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Ink cartridges and how we use them

by: AndrewJames
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An inkjet cartridge is the replaceable component of an inkjet printer that contains the ink used when printing. The ink cartridge can also contain the print head itself. Every ink cartridge is made up from one or more partitioned ink reservoirs and some producers also insert electronic contacts and a chip that transmits information to the printer.

The printing depends on the smooth flow of ink, which can be hindered if the ink begins to dry at the print head, as can happen when an ink level becomes low. Dried ink can be cleaned from a cartridge print head by rubbing gently with isopropyl alcohol on a swab or folded paper towel.

Often, ink cartridges are extremely expensive, so many people started to use compatible ink cartridges produced by a company other than the printer manufacturer. Depending on the company, compatible ink cartridges can sometimes be of the same quality as original cartridges and save you some money. Some people have made some modifications to the printer to allow the use of continuous ink systems. In these cases, the ink comes from external ink tanks. Another alternative is to use aftermarket inks to refill your own cartridge or take it to a local refiller.

Consumers are often surprised at the price of replacing their printer cartridges, especially when compared with that of purchasing a brand new printer. The major printer manufacturers, Hewlett Packard, Lexmark, Dell, Canon, Epson and Brother often break even or loose money selling printers, and expect to recoup their losses by selling expensive cartridges over the life span of the printer. Since much of the printer manufacturer's profits are made up of ink and toner cartridge sales, some of these companies have taken various actions against aftermarket cartridges. Sometimes, even legal action was taken.

Many printer owners choose to refill their cartridges or buy remanufactured cartridges from third parties over buying new cartridges. This saves them a lot of money (they only have to buy the ink and a few other small raw materials) and gets them almost the same quality. A whole industry has grown up around ink cartridge refilling. Customers can find several qualities and types of refilling. However, some are safe and successful while other types can destroy the printer or produce low quality prints. Some of the options are to take the empty cartridges to refillers or remanufacturers, or buy store branded ink.

The cheapest way to get a filled cartridge is to refill it yourself. Almost all cartridges have instructions on how to use and refill them available on the Internet. The Internet can also provide a list of bulk ink sellers that offer pints, quarts, and even gallons of ink. A pint (473 ml) can fill up to 17 large ink cartridges of 27 ml capacity.

If you consider refilling your cartridge you should know that Brother, Canon, Dell, HP, and Lexmark cartridges are quite easy to refill. Some of the cartridges can even be refilled with a simple syringe. However, Epson cartridges are usually harder to refill as these cartridges need a chip resetter. This resetter resets the counter chip embedded in the cartridge. Because it requires you to handle ink directly, the refill process can be tricky and you will need some experience until you will do it clean.

Laser/toner cartridges labeled as "compatible" are often refilled cartridges. Many third parties offer newly manufactured cartridges. Ink cartridges labeled as "compatible" are all newly produced. "Remanufactured" inkjet cartridges have been used previously and refilled by a third party so caution is advised when buying them. These cartridges may not work like new ones.

About the Author

Andrew James can supply a great deal of interesting information about ink cartridges as well as articles about other subjects to do with printing consumables including inkjet cartridges

Ink cartridges and how we use them

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