OK, now that it is time to get you children all set up for school and supplies making sure your inkjet printer is working, and that you have a cost effective solution is important.
First and foremost if you are still buying OEM supplies for your inkjet printer you are loosing money, and it is time to rethink how to go about saving money.
Here are three questions that every owner should consider BEFORE purchasing additional supplies:
1. How much does it cost to purchase an entire set of replacement ink or toner?
2. What kind of printing will I be doing and what type of paper will I need to accomplish it?
3. Does the brand offer a low cost alternative if I purchase a certain model? Does the manufacturer offer high capacity cartridges and what are the potential savings?
Once you’ve answered these three questions, you can start considering your options whether it is choosing a different manufacturer, an alternative form of ink, using off brand paper or perhaps using a rewards program.
We have found the most cost effective suppliers of inkjet (Third Party Products) are the Canon and Epson lines of inkjet printers that HAVE the HEADS built into the printer, and not attached as part of the inkjet cartridge. The reason being is that the replacement cartridges only contain ink and no sophisticated electronics and are therefore cheaper to manufacture and purchase. You can typically purchase their cartridges for under $5.00 e.a. versus up to $60 for some OEM cartridges.
If your printer has the head as part of the cartridge then chances are there are no third party products available (except refurbished), and they are not nearly as reliable based on their increased complexity, and limited lifespan design.They are a lot more expensive to boot.
Once you have decided if you are going to take the plunge and purchase a new printer (Epson or Canon) then you must make sure that their are 3rd party cartridges available for the printer your are looking at purchasing.(What they are not available for all printers !) Nope, due to the competition in this marketplace the manufacturers many years back started to add electronic chips to their cartridges, to track ink usage, as well as imbed some proprietary identification code, that needs to be re-engineered by the Third parties before products become available on the market. This normally takes about 6-9 months (we have seen up to 2 years) before you’ll see products being available.
So this is one instance where buying the latest and greatest will not only cost you more, but you will not be able to tkae advantage of 3rd party cartridge products for at least 6-9 months after purchase. (There are no guarantees)
SO look for those clearance sales at the big box stores (Future Electronics, Best Buy, Costco) and take the plunge.
Don’t be tempted by the low price of the HP, Lexmark, Kodak or Dell inkjet, as you will pay the price for cartridges later. Look for the Canon or Epson… albeit harder to find, you’ll be happy in the end.
Filed under: Blogroll, FAQ, Industry News, Inkjet Info | Tagged: back to school, Canon, canon 3rd party inkjet, canon inkjet, Epson, epson inkjet | Leave a comment »
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