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The original particle size in toner averaged about 12 micrometres. When image resolution was improved to 600 dots per inch, however, the particle dimension was reduced to 8 micrometres. Further reductions in size will be necessary for improvements in resolution. Toner manufacturers maintain a quality control standard of these particle sizes in order to produce a powder suitable for use in printer devices; the particle size is not allowed to vary too much from the required dimension.
In earlier machines toner was shaken from a bottle into a receptacle in the machine. Modern methods use a disposable cartridge. These discarded cartridges are often refilled by third party vendors.
As a fine powder, toner can remain suspended in the air for some period, and is considered to have health effects comparable to dustDust is a general name for minute solid particles of diameters less than 500 micrometers (otherwise see sand or granulates) and, more generally, for finely divided matter. On Earth, dust occurs in the atmosphere from various sources: soil dust lifted up b. It can be an irritant to people with respiratoryRespiration can refer to: Cellular respiration, which is the use of oxygen in the metabolism of organic molecules. Physiological respiration, which exchanges oxygen and carbon dioxide between an organism and the external environment. conditions, such as asthmaAsthma is an immunological disease which causes difficulty in breathing. It is a form of type I hypersensitivity in which the bronchioles in the lungs are narrowed by inflammation and spasm of the lining of the airway wall. A person with asthma may experi or bronchitisBronchitis is an inflammation of the bronchi of the lungs, that causes the cilia of the bronchial epithelial cells to stop functioning. Like many disorders, bronchitis can be acute (short-term), or chronic (long-lasting). Chronic bronchitis is a problem c. Following health studies on bacteria, the carbon content of the toner has been reduced to the point where it is not considered a cause for concern.