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All leading makes of ink and toner cartridges, plus the money-saving Tonik brand. Save up to 70%! |
There's sometimes a bewildering array of replacement ink cartridges available in the UK for today's inkjet printers. Inkjet printers are affordable and produce high quality results, so many people opt for them over bigger and more expensive printers that use pricey toner cartridges. Here's some information from our printer specialists about ink cartridges to help you keep your inkjet printer in top shape.
Types of Ink for Printer Ink Cartridges
The ink used in inkjet cartridges is a significant factor for quality printed output. Along with paper, the ink cartridge is an important component. There are two types of ink used in inkjet printers: dye-based and pigmented. Dye-based inks are best for single-colour printing because they penetrate slowly and take about 10 seconds to dry. Dye-based inks have high brilliance and vibrancy and come in a huge array of colours. Pigmented inks are waterproof and resist fading. Generally recommended for colour printing, these inks dry incredibly fast to prevent bleeding.
Types of Inkjet Ink Cartridges
There are 3 types of inkjet printer cartridges: original equipment manufacturer (OEM), compatible and remanufactured. OEM cartridges carry the brand name of the printer's manufacturer, so a cartridge branded Epson, for example, is manufactured by or under the auspices of the Epson Company. Although OEM cartridges tend to be more expensive, users are assured that they will work properly and deliver quality results. However, over time, the cost of OEM cartridges is likely to exceed the cost of the printer. Compatible ink cartridges are manufactured by a company other than the OEM. However, the quality can be highly variable, depending on the manufacturer. It's often a trial and error process to find a reliable brand of compatible printer ink cartridges. Once found, this type of cartridge is significantly less expensive than OEM cartridges, sometimes as much as 70%. A remanufactured inkjet cartridge reuses the original components. The empty cartridge is simply refilled with ink. Cartridge refill stations are popping up in shopping centres and other places. For the adventurous, there are kits for refilling cartridges on your own.
Print Head Location
Another factor that influences the cost of a printer ink cartridge is the location of the print head. In some of the more popular printers like Epson, Hewlett Packard and Canon, the print head is built into the ink cartridge along with a microchip that controls communication with the printer. If the printer is not used regularly, the print head in the cartridge is likely to dry out and become blocked. In addition, if the proper OEM ink isn't used, the print head will also get blocked. A further problem with these types of cartridges is that the embedded chips make it more difficult for companies other than the OEM to produce them.
The best advice for inkjet printer owners in the UK from our in-house experts is to find a reliable source for ink cartridges that balances price with quality.
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