How to Change Toner in a Konica Minolta Copy Machine

Copy machines make everyone’s life easier on a daily basis, until the toner runs out. When the toner cartridge is empty, productivity can grind to a halt. Luckily, replacing the toner cartridge in your Konica Minolta copy machine doesn’t have to be a headache. In fact, it is a very simple process. Follow the easy steps below:

Getting Started

When you approach your Konica Minolta copy machine you’ll see the main menu screen on the touchscreen control panel. The home screen provides four options (Copy, Scan/Fax, User Box & Utility) and a prompt along the top that asks you to “Select function to use.” In order to get started, select the “Copy” option.

This will bring you to the main menu for copy mode on the machine. Along the top, the prompt message will now display the phrase “Ready to Copy.” If your machine is, or will soon be, in need of a new toner cartridge, one of two messages will appear in the prompt. If the toner is low, you may see the message “toner low.” If it is at a critical level, you may see the more urgent message “replace toner cartridge.”

Which Cartridge Needs Replacement?

Once you know that a toner cartridge needs to be changed, how do you know which cartridge needs replacement? Again, another easy step. On the main menu screen for copy mode, you’ll notice a toner cartridge status bar in the upper right hand corner. This small box lists the current toner level in the cartridges for yellow, magenta, cyan and black.

This box not only makes it easy to determine which toner cartridge needs to be changed, it also helps your office be proactive. By keeping tabs on the toner levels, you can order replacement cartridges ahead of time to ensure you have enough supplies to keep the copy machine running smoothly without interruptions.

Note: If you are in a Managed Print Services (MPS) program, your print provider will monitor these levels for you and automate toner shipment when toner begins to run low.

Changing the Cartridge

When you have determined the cartridge that needs to be changed, let’s use the black cartridge as an example, you’ll want to open the access panel on the front of the machine. On Konica Minolta copy machines, the access panel folds down toward you to reveal the four toner cartridges.

You’ll start by locating the black toner cartridge. All four cartridges are labeled with color-coded signs indicating which cartridge is which. Grab the handle of the black cartridge and turn it counterclockwise (left) until you hear a snap. The toner cartridge is now unlocked from its housing and will slide out.

Next, grab your new cartridge and slide it into the empty slot for the black toner. As you are sliding it in, you’ll want to make sure to do two things. First, line up the tabs near your handle to ensure the cartridge slides in correctly. Second, remove the protective sticker from the cartridge to allow the toner to exit the cartridge.

Once you have done those two things, slide the toner cartridge all the way into its housing and turn the handle to the right until you hear it lock into position (the handle should be straight up and down).

Changing the Recycle Container

It is also necessary to change the recycle container cartridge on your Konica Minolta copy machine.  Just as with toner cartridges, your screen will indicate when replacement is needed. The recycle container is located just below the toner cartridges and is locked in place by two blue tabs. Simply press those tabs to release the container. Set it aside and place the new recycle container in its place, taking care to line up the guides for each toner cartridge. Push the new recycle container in place until the blue tabs snap, locking the container in place.

Verify

Once you’ve replaced the necessary components, simply close the front access panel and take a glance at your touchscreen menu. If you’ve completed the necessary steps, the prompt on the copy mode menu will display the message “Ready to Copy.” You can also use the toner level display in the upper-right hand corner to verify that the copy machine has registered a new toner cartridge by indicating the toner level is full.

For a quick video tutorial of this process, watch the clip below.