1. Think of the money. Before buying a bargain basement brand-name printer, be sure to look into the price of printer ink cartridges. Most computer printer manufacturers sell their printers at a very low price, which makes them affordable for the consumers. The profit for computer printer manufacturers lies in the sell of printer ink cartridges. According to a survey, printer ink cartridges business is responsible for $21 billion (US) per year in sales.



2. Standards. Concerned about the burgeoning cost of printer ink, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) have established testing standards for printers. These standards help manufacturers and consumers determine the yield (number of pages) of printer inkjet cartridges and toner cartridges. This information allows actual cost per page of printing to be calculated.

3. Legalities. Virtually every major printer manufacturer has been involved in lawsuits regarding the sale and use of re-manufactured inkjet or laser printer ink cartridges. In Japan, Epson won a case with the result that the sale of re-manufactured cartridges is banned. Both Canon and Hewlett-Packard have been involved in lawsuits over both cartridges and alleged unfair competition.

4. The single use concept. In 2005, Lexmark won a suit that gives the company the authority under patent and contract law to enforce the single-use only policy that is written on the packaging in which their printer ink cartridges are packaged. This means that anyone who refills a Lexmark printer ink cartridge for reuse could face charges and legal action.

5. The prebate concept. Not all Lexmark printer ink cartridges are labeled single use only. For these unlabelled items, Lexmark has a promo that gives a 20% discount on printer ink cartridges if consumers return them to the company after a single use of the product. Those who fail to return them are breaking the law and could face legal action if they refill a printer ink cartridge, send it to a third-party ink refiller or simply do not return it to Lexmark.

Consumers who are buying printer ink cartridges anywhere in the world are advised to investigate the policies surrounding the reuse or refill of the indispensable items before engaging in this practice.

Printer ink cartridges are the life line of your printer - how are you able to use them when you are out of cartridges? But, as usual, most people have problems with cartridges because of one reason: money. Like many other cartridges, they think that these ones are expensive and unreasonable; thus, resulting them to buy replacement inks or refilled cartridges.

Replacement or ink-refilled cartridges are not made by your printer's manufacturer or supplier - they are third-party inks that are made by usually small companies. You can either buy an ink to refill your cartridge on your own, or you can buy pre-refilled ones. There are also some printer ink cartridges which can be connected to big bottles of ink that are placed outside your printer - now that's big. However, manufacturers are on the campaign to always use original cartridges to assure the safety and maintenance of your printers.

Original cartridges, on the other hand, assure you of 100% compatibility and security when it comes to your printers. You don't have to worry about broken warranties, as well. These cartridges offer you full support and high-quality printing. You also have the choice to pick the right cartridge for photos or for everyday printing.

Since the cost of living today is constantly on the rise, it isn't a surprise that most people opt to buy cheaper printer ink cartridges. While most printer manufacturers have tried to lower their prices, ink-refilled ones are still very popular. But the choice is entirely up to the consumers.