Bizhub c351 Where did my gloss go?!

[pentacon6]

I have a Konica Minolta Bizhub c351.

Recently I decided to purchase off brand toner at 1/3rd the cost of the oem toner. Now when I print using the "gloss" function, the prints are no longer glossy and have very light scratchy lines running horizontally through them. Because this problem began when I started using the cheaper toner of course I would believe the toner to be the cause, however, since I am unaware of how the "gloss" function works I cannot be sure. Also, if it is the toner, and I replace it with proper oem product, will this repair the problem? I performed as many of the calibrations as have been outlined in the manual. Any information would be greatly appreciated!

[wagon]

Have you looked under the machine? Maybe the gloss has leaked out.

[pentacon6]

assuming you're not joking...

The machine does not require any chemical glosser. Supposedly the gloss capability is the result of an additional process built into the machine and toner.

[wagon]

Actually, I was joking! The problem(s) are most likely due to the pirate toner.. Try some of the 'real' stuff and let the machine work the pirate stuff out of its system ........ it may take a stack of copies to get the best results. Hopefully your developer will come clean with the 'good' stuff.

[stacyrf]

Ok, there are "good" and "bad" aftermarket toners out there. Saying that, even the "good" toners are decent at best. There is a reason that those toners are 1/3 the cost of oem toners, be it quality, quantity, or the fact that it is made in a child sweat shop. Now the bad news is, your imaging units are now corrupted by the toner. There is the chance that by adding oem toner that the problem will deminish, but you will never get the imaging unit back to oem standard. To regain that oem finish on your copies, you will have to replace the imagine unit, vacuum out all of the old toner from the sub hopper and toner box, and install a fresh oem toner unit into the machine. I could go into how toner is made but that would bore you and this post would be a mile long.

[pentacon6]

I wouldnt find that boring at all!

You have confirmed my worst fears. However, I believe that there may yet be hope since I have not made an abundance of prints since installing these toners. I would say at most I have used one tenth of the toner cartridges so, hopefully with some care and cleaning I can at least approach the quality I had before. I will definitely keep you updated.
I would find the process of manufacturing toner very interesting.

[DadO]

Cheaper toner then then KM's OEM toner!??? It is out of question! I never saw a cheaper toner then OEM toner for bizhub c252,352. Why did u buy KM? WHY didn't u buy a canon or xerox?Their toner It's 5 times more expensive then toner for KM.
It is out of question my friend.

2 weeks ago i retrieved a guaranty from one company that stoped to take toners from me. Even tho that toners "look" the same as orginal i didn't care.
They are 10 dollars cheaper and company lost an guaranty because of 10 dollars....

[ni311]

Just to save a few dollars, you risk to damage all the units that cost a few hundreds, you will loose printout quality, damage the machine and after all this you'll return to OEM products with a big hole in your budget... What's the point?!

[pentacon6]

A well intentioned mistake

I am new to the copier world. I have worked with ink jet technology for years. With my ink jet machines, in most cases, the bulk ink is FAR better than the ink from the original manufacturer. My Printers equipped with continuous ink supply systems and fed non-oem (but quality)ink have more consistent color, less occasions of clogging and generally require less maintenance than the originally intended alternative. the prints, in my personal experience and comparisons show greater permanence. In many cases the non oem ink costs a fraction (95% less somtimes) of the oem (in cartridge) product. Obviously this is not the same for copiers and powdered toners. Whoops!

[DadO]

u Got it but my ex client did not.... They don't understand even tho i explain them in more occasions that color machines are very demanding and extreamly sensitive, especially for toners. I know guy who put cyan and magenta katun I/U's on c252 and FRIED PWB-A BOARD 2 WEEKS LATER! Machine did 45k but no warranty for him

[ni311]

I don't have much experience in inkjet technology, but I saw so many problems from non oem products in laser world that I have to advise anyone: think twice before using these types of products.

[djbass]

I am new to the copier world. I have worked with ink jet technology for years. With my ink jet machines, in most cases, the bulk ink is FAR better than the ink from the original manufacturer. My Printers equipped with continuous ink supply systems and fed non-oem (but quality)ink have more consistent color, less occasions of clogging and generally require less maintenance than the originally intended alternative. the prints, in my personal experience and comparisons show greater permanence. In many cases the non oem ink costs a fraction (95% less somtimes) of the oem (in cartridge) product. Obviously this is not the same for copiers and powdered toners. Whoops!

I would say that views such as these can be very subjective, my own experience is the polar opposite of everything you just claimed.

For my own part I have worked with both inkjet & toner based technology for 10 years covering everything from small printers & multifunctions to large copiers & wide format printers. Primarily that has been with Canon & Brother products so I am willing to accept that other brands may have had better results with non genuine consumables, but equally I have seen poor results in every major brand of machine from the use of 3rd party products.

Not all toners & inks are created equal, and obviously while some 3rd party products are actually decent quality, the majority of them are not. I have found many of the non genuine inks are inconsistant with the OEM colours, producing very weird gradients, especially on the high end photo printers. They are also often very watery when compared to the OEM inks, which results in either excessive leaking or build up which clogs the purge/cleaning mechanisms and shortens the life of the waste ink absorbers.

The other point of contention is that most modern machines use patented ink formulas, making it impossible for 3rd parties to truthfully claim their product is 'superior' or 'identical' unless they have breached the patent. Some of those missing ingredients can be chemicals that are used to lubricate the printhead or stabilise the colour which has a significant impact on the quality and life of the printer.

I have also seen unscrupulous refillers & remanufactorers buying food dyes and using them as substitutes. It is not limited to ink but some of them also buy one brand of toner in bulk, say HP for example, and then use it to refill any brand of cartridge that walks through their door, not realising that different machines have different imaging processes that rely on a specific mix of components being present in the toner.

I could probably rant for days on this subject, but the point is it is not a straight forward issue as people like to think at times.