Toner Level Detection

HP Color LaserJet 3500, 3700, 4600, 4650, and 5500 Printer Series - Toner Level Detection

The printer monitors print cartridge life in several ways to ensure continued high print quality: Number of developer rotations measures the usefulness (charge) of the toner.

Toner sensor monitors remaining toner, and informs the user of "low" or "out" conditions.

Number of photosensitive drum rotations measures the life of the photosensitive drum.

The cartridge life represented on the Supplies Status page and on the control panel is a combination of all three of these components.

During the life of a print cartridge, the control panel will display three different messages. These include the following:

OK. The cartridge has between 15 and 100 percent life remaining.

ORDER CARTRIDGE. The cartridge has 15 percent life remaining. In typical printing situations, this represents about 2 weeks of use.

REPLACE CARTRIDGE. One of the three components listed above has reached the end of life. The printer stops, and printing cannot continue until the cartridge is replaced.

Toner sensor
For the first 75 percent of the cartridge life, toner depletion within the cartridge is calculated by pixel counting. An optical toner-level sensor then tracks the final 25 percent of toner. The toner is measured and then reports on the toner gas gauge that can be seen on the control panel, Supplies Status page, embedded Web server, or Web Jetadmin. The transition from pixel counting to toner level sensing causes no fluctuation

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