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.