How To Save Money With Compatible Printer Inks

Like many other long term owners of printers, over the years I've spent a fortune on printer ink. I even recall on one occasion I actually paid more for a replacement ink cartridge than I did for a bottle of good champagne. I always thought that as long as my printer kept printing then it was just another fact of life and there was little I could do about it so why complain? Back then, on average, I paid anything from £20 to £25 for my branded ink cartridges because I simply didn't know any better. Although I'd heard of compatible ink cartridges, I didn't really know enough about them to give them a try. I was a bit suspicious of them because the cartridges weren't branded with a familiar name and I never gave it a second thought that they would be as good as branded cartridges. I even wondered if they might damage my printer. Then one day, my partner came home with some compatible ink cartridges for my printer and although I wasn't keen to use them I did. My existing ink cartridge was almost empty and I needed to get something printed so I cagily replaced the branded cartridge with the compatible, crossed my fingers and hit 'print'. I had visions of having to run out to buy a new branded ink cartridge or, in the worst case, a new printer and a new branded ink cartridge. The paper finally came out after what seemed to be an eternity and I was surprised to see that not only had my document printed as well as it ever had before, but my printer was still happily sitting on my desk, waiting for the next job. I couldn't believe it. The compatible ink turned out results that were just as good as with the branded ink I had previously spent a fortune on. At the same time, I was so happy to learn that the compatible cartridge had cost a tenth of the price I'd been paying and yet disappointed when I thought about all of the money I could have saved (and all of the champagne I could have had). After sitting down and working on the figures, I'd come to the conclusion that I'd actually spent almost £500 on replacement, branded ink cartridges over the last 12 months alone. If I would have been using compatibles I would have saved an incredible 90% of my printing costs! The next day, I went into work and told my colleagues all about what had happened and to my surprise two of them had also been spending more than they'd wanted on branded printer ink simply because they didn't have enough knowledge about compatibles. This inspired me to carry out research on compatible ink cartridges in order to find out the facts behind them; their advantages and disadvantages. I was astounded by what I discovered! Here are just a few of the things I found out: * You can save between 60% and 80% on average from the price of a branded ink cartridge depending on the make and model of your printer. * Despite the myths, compatible ink does not affect the warranty on your printer. By using compatible ink you're cutting out a major profit source for the big brands so they may try to convince you that you can only use their own inks, but it's actually illegal for them to void your warranty for using a compatible ink instead. * Compatible ink provides the same number of printed pages as a branded cartridge. * When buying your compatible ink, it's always a good idea to ask the vendor if the cartridges are made to ISO 9000 standards. Ink made to these standards have the same amount of ink as original cartridges. * Most compatible ink cartridges have a 24-month shelf life so you don't have to worry about them spoiling in a short space of time. Nowadays, I'm printing as much as I ever did, if not more. The great thing is that I'm spending less on printer ink, more on the enjoyable things in life and telling everyone I meet about the wonders of compatible printer inks!

Buying Toner Doesn't Have to Break the Bank

I think we've reached a consensus that there's a conspiracy afloat. You go to your local office supply store or membership warehouse, and find the deal of the century on a laser printer, photo printer, or inkjet printer. You take it home and are delighted by the quality of the prints, the speed of the printer, and most of all, that your new printer was incredibly inexpensive. The next thing you know, though, the starter toner cartridge that came with your new printer runs out, and you discover that the replacement cartridge costs about half of what you paid for the printer.

Yes, printer manufacturers are able to offer such low prices on printers because they make so much profit on toner cartridges. At least that's the case when you buy an Original Equipment Manufacturer, or OEM, inkjet printer cartridge or LaserJet toner cartridge.

You are probably aware that there are other types of ink cartridges and laser toner cartridges available, but perhaps you've been wary of them. After all, printer manufacturers warn of dire consequences like equipment ruination unless you buy brand name (or Original Equipment Manufacturer) toner. The truth is, there are compatible inkjet printer cartridges and LaserJet toner cartridges that not only meet, but that actually exceed the specifications of the equipment manufacturers. These cartridges are brand new and provide you with toner or ink that will produce the high-quality prints you've come to expect - without compromising the parts or lessening the lifespan of your printer.

