Your printer ink cartridges play as big a part in the final quality of your print as the paper that you use. If you use cheap paper, your print quality will suffer and in many cases the same is true of using cheap ink cartridges. This isn't always the case, however. Discount ink can be bought in a few different ways and each of them has advantages and disadvantages.
Refill Ink
The cheapest of the three options, using refill ink to refill your printer's empty cartridges usually affects print quality negatively more than the other alternatives.
It'll depend on what brand and model of printer you have, but many of the newer printers are difficult to refill. It can also be quite messy because you're dealing with bottled ink, trying to inject it back into the empty cartridge.
Recycled Cartridges
Many companies clean used cartridges, refill them with ink, test them for quality, and then sell them as recycled cartridges.
Results from this option are better than those that refill ink tends to offer, but there is also a greater cost involved since you have to pay for the labor involved in the recycling process.
Companies that recycle cartridges often use special equipment in the recycling process and usually guarantee their already high quality work so that, if for some reason the recycled cartridge does not function properly, you can have your money returned to you or switch the malfunctioning cartridge for a good one.
Generic Brand Cartridges
Due to patents on ink cartridges held by their manufacturers that make their reproduction illegal by other companies, use of generic cartridges is less widespread than that of the other alternatives.
There are some cartridges that you can find brand new generic replacement ink for. These generic cartridge are not recycled, they are new but they aren't made by the printer companies themselves.
While it is cheaper to purchase a generic cartridge than an original one, this is the most expensive of the three alternative options presented in this article. They also function just as well as the manufacturer's do.
Printing needs determine which option is best. For example, if you plan on printing photos you will be more concerned with print quality than someone who wants to print copies of websites. You can decide by taking into consideration what you will be printing and the amount of printing you will be doing.
When you purchase a printer, you probably do not give much thought as to whether cheap ink cartridges will fit that printer. After all, the printer comes with a set of color and black and white ink cartridges and, like most people, you aren't looking months into the future when you need to buy fresh ink supplies.
There is a real trend in inkjet printer marketing these days to sell printers at really low prices but sell expensive ink cartridges to replace the ones you have completely used. This means that a really low printer price, when averaged with the cost of the ink over time may not be a very good deal at all.
There are cheap ink cartridges which fit top-quality inkjet printers and you should do 'reverse shopping' when it comes to buying printing hardware for your home or small office. Let's say you have a choice between two printers of equal capability. One retails for $59.95 while the other sells for $89.99. If the ink refill for the $59.95 printer costs $45 dollars for a set of color and black and white ink cartridges while the printer which sells for $89.99 will accept cheap ink cartridges which cost only $12.99 each for color and black and white, you are far, far better off to pay slightly more for the printer that uses the inexpensive ink refills.
When you think of cheap ink cartridges, you may associate that term with inferior products. With ink refill products, this is not the case. Even name brand refills have a wide range of prices. After market remanufactured products cost even less. Some ink cartridges can even be refilled at home using an ink refill kit.
All too many people have fallen into the problematic situation of buying a printer from someone who posted it on eBay for pennies. If, however, they failed to obtain prices for the ink cartridges and find out how cheap or expensive they are, they may experience a bad case of sticker shock once they go to the office supply or super store to purchase ink. Even when ordering online, cartridges for some printers are much cheaper than for other printers.
Make your printer shopping a two-step process. First, look for a printer that has all the capabilities you need and that produces the quality output you desire. But don't pull out your checkbook or credit card yet. Shop for ink for that printer. If there are cheap ink cartridges available that fit the printer you want, then you are making a good choice for a printer that you can afford to live with for a long time. If, on the other hand, you find the ink refills are expensive and you'll become annoyed at the price each time you must purchase a cartridge, keep shopping. There are lots of printers out there that are affordable which accept cheap ink cartridges and you'll be much happier with your purchase.
Both Frank Bolsom & Andrew James are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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