The Rule

Printer ink is one of the most expensive things in the world in terms of when you break down how much it costs per millilitre. Printer ink is the most expensive of all printer equipments. A survey by Kodak has revealed that almost half the people in the UK think the cost of printer ink is a rip off. As much as 60 percent of the ink contained in a typical inkjet cartridge is wasted, when printers ask users to throw away half-full cartridges, according to research commissioned by Epson. I also despise the games inkjet manufacturers play to get you to replace cartridges that may still have ink inside. Some customers and industry analysts charge that inkjet companies are using their influence to unfairly distort the price of replacement ink cartridges and shut out off-brand competitors.

The printer makers have been waging an all-out war against third-party vendors that sell replacement cartridges at a fraction of the price. According to a recent lawsuit, HP allegedly paid Staples $100 million to refrain from selling inexpensive third-party ink cartridges, although the suit doesn’t make it clear how plaintiff Ranjit Bedi arrived at that figure. The companies have also turned to using the ink equivalent of DRM, the use of microchips embedded in ink cartridges that work with a corresponding technical mechanism in the printer that blocks the use of unauthorized third-party ink.

Some customers and industry analysts charge that inkjet companies are using their influence to unfairly distort the price of replacement ink cartridges and shut out off-brand competitors. Despite the calls that the inkjet market stifles competition, there are still many alternatives available.

You can save ink by selecting a lower-quality mode for printouts that are for ‘internal’ use only. When determining quality and value you must align your expectations accordingly.

Although third-party and aftermarket printer ink is often less expensive, the overwhelming majority of experts say that if quality and reliability matter most, you should stick with the printer manufacturer’s recommended ink cartridges and ink.

You can save ink by selecting a lower-quality mode for printouts that are for ‘internal’ use only. When determining quality and value you must align your expectations accordingly. It is easy to see that there is a terrific cost savings to buying remanufactured printer ink, that being said, you must balance quality expectations with the price.

If you print mainly text pages, aftermarket printer ink is fine. Everyone knows that printer ink is a swindle: they sell you the printer cheaply (or not so cheaply for higher-end professional models),then sell the colors - unremarkable commodities, let us not forget - at prices that would make a perfumer blush.

Filed under: Computers