Will Cheap Ink Damage Your Printer?
All the major printer manufacturers issue dire warnings about using cheap ink in your printer. According to their claims, generic ink can affect the quality of your prints, it may damage your printer and it will void your warranty. Is this true or are they just trying to scare you into using buying their more expensive ink?
The truth is probably somewhere in the middle of the two sides of the argument. Yes, using the cheapest inks may damage your printer and can most certainly affect the quality of your printing. However, that doesn't mean that you're stuck buying the original brand of ink (and spending a lot more money while doing it).
Printer ink might seem like a relatively simple product, but the reality is that the printer companies put a lot of research and technology into their printers and cartridge systems. As printers get higher resolutions and faster speeds, the effect of using a different type of ink gets more and more obvious.
The major printer companies design their printers as a whole system - from the printer to the ink and even to the paper that they sell.
The ink is designed to flow a certain way and react a certain way to the printing mechanism, and the paper is designed to display the ink with the best possible quality. Using an inexpensive version of ink (or paper) can make all the difference in the final results.
Having said that, the original manufacturer of your printer is not the only source for "approved" ink. There are plenty of companies that offer compatible cartridges that meet all the specifications of the original brand.
The key to saving money on your printing while still getting top quality is to make sure that you're using ink that is compatible with your particular brand and model of printer.
When you're shopping for replacement ink, keep the following tips in mind:
- Make sure the brand you're considering offers different ink for different models of printer. If they just have a "one-size-fits-all" replacement kit, it probably won't work very well in most, if any printers.
- Is the ink guaranteed? Make sure the company offers a money-back guarantee on their ink or their cartridges if it doesn't work out for you. An exchange guarantee won't help if the ink doesn't work well - what's the point of exchanging one incompatible ink for another?
- If you buy a remanufactured cartridge, keep in mind that they were previously used. Find out how many times the company will allow a cartridge to be recycled - too many times and you might get one that is on its last legs.
