The Information below is a courtesy from www.inkjet-cartridges.net, and have very useful information regarding
- The reality of inkjet cartridges
- Why compatible ink cartridges wouldn't ruin your printer
- and what to look for when buying a good cartridge.
Take your time to read through it (rather long) and you will find things that you might never know. Enjoy.
This site is dedicated to giving you information regarding inkjet cartridges. The number of companies offering refillable or remanufactured inkjet cartridges, refill kits, and generic or compatible inkjet cartridges has increased dramatically in the last couple years. It seems everywhere you go – particularly online – there is yet another supplier offering the lowest prices, the cheapest inkjet refills, and the easiest refill kits. And, chances are, you are playing it safe – and still paying top dollar for your trusty brand name ink jet cartridge from your local office supplier. After all, you reason, thirty to sixty dollars is still cheaper than purchasing a new inkjet printer or worrying about voiding your warranty because the manufacturer has told you that a refill might damage the printer.
With so many choices available today, and so many questions, it is hard to determine what type of cartridge will provide you with the best quality for your money. Should you use only manufacturers cartridges and stay away from compatible brands? You want to recycle for economic and environmental reasons, but are refill kits or remanufactured cartridge services really as simple as advertisements make it seem?
On the following pages, we address these questions by providing you with some interesting facts on the different options available. Armed with information, you will be able to make knowledgeable choices the next time you see that blinking light on your printer.
THE REALITY OF THE COST OF BRAND NAME INKJET CARTRIDGES VS. DISCOUNT INK JET CARTRIDGES
The Ecstasy " I just bought a printer for only $99"
If you are like the average consumer, you purchased an inkjet printer at a terrific price. One inkjet printer is sold every four seconds in the United States. 
You are thrilled with the print quality and spend the first few days printing beautiful inkjet color photos of your children, family pet, and summer vacation on expensive glossy paper. You design wonderful, witty and colorful greeting cards to send the photos off to admiring relatives and friends. You have no idea how the ink jet cartridge process works, you are just happy to have such a wonderful new printer. And, you are smiling.
The Agony "You learn the cost of Brand-Name Inkjet Cartridges"
You are still smiling when your new inkjet printer runs out of ink. You head for the nearest office supply store, scolding yourself that you didn’t pick up a few extra ink jet cartridges when you purchased the printer. You linger in the paper aisle, perhaps pick out some new print paper, and then begin searching for the replacement cartridges. You are surprised to find that they are locked behind a glass case. And, if you are still like the average consumer, you are no longer smiling by the time you are reaching for your wallet at the checkout counter. Suddenly, that inexpensive inkjet printer has become a bit more expensive than you thought. You put back the print paper.
The Options
Brand name cartridges sold in most office supply stores are the most expensive option for replacing empty cartridges. Most manufacturers’ manuals will recommend that you purchase their own brand name cartridge for best ink quality and maintenance of your inkjet printer. They count on the fact that bringing your empty cartridge to the store and replacing it with the same one is the “easiest” option. And, they count on the fear factor – fear that trying an alternative cartridge option such as a compatible inkjet cartridge, replacement cartridge service or inkjet refill kit, will not give you consistent print quality. Or, worse yet, that it may void your warranty, or cause damage not covered by your warranty.
While it is true that a small percent of ink jet cartridges (about 5 – 10%) cannot be refilled or do not have compatible or generic options due to patents, a vast majority of the millions of inkjet cartridges sold each year have compatible inkjet cartridges available or can be effectively recycled.
Compatible Inkjet Cartridges
Compatible inkjet cartridges are another economical option. These are original, new ink jet cartridges that have not been remanufactured, but instead, are produced by a company other than the printer manufacturer. These cartridges can be purchased at lower prices than their brand name counterparts, and then refilled. There are patents protecting some brand name cartridges, and compatibles will not be available for those model. However, suppliers of compatible inkjet cartridges often offer brand name cartridges as well, usually at a significant discount. Compatible EPSON cartridges cannot be refilled with much success. They have a very porous sponge in the cartridge which fills with air as the ink leaves. You need to use a vacuum pump to displace the air when trying to refill the cartridge. Often a refill kit is not sold if a compatible cartridge is available.
Compatible inkjet cartridges vary greatly in quality. Look for a company that manufactures their cartridges using the same ISO standards as brand name manufacturers. A “no questions asked” return policy is a good indication that the company stands behind the quality of their cartridges. Suppliers who are upfront that compatible cartridges have not yet been successfully produced for all inkjet printers are likely to provide you with the best quality and guarantee for your money. Finally, if you are worried about a generic ink jet cartridge voiding the guarantee on your printer warranty, or even ruining the printer completely, learning more about how an inkjet printer works will help you allay your fears.
 Remanufactured Ink jet Cartridges
One of the easiest ways to recycle cartridges is to use a remanufactured ink jet cartridges service. Generally, you purchase a mailer from an inkjet cartridge supplier for a certain fee, pop your used cartridge in the mail, and the cartridge is professionally refilled and returned to you. While some suppliers claim that a cartridge can be refilled 10 or more times, we feel a reasonable average to expect is 3 or 4 refills per cartridge.
