Inkjet Cartridge Ink-Fills
Author: Dave Mayweather

With huge numbers of households (and most small businesses) now
owning and using at least one printer, the thorny subject of
inkjet cartridges remains shrouded in mystery for the majority
of users.

In recent years, all the major desktop printer manufacturers
(including HP, Lexmark, Epson, Canon and Brother) have
introduced smaller, faster machines that take up less space on
the desk which is great.

The downside however, is that the ink cartridges inside the
machines have generally become much smaller, containing less ink
and therefore need replacing more frequently.

Go back just a few years to the late 1990's, and the printers
being produced then might take a black inkjet containing 40ml or
more of ink the very common HP45 is a prime example, containing
42ml.

A tri-colour cartridge would typically contain 30ml or more the
HP78A (38ml) being an example of a widely used cartridge.
Although HP examples have been used here, the other
manufacturers also produced and sold printers with bigger
cartridges.

At the turn of the 21st century the price of digital cameras
and desktop printers became much lower. The printer
manufacturers realized there was much profit to be made selling
printer consumables to a mass market, which was (and still is)
growing at a phenomenal pace.

Supplying printers at an incredibly attractive price was a
short-term expense, but leading to a longer term gain by way of
very profitable ongoing cartridge and photo-paper sales.

Having successfully established this way of marketing some
years ago, more recently the manufacturers have gradually
reduced the amount of ink supplied with the printers from new,
and inside the cartridges sold later.

These days a typical cartridge for a new printer will contain
less than 10ml of ink many just 5ml. That's 5ml - one teaspoon.

Interestingly, many of the cartridges supplied with just 5ml of
ink are exactly the same physical size as earlier models
supplied with much more liquid inside. The reduction simply
means cartridges need to be replaced more frequently, keeping
the tills busy!

As the printer manufacturers are all too aware, there is a huge
market in non-branded printer cartridges, from which they make
no profit.

To combat this they make frequent changes to model ranges, and
even the electronics inside existing ranges, in a bid to
discourage the use of after-market goods.

The after-market (compatible or re-manufactured) cartridges
invariably contain more ink than genuine branded ones, and can
cost considerably less to purchase.

Some would argue that the ink quality is not as good, but
comparing printouts side by side, many would struggle to tell
the difference.

Many ink cartridges (like most HP and Lexmark, and some Canon
models) can be recycled, although the manufacturer will mark
them 'Designed for single use only.'

A complete industry has emerged recycling this type of ink
cartridge, known as re-manufacturing. The empty cartridge is
thoroughly cleaned out, refilled with closely-matched inks, and
test-printed to ensure quality.

Many of the re-manufactured cartridges contain double, or even
up to three times the amount of ink offered in the same branded
cartridge, giving the end user the choice of original branded
goods, or perhaps considering a recycled unit for a lower price,
that will last a lot longer.

It's not difficult to see why re-manufacturing has grown in
popularity.


About The Author: Dave Mayweather has been at the forefront of
the Printer Cartridge industry for 15 years. For more
information visit http://www.inksave.co.uk