Many printer owners become angry when they realise the restrictions placed on them by their printer manufacturer. Not only is buying new, branded ink exorbitant, but it also makes use of technology and ploys that can cause a lot of disruption. For instance, many printer cartridges do not display how much ink is contained within. This allows the printer manufacturer to put as much or as little ink in as they wish and you have no way of ascertaining just how expensive each millilitre of your ink is. In fact, Which? magazine conducted a study in 2003 which found that the ink in some printer and toner cartridges was seven times more expensive than 1985 Dom Perignon. Most people would conclude that they can’t afford to buy Dom Perignon, let alone from a vintage year. So why accept printer and toner cartridges being so expensive?
Printer technology in general is often streets behind what can actually be achieved. Trouble with connecting to the printer, operating it and replacing ink can all be easily avoided these days. Unless you are willing to sink hundreds on such a model, you have to work around the printer’s quirks. With printer cartridges being so expensive, this turns into a pretty raw deal for the consumer, and to make matters worse, the printer manufacturer will try to warn you off buying 3rd party printer ink by claiming that it will void any warranty. This is not the case because the ink cartridge is a consumable part, meaning it can’t invalidate your warranty.
This is great news because it gives you some maneuverability when it comes to buying the printer cartridges you want. By investing in 3rd party printer cartridges you can realise the same quality for a significantly cheaper out-laying while boosting the number of prints.