Are Discount Printer Ink Cartridges Safe For Your Printer?
To listen to the printer manufacturers, you would think that discount printer ink is the worst possible thing to use in your printer - it's going to clog up your printer's inkjets and void your warranty, leaving you with a dead printer.
The question of course is whether this is all true or is it sensational hype to keep you buying the manufacturer's printer ink cartridges - which they make a lot of money on?
Well, to put it simply it's a bit of both...
A discount inkjet cartridge can cost less than half as much as the original manufacturer's ink. They practically give their printers away so they can make lots of money when you replace your cartridges every few weeks.
Naturally, they're going to do whatever they can to stop you from buying the discount printer ink and keep you buying their own. So some of what they say is most certainly hype.
On the other hand, many of today's printers - especially the higher resolution photo printers - use very specific types of ink. These inks are formulated to work in a specific way with the printer, and in many cases the specialized paper that the printer company sells.
If you put a generic discount printer ink into these printers, it can cause problems. The least serious problem could just be poor quality prints, while the worst case scenario is what the printer companies warn you against - messing up the print nozzles and causing the printer to quit working.
And if you do run into problems and have to send the printer for servicing, the manufacturer's warranty will be voided if they determine the problem was caused by the ink.
When buying these discount printer ink cartridges, there are a few things to keep in mind.
First, many of the generic cartridges are really just original cartridges that have been cleaned up and refilled. They're usually more reliable than cartridges you refill yourself, but they can still be prone to the same issues.
Most of the printer manufacturers have patents on their cartridge systems so the discount cartridge producers can't really make a new cartridge that will work in the printer. They have to work with the cartridges that are made by the manufacturer, and do what they can to refurbish them.
There are a few cases where some companies have been able to make aftermarket cartridges that are completely new but fully compatible, particularly with Epson printers. There have been some legal issues over these cartridges so it's hard to say whether they'll be available for long, but if you can get them they are a good choice.
The other thing to keep in mind about discount ink and printer cartridges is that almost every new model of printer uses a new type of cartridge. Because so many of the discount cartridges are refurbished empty cartridges, it usually takes a few months from the introduction of a new model for them to be available. They have to get a good supply of empty printer ink toner cartridges to work with before they start selling them in any quantity.