Another claim to watch out for is that all cartridges can be refilled. For example, within Hewlett-Packard inkjet cartridges there is a wide range of success. Certain cartridges can be refilled successfully and frequently, while other cartridges cannot be refilled even once.
When researching remanufacturing services, make sure the company you are purchasing from honestly portrays the success and failure rate for individual cartridges. And, keep in mind that once you start remanufacturing your inkjet cartridges, you'll eventually have to buy new cartridges. Working with an online supplier that offers both compatible inkjet cartridges and remanufacturing services makes the most sense economically.
Refilling Ink Jet Cartridges with Kits - Advantages and Disadvantages
Another cost saving and environmentally friendly option is refilling ink jet cartridges using a kit. A strong advantage to using a kit is convenience. You can run out of ink and within just a few minutes, have the inkjet cartridge back in service again. The disadvantage is it can sometimes take one or two refills to get the knack of refilling the cartridge. It is usually a good idea to refill near a sink the first couple of times. Another disadvantage is that ink quality varies considerably between companies. Purchase refill kits from a supplier with a solid reputation or online business rating that offers inkjet cartridges as well as refill kits. These suppliers will have researched the various kits available, and offer only the ones that meet the suppliers standards. And finally, as with remanufacturing services, not all cartridges can be refilled successfully. A claim to the contrary is a red flag not to purchase refill kits from that company.
How Inkjet Cartridges Work
The print head and the circuitry perform most of the work on an inkjet printer. And, in most cases, these are not permanently installed in the printer – they are contained on the small inkjet cartridge itself. Today, there can be anywhere from 48 to 320 nozzles or “jets” on a print head located at the bottom of your discount inkjet cartridge. That's why a non-name brand or compatible inkjet cartridge won't ruin your printer!
Each of these nozzles is smaller than a human hair and each is connected electronically to a heater (or resistor) that actually heats and cools the ink inside the cartridge. When the ink is heated, a bubble forms. When the heat source is removed, the bubble bursts and sends dots of ink through the nozzles and onto the paper in the printer. This heating and cooling process happens at very high rates of speed, creating dots that form print characters on the page at rates of up to 6,000 drops per second.
It was previously believed that the heaters in ink jet cartridges would only last for one use. Now manufacturers realize that the heaters continue to do their work and the nozzles continue to fire beyond one use on most inkjet cartridges. In fact, the heaters on most cartridges will continue to fire until they burn out completely or weaken significantly. On the average, that happens somewhere between the third and fifth time the cartridge is used.
 For consumers, this information is useful in three ways. One, remanufacturing services or refill kits can extend the life of a cartridge without fear that the inkjet printer itself will be ruined. If the “workhorse” of the printer is the print head and circuitry contained on the printer cartridge itself, then the most a consumer would risk is the minimal fee involved in remanufacturing the cartridge or purchasing a refill kit. Secondly, purchasing a compatible inkjet cartridge instead of a brand name cartridge cannot ruin a printer that does not contain a print head. The print head and circuitry is on the cartridge, not in the printer. Therefore, the consumer would again be risking only the amount one paid for a generic inkjet cartridge – not the cost of replacing an inkjet printer. And lastly, it emphasizes the importance of purchasing compatibles from a manufacturer that produces inkjet cartridges to the same specs (ISO standards) as brand name manufacturers, and backs that up with a strong guarantee.
Eventually, all inkjet cartridges will wear out. And, if you are refilling your cartridges, you should know that this does not always coincide with when your cartridge runs out of ink. If you start seeing horizontal bands, white streaks, or incomplete areas with no ink – that could be a sign that your inkjet cartridge is nearing the end. There are some common inkjet cartridge problems that can cause these same conditions. Check our list of common fixes and if these don’t correct your print problem, it is time to replace your inkjet cartridge.
Although ink jet cartridges won’t last forever, purchasing economical compatibles and using remanufacturing services and refill kits will extend the life of most inkjet cartridges without harming the inkjet printer itself.
Quick Fix List for Ink jet Cartridge Print Problems
Below are some common fixes that can often resolve ink jet cartridge print problems:
- Run a little warm tap water over the print head. This can dissolve any ink, which may have dried in the cartridge. This is especially helpful if the cartridge has been removed and exposed to air for any length of time.
- The heaters can sometimes become plugged. This can often be cured by cleaning the contacts on the cartridge and in the printer carriage with water or alcohol. After cleaning, snap the cartridge in and out a few times to be sure you have a good connection between contacts in the cartridge and the printer.
- Smeared print can be caused by a buildup of ink on the wiper blade found in most HP (Hewlett-Packard) Deskjet models. If you are experiencing trouble with smeared ink, clean the wiper blade according to the printer manual instructions.
If these tricks fail to correct your print problems, the inkjet cartridge has probably reached the end of its useful life. It’s time to buy a new cartridge. |
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