In addition to Original Equipment Manufacturer and compatible ink cartridges and toner cartridges, you can also find what are called re-manufactured cartridges. These are different from compatible cartridges in that they are OEM cartridges that have been used and refilled. Good re-manufactured cartridges consist of more than simply filling a used cartridge with ink or toner, though. For example, an inkjet printer cartridge and the print head nozzles will be cleaned. Then, once the inkwells have been filled with ink that matches the ink found in Original Equipment Manufacturer cartridges, the cartridge is extensively tested to ensure that it will do the job. It will, for example, go through tests to ensure it doesn't leak, its circuitry is functional, and the pressure inside the cartridge is exact.

The key to finding the right kind of laser toner or inkjet ink at the right price is understanding the difference between Original Equipment Manufacturer products, compatible products, and re-manufactured products. Next, you have to find a reputable supplier of compatible toner cartridges and inkjet printer cartridges. The Internet is the best place to start. When you do, you'll feel more comfortable with taking the plunge and buying something other than the pricey cartridges available at your local office supply store. You'll be surprised that you can save a ton of money - as much as 85 percent! When you do, that low price you paid for your laser printer, photo printer, or inkjet printer will, indeed, be a bargain.

Printer Toner Safety: The Dust Musts

When changing printer toner, one's first priority is often getting the printer running as quickly as possible to finish the project at hand. But it's best to slow down and take the time to follow necessary safety precautions. While printer toner itself isn't a health hazard, its fine powder in high concentration can be. This powder can stay in the air for quite a while, and is similar to dust when it comes to its effects on our body, resulting in irritations like sneezing and coughing. Add any respiratory conditions like bronchitis or asthma and these effects worsen. How can this dust become airborne? You'd be surprised at how easy it is. Improper disposal of printer toner in waste baskets can quickly spread dust through the air. Machine spills can cycle through the ventilator fan. Over-filled waste toner compartments can overflow within the machine. Some laser printer toners are considered carcinogens, or cancer causing, increasing the risk of those individuals facing extremely heavy and long-term exposure. Nevertheless, typical office and personal use is deemed safe. So take precautions. Vacuum, don't sweep or brush, spilled toner dust. Clean up desktops or surfaces with a damp cloth. Should toner get on your hands, wash them thoroughly and immediately with soap and cold water, which keeps your pores closed and protects your hands from becoming stained. Avoid any contact with your eyes or mouth, and never ingest. To play it extra safe, put the toner in a zipped plastic bag to avoid possible dust emissions. If you experience shortness of breath or persistent coughing, stop working with the printer toner, if applicable, and get fresh air immediately. Then seek medical attention if your symptoms persist. Since 1999, http://www.TonerDealers.com has been one of the largest toner resources online, saving customers up to 60% on nearly 4,000 unique toner and cartridge models everyday.

3 Types Of Cheap Ink Cartridges

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 first option for cheap ink is to refill your empty cartridges. This is generally the cheapest of all the alternatives, but it is also tends to wind up with the lowest quality prints.

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

There are plenty of companies that recycle cartridges for you. They basically take the empty cartridges, clean them up, refill the ink and test them.

This is more expensive than refilling your own because you're paying for the labor involved, but it tends to give you better results.

These companies have refilling and cleaning equipment that can do a much better job of remanufacturing your empty cartridge. They also generally offer a guarantee on their work, so if the cartridge doesn't work properly you can either get a replacement or get your money back.

Generic Brand Cartridges

Generic cartridges are not as common as the other two options, mainly because many printer companies have patents on their ink cartridges so no other companies can duplicate them.

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.

These cartridges tend to be the highest priced of the three options, but they are still cheaper than the original cartridges, and work just as well.

Which option will be best for you is going to depend a lot on how much printing you do, and what you're printing. If you're printing photos that you want to be able to keep for a lifetime, you'll have different needs than if you're just printing copies of web pages for future reference.