printer ink

Hello I didn't know were to post this so I'll just try here. I am debating over weather or not to purchase generic brand or the manufacturers brand of ink for my printer. I have read articles on it and many state that the generic are just fine but some might be of poor quality. What is you professional opinion. I was thinking about just using the generic brand for all of my printing that I don't care about printing quality of which takes up about 95 percent of my printing and just taking out the generics and placing in the good brand whenever quality is in mind like when I am printing a picture. Do you think that this is a good idea? The only problem that I can think of that might be wrong with this idea is that the ink might dry out on me on the manufacturers brand because they will not be sitting inside the printer and will not be used until I want to print out a good picture of which is like every three weeks or so. Perhaps I could store them in a ziplock/plastic bag of a kind and if needed wrap them in a moist towel. Thanks for the very well appreciated professional help.

 

You really need to include the manufacturer, model and age of your printer to get a good answer (opinion) for a question like this. It seems to me that some printers will tolerate generic inks better than others. I always buy HP ink for my DeskJet 855C. I have heard stories about ink cartridge reload kits ruining printers because of compatibiity issues, and in fact, a local radio computer jock stopped recommending this practice publicly after strongly promoting it for some time. I guess replacing a printer is not so economical after all. Of course reloading your own and buying generic is not the same thing. Funny things emotions are!

I'm not sure that switching cartridges is all that practical an idea. Perhaps some other readers can relate actual experience with the practice. In addition to the issue you mention yourself of keeping the ink fresh while the cartridge is out of the printer, don't overlook the possibility of ink drying in the tiny orifices in the end of the cartridges. This would be the area that vaporizes the ink and controls the direction it takes toward the paper. The bits of plastic tape you pull off a new cartridge before inserting it in your printer protect this area. You can find printer head cleaning routines in your printer's maintenance software that attempt to clear tiny clots out of the orifices simply by blowing ink through them in an effort to print them clean.

You should align the cartridges whenever you change them (at least on the HP model I have) to avoid unnecessary blur. Later HP InkJet printers actually have separate ink reservoirs and replaceable jet units. The printers at the school I worked at had these. A design like this makes it difficult (and expensive) to simply switch out ink cartridges.

All-in-all I'm feel skeptical about the value of switching ink cartridges.

 

I have three printers, the main printer, I use for everyday printing is a Canon S330. I have use generic ink cartridges since day one, a number of years, and they have worked just as good or better then the original. Why should I pay $19.00+ when I can get the black ink cartridge for $4.95 and the color for $5.95, I will use them for my other printers, when I need them.

 

I think the answer depends on what you are buying.

Some companies will sell you used ink cartridges. Yes, they clean them and fill them with new ink, but a cartridge only lasts so long. You have no way of knowing if your buying it the first time it's been refilled, or the fifth.

Other companies sell you new cartridges that they make themselves.

What is important is that you know what you are buying and know what risks (if any) you are taking by buying it.

My personal choice is that I only buy OEM ink. I never buy third party and I never refill the cartridges.

 

Aftermarket carts might work fine, if you stick to "name" brand ones, rather than ones that have been refilled*

Just below OEM, is bulk inks you refill yourself

*Sometimes you can only get refilled carts, such as on some HP and Lexmark models, where the head is part of the cartridge.

 

Great replies. Very full of information. I have a canon pixma mp780. Just to see what they would say I emailed canon with a question regarding using generics versus there own. As if I didn't know what they were going to say beforehand but I did it anyway. They wrote this.......Thank you for writing to us. We value you as a Canon customer and
appreciate the opportunity to assist you.

Canon USA does not recommend the use of inks manufactured by third
parties in Canon Bubble Jet Products. Canon genuine inks are formulated
specifically for use in our ultra-precise print head, which contains
high density inkjet nozzles, approximately one-fifth the diameter of a
human hair. Our print head and inks work together as a precisely
engineered system to support optimum image quality, print speed and
reliability in higher resolution text and color printing applications.

Should you decide to use inks manufactured by third parties in your
Canon Bubble Jet product, and such inks cause damage to your product,
this damage will not be covered under the product's limited warranty.
Any repairs required as a result of such damage must be made at your
expense.


It is amazing at how many different opinions there are out there from one to the other. I go on a site that produces the generic brand and they always say that there ink is made to be as good or even better than the manufacturers ink Always. Honestly right know I don't know what to do .

 

I will shorten this by not quoting Canon. But simply put, the inkjet nozzle is the first to make contact with the paper. Thus if you really do not want to ruin your photos, don't use the refurbished cartidges. You can save yourself money by planning your PHOTO qaulity printing to be done when you have, lets say 100 photos to print. Or whatever will take up most of the colors that you use. To worry about the density of the nozzle (refurbished v. OEM) when using a refurbished cart., is probably not worth it, if the everday quality you require is not needed. So knock yourself out and purchase the refurb. and save the buck or two. Your ultimate savings should help with the discarded remains of an OEM cartridge.
Also, when you get ready to run some quality stuff, photo's, and such run your generics down, then run the OEM and compare.

 

For some printers, the replacement cartridges are more expensive than buying a new printer with ink included. Unless you love your current printer, you might consider looking for a new printer. There should be plenty on sale and you might be able to get a better printer and still save money over the cost of ink.

Does anyone know about the long term quality of pictures printed with the cheap ink vs. manufacturer's ink?

 

In the case of that Canon printer, the ink is in the removeable tanks, the head is stays part of the printer when ink is changed. Refilled carts are only a concern for head-on-cart printers, such as some HPs and LExmarks (and some lower end Canons).

That printer uses the BCI6 and BCI3eBK inks which are easy to refill and have many inks readily available, both in bulk (which tends to be of rather good quality, and superb value, for most of the top brands), and in aftermarket prefilled (and empty) carts, most of which are new carts.


By law, the manufacturer cannot void the warranty or refuse warranty service because you chose to use third party inks or paper. They can only void it if it can be proven third party ink cause the problem.

You can find more specifics at

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/

FWIW, I have the Pixma iP5000, which uses a very similar print engine, and the same inks.

 

Hi
I have a Cannon BJC-240 printer.
I have been using third party inks for years and have not had a single problem yet. I also have used third party ink cartages and have had not a single problem with them.

With me doing my own refills I hsve saved a lot of loot.
I only use refills for text only.

Try it
Don