Using recycled paper and other office papers
As an environmentally conscious company, Lexmark supports the use of recycled office paper produced specifically for use in laser (electrophotographic) printers. In 1998, Lexmark presented to the US government a study demonstrating that recycled paper produced by major mills in the US fed as well as non-recycled paper. However, no blanket statement can be made that all recycled paper will feed well.
Lexmark consistently tests its printers with recycled paper (20–100% post-consumer waste) and a variety of test paper from around the world, using chamber tests for different temperature and humidity conditions. Lexmark has found no reason to discourage the use of today's recycled office papers, but generally the following property guidelines apply to recycled paper.
- Low moisture content (4–5%)
- Suitable smoothness (100–200 Sheffield units, or 140–350 Bendtsen units, European)
Note: Some much smoother papers (such as premium 24
lb laser papers, 50–90 Sheffield units) and much rougher papers (such as premium cotton papers, 200–300 Sheffield units) have been engineered to work very well in laser printers, despite surface texture. Before using these types of paper, consult your paper supplier.
- Suitable sheet-to-sheet coefficient of friction (0.4–0.6)
- Sufficient bending resistance in the direction of feed
Recycled paper, paper of lower weight (<60
g/m2 [16
lb bond]) and/or lower caliper (<3.8
mils [0.1
mm]), and paper that is cut grain-short for portrait (or short-edge) fed printers may have lower bending resistance than is required for reliable paper feeding. Before using these types of paper for laser (electrophotographic) printing, consult your paper supplier. Remember that these are general guidelines only and that paper meeting these guidelines may still cause paper feeding problems in any laser printer (for example, if the paper curls excessively under normal printing conditions).