HP CE285A Cartridge for the HP P1102, M1130, M1212NF, M1214 and M1217 MFP printers

The HP LaserJet 85A cartridge is designed to work in the HP P1102 printer and M1130, M1212NF, M1214 and M1217 multifunction printers.

Print cartridges primarily deliver toner powder which are microscopic particles with electrostatic properties. Laser printers work by attracting toner from developer to drum, then from drum to page using static electric charges.

As usual with HP and Canon printers these cartridges contain the main components used in the laser printer imaging process, the developer and doctor blade, the drum and scraper blade.

LJ Pro P1102
LJ Pro P1102W_
LJ Pro M1130
LJ Pro M1210

CE285A HP LaserJet CE285A Black Print Cartridge.

CE285AD HP LaserJet CE285A Black Print Cartridge Dual Pack.

About Cartridges

Packing toner into a cartridge originally aimed to simplify the job of looking after the printer. Many of the parts that impact on print quality are changed with the cartridge. The developer and doctor blade, drum and wiper blade are swapped each time the cartridge is changed (unless you use refills, of course).

Printer manufacturers found that supplying cartridges gave a regular income stream. Supplying cartridges now gives the the industry it's rather peculiar economics, with complex devices like printers available at low prices.

The CE285A is a fairly conventional print cartridge with drum and a developer halves spring loaded against one another and separated by bushings. A spring-loaded shutter protects the light-sensitive surface of the drum when the cartridge is out of the printer. When the cartridge is inserted the drum and developer gap closes and a slot allows the laser beam to scan across the drum.

The CE285A is very similar to the CB435A which fits the P1005 and P1006. In fact the CE285A and CE278A/CB436A differ in little more than gearing - sufficiently so that Static Control have an instruction sheet SSS-1124 on how to make the change.

In this case the toner charge is small - sufficient for 1,600 pages at the industry standard 5% page cover.

With a small cartridge operating costs for these printers are quite high. The street price in the UK at the time of writing is around 2.6p per page.

To give an improved value in business environments HP make the toner available in a dual pack, CE285AD.

Ingredients

According to HP's MSDS the ingredients of the CE285A-AD-AF toner are: Styrene-acrylate copolymer, Ferrite and Wax. The cartridge uses a magnetic developer. Apparently a magnetic component toner also gives sharper print - although these printers only offer 600x400 and 600x600 dpi resolutions.

Clover technologies offer a compatible cartridge BC85A. Their MSDS identifies the toner as TRHP 1505 OS2 and gives a little further insight into what the toner composition might be.

CE285ACartridge
MaterialHP CE285AClover BC85A
Styrene-acrylate copolymer<5540-55
Ferrite (Magnetite)<4540-55
Wax<10 -
Ethylene Propylene Copolymer-<3
Ester Wax-<3
Silica-<3
Metal Complex Dye-<1

Toner composition is fairly typical for HP/Canon mono toners. In keeping with progress in laser printer design generally toner particle size is small. Refill toners are available specifically for the P1102 printer.

These printers are based on the Canon LBP6000 engine and the cartridge is mechanically the same; Canon call it a "725". However cartridges are chipped so those for one model probably will not work in the other. Chips for recyclers are available to work in both manufacturer's machines.

As usual with mono printers there is a clear saving in money from using a refurbished cartridge. since mono printers are often used in non and not much practical objection.

Refill and refurbished cartridges are fairly readily available, both Static Control and Uninet have instructions and parts available for refurbishers.

As usual, if there is a problem have an HP original cartridge available to test where the problem arises.

Identifying Faults

Laser printer faults can often be identified because the different sized rollers give a characteristic spacing of marks down the page. This will often help identify faults and suggest whether the cartridge or printer is suspect.

Repetitive Defect Chart for M1130 / LBP6000 type printers.
Recurrence (mm)CauseLikely Effect
34Developer RollerReplace Cartridge
27PreCharge RollerReplace Cartridge
75OPCCheck the drum for damage. Replace Cartridge
57Fuser FilmFuser has a sticky mark or the film is degenerating. Try several cleaning cycles.
57Fuser Pressure RollerMarks most likely on the underside of the page. Fuser pressure roller has a sticky mark
39Transfer RollerClean or change the transfer roller.

Printers in the HP M1132 / M1212 family have a toner-low light that gives a warning about toner levels some time before the cartridge is actually exhausted. This early warning gives users a chance to buy another cartridge. The amount of toner left is gauged from information written to the cartridge chip, there is no physical sensor. No harm will come to the printer from continuing to use the old cartridge until the prints fade unacceptably. People often find that shaking the cartridge gently from side to side will get a few more pages from it - take care not to spill toner.

A lot of faults including light print, grey backgrounds and irregular smudging prove to be problems with cleanliness inside the cartridge-well. The cartridge is provided with high voltage through metal contacts on it's left hand side and with electrical grounding through the drum shaft. The matching contacts need to be clean and so does the nearby plastic. There are some brief hints on cleaning below.

The two contacts on the little circuit board at one side of the cartridge are the cartridge ID chip. Without the chip the printer will not be able to report low toner and it may need a warning about "counterfeit supplies" clearing.

CE285A installation

Replacing the Print Cartridge.

The cartridge installs through a cartridge door in the front top of the printer. With the Multifunction machines (MFCs) this means tilting the scanner back to get at the cartridge door itself. The cartridge has a handle on top and lifts upwards and out. It will need gentle pressure, not force.

A new cartridge comes in a light and humidity proof bag. Open the bag at one end so that it can be partly re-used. HP mark disposable parts in orange. There is an an orange ring-pull protruding at one end of the cartridge, this is the seal strip that closes off the toner hopper against spills in transit. Pull the ring gently but firmly and the strip should withdraw from the cartridge - the toner is now ready for use.

Install the cartridge in the machine the same way that the other came out. Close the lid and the machine should turn a couple of cycles as a self-test. Any toner warning light should go out.

Use whatever recycling route you choose. We would generally suggest putting the used toner in the bag and box to protect them - however some recyclers offering box schemes seem to prefer them unwrapped. In some countries HP operate a "Planet Partners" scheme to recover old toners. Their recycling reuses the materials - not the components. Other recyclers will refill or re-use the cartridge components. there are arguments in favour of both approaches.

Toner Spills and Cleaning Up

Refurbished or mistreated cartridges sometimes release toner into the machine. There is some help on cleaning up any problem here.In brief, scoop up any substantial quantity with a paper and put it in an envelope or other sealable container for disposal. Remove the rest using a high efficiency vacuum cleaner - not an ordinary domestic vacuum cleaner. Alternatively use tissue paper- ideally a lint-free variety as paper dust will also interfere with the workings of the machine. Do not use hot water to wash items that have toner spilled on them - heat will fix the toner in place. Use cold water with some mild soap or detergent.

Safety Data

The toner used is not considered a hazard at the levels of exposure a user is likely to experience. The MSDS sheets say it should not cause skin irritation.

Like all fine dusts, any substantial exposure may cause slight transient eye irritation. Prolonged inhalation of excessive amounts of any dust may cause lung damage. Fine organic dust is also an explosion hazard. People working with printers normally use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA class H14 filter with static protection to minimise the risk of explosion.

HP say None of the other ingredients in this preparation are classified as carcinogens according to ACGIH, EU, IARC, MAK, NTP or OSHA. and This product is not classified as hazardous according to OSHA CFR 1910.1200 or EU Directive 1999/45/EC, as amended.

The full HP MSDS in PDF form should be readily found using the search phrase HP LaserJet CE285A-AD-AF Print Cartridge filetype:pdf