere from $14.99 upwards to over $100; with the most expensive being the combined toner and drum units. Remember, your printer cannot function without a drum, drum cartridge or drum unit. Depending on the age of your printer, it should send you a notification of when toner or drum needs to be replaced.

How long a drum lasts in a printer largely depends on how many pages are printed, the condition of the drum unit, the yield the manufacturer puts on the product and the brand of the drum unit. A tale-tell sign that a drum cartridge needs to be replaced is when the quality of print diminishes. This usually happens after 10,000 to 50,000 pages have been printed off. This is just a broad estimate taken from the aforementioned.

Ways to prolong the life of a drum

Most laser inkjet printers that have drum cartridges, allows you to remove the cartridge. When your printer gives you a notification that your toner is getting low or refuses to print because the toner is low, simply open the door to the toner area, remove the drum cartridge and gently shake it side to side or up and down. This will prolong the life of it. You should be able to do this several times. Be aware that toner may spit out over your hands or the surrounding area if you shake the cartridge too hard. Also, if you chose this method to make the toner last longer, the printouts will be diminished in quality. Therefore, this should method should not be used for important documents. It will make miserly shoppers sigh with relief though!

Signs that your drum needs to be replaced

• Faded print
• Streaked print
• Blurry print
• Black spots or smudges appear
• Blank spaces
• Blank printouts
• The printer will no longer print pages, as some laser printers have a built-in page number and the printer keeps track of the number of pages that have been printed

Things to remember

Drum cartridges are a main component in a printer. You cannot make copies without it. A drum unit can last three to four times longer than a toner cartridge, making it worth the cost. When taking cost-effectiveness into consideration, when your printer sends the first notification that your toner needs to be changed out, it does not mean the cartridge is empty. More often than not, there is still toner left to be used. You will have an opportunity to make the cartridge last longer, if you are willing to compromise on the quality of print; simply take the cartridge out and gently shake it.

Remember drum cartridges are available for anywhere from $14.99 to upwards of over $100. If you need assistance finding the correct cartridge for your printer, use the search button or call customer service.