Inkcarts.com Blog

Archive for February, 2010

Here is a quick printer review we found on Youtube of the Brother MFC-490 CW. The Brother MFC-490 CW used the Brother LC61BK Black Series, and the LC61 Color (Cyan – LC61C, Magenta – LC61M, and Yellow LC61Y) Series of Ink Cartridges.

All in all, this is a pretty good printer, as long as you don’t mind always fixing the paper jams.

Here are some great digital photography tips. Remember, Garbage In, Garbage Out. The better your pictures, the better they will look printed with your inkjet printer and ink cartridges.

When computer printers became more affordable, people started buying printers for home and small office use, which in the past was simply not possible because of the steep price of having one. After a while, these same people decried the high cost of ink and other consumables that the printer needs. Manufacturers, which allowed printer prices to drop in the hope of recouping their development costs through sales of these consumables, certainly aren’t willing to lower their prices. This precipitated the birth of ink-refilling businesses as enterprising firms started refilling empty ink cartridges. These firms had brisk businesses until questions were raised on the legality of reusing the cartridges.

To avoid legal problems, ink-refillers devised ways to sell their inks and replacement cartridges. Three methods were widely used: selling do-it-yourself refilling kits, remanufacturing (or refurbishing) OEM cartridges, and manufacturing new cartridges that are compatible with existing printers.

In the first method, the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) cartridge from the printer brand is reused, not by refilling stores, but by the users themselves. Stores sell do-it-yourself refilling kits, which provide the materials needed to refill the empty cartridges as well as step-by-step instructions. By allowing the cartridge owners to do the refilling, ink suppliers were able to skirt legal questions and still sell their cheaper inks to people intent on reducing printing costs. Usually, OEM cartridges can be reused this way three to five times, coinciding with the expected lifespan of the print head in the cartridge.

The second type is the remanufactured cartridge. Businessmen buy empty OEM cartridges and have these visually-inspected and electronically circuit-tested. After a cartridge passes scrutiny, it is thoroughly cleaned of ink residues, refilled with ink of the same type and then print-tested. After testing, the cartridge is sealed and repackaged under a different brand name. Most cartridges can be remanufactured several times but print quality will decrease with each refurbishing cycle. 

The third type is the compatible ink cartridge – this is an ink container that is newly manufactured based on the design of the original cartridge and is devised to perform just as well as the original brand name cartridge. To avoid patent infringement issues, makers commonly make slight alterations in the design (such as an added column or line in the casing that serves no particular purpose but to make it different from the original). The ink-deployment technology inside the cartridge, however, is basically the same: either thermal (uses heat to disperse ink) or piezoelectric (uses electric pulses). Being new, these cartridges have longer lifespan (if refilled after purchase) than remanufactured ones but just the same, the print head wears out after about five refills. Compatible cartridges are available mostly for Epson, Canon and Brother printers as these have built-in print heads.

There is another kind of compatible cartridge used in the refilling business – the fake (or placebo) cartridge used in continuous ink systems. This device simulates the usual cartridge but it doesn’t require removal from the printer during the refilling process. A set of tubes is connected to the cartridge from the bottles of ink that are placed near (at the same level) the printer, and ink continually flow into the cartridge as the ink is used during printing.  

The proliferation of ink-refilling businesses shows that an ever-growing number of price-conscious buyers appreciate the services these shops provide.  The outrageous price of branded inks together with the reduced purchasing power of the dollar forces many people to embrace these cheaper alternatives. Furthermore, the quality of inks used in the refilling business have improved considerably and some brands are at par with the OEM inks, so there is hardly any difference in print quality and stability over time. More importantly, using compatible ink cartridges promotes recycling, thereby reducing plastic waste that would harm the environment.

Printers are wonderful business and communication tools because they allow users to print photos, recipes, presentations, lectures, assignments, projects and other documents in a couple of seconds.  It is easy to purchase the latest printer models because printers are becoming cheaper each year (due to the cost to manufacture the machines becoming cheaper).  It’s not really the machine that causes users to worry about cost,  it is the consumables or supplies that cost the most.

Genuine inks from printer manufacturers usually cost a lot of money because of the research & development and marketing costs involved in creating and selling the products. Genuine ink products work best for the machines they were made for because of their high level purity. Generic inks or refills may not have the same level of purity and print quality as the original inks so they may cause problems not just for the print-outs but also for the printer.  It is best to use original supplies to prevent any problems with your printing jobs and your machine.

There is always a way to save money on purchases. Yes, even with original ink and laser toner cartridges. One way to get the best prices on genuine inks is to compare prices between retailers. A difference of a dollar or two can save you much money in the long run. You will also find that some retailers offer coupons and promotions on certain ink brands. Compare all prices including shipping costs and taxes from several websites.

You can choose to buy ink in bundles— black + color –so you can get additional discounts. Retailers usually offer better discounts when you buy more items. If you can afford it, and you know you can consume several ink cartridges in a few months then order in bundles or in bulk.

If you feel you won’t be able to consume too many ink cartridges, then don’t buy them in bulk just to get a few extra dollars in savings. Always buy only as much as you can consume. Ink cartridges and laser toner cartridges also have expiration dates so make sure you only get enough for your needs so as not to result in waste.

Printers have built-in ink level monitors. Make sure you order ink cartridges even before the ink-level indicator shows that you have completely run out of ink. This way, you can save on shipping costs because you don’t have to book your order on express shipping.  Even if you order your ink on regular shipping (which costs so much less than express), you will have received the ink from the retailer even before your ink completely runs out.

Always use the appropriate paper and printer setting for the kind of printing job you are going to do. This ensures that you get the perfect print-out quality.