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Ink Jet Cartridge
Information
Our
Recommended Ink Merchant
Why are replacement
cartridges so expensive?
With the price of
printers dropping to as low as $59, you might expect ink jet manufacturers
to be awash in red ink, yet they remain firmly in the black. How do they
do it? By reaping profits from another kind of ink--the kind that comes in
cartridges costing as much as $38.
Ink is where the money
is. Ink jet printer owners are using more of it these days for reports,
presentations, and--thanks to the popularity of inexpensive digital
cameras--ink-thirsty photographs. But unlike the printers themselves, ink
is expensive. In fact, unless your printer sits on your desk gathering
dust for weeks at a time, you'll soon find you've spent more on ink
cartridges than you did for the printer itself.
Today's printer vendors
are following much the same model the razor blade business does: Trim
margins on the hardware up front to keep them coming back for consumables.
The manufacturers typically have much higher gross margins on consumables
(ink and paper) than on the printers themselves. For example, Hewlett
Packard has a gross margin of 67 percent on ink jet supplies--twice the 33
percent margin for the overall company, according to a Business Week
article last year. And while ink jet supplies accounted for just 5 percent
of company revenues, sales of these consumables produced a whopping 25
percent of total profits.
Anyone who has turned
the kids loose on a rainy Saturday, only to quickly deplete a $35.99 ink
cartridge for a few pieces of refrigerator art, knows that the 15- to
20-cent cost of a typical color page adds up quickly. And at up to 4 cents
per page, simple text documents are twice the cost of laser-printed
output.
How to keep costs
down.
Beyond paying the
exorbitant prices charged for original ink jet replacement cartridges,
consumers now have three other options: refilling their cartridges,
recycling their cartridges, or purchasing new, third party compatible
cartridges.
Recycle Cartridges
One of the easiest ways to recycle
cartridges is to use a remanufactured ink jet cartridges service.
Generally, you purchase a mailer from an inkjet cartridge supplier for
a certain fee, pop your used cartridge in the mail, and the cartridge
is professionally refilled and returned to you. While some suppliers
claim that a cartridge can be refilled 10 or more times, we feel a
reasonable average to expect is 3 or 4 refills per cartridge.
Refill Kits
Another cost saving and
environmentally friendly option is refilling ink jet cartridges using a
kit. A strong advantage to using a kit is convenience. You can run out of
ink and within just a few minutes, have the inkjet cartridge back in
service again. The disadvantage is it can sometimes take one or two
refills to get the knack of refilling the cartridge. It is usually a good
idea to refill near a sink the first couple of times. Another disadvantage
is that ink quality varies considerably between companies. Purchase refill
kits from a supplier with a solid reputation or online business rating
that offers inkjet cartridges as well as refill kits. These suppliers will
have researched the various kits available, and offer only the ones that
meet the suppliers standards. And finally, as with remanufacturing
services, not all cartridges can be refilled successfully. A claim to the
contrary is a red flag not to purchase refill kits from that company.
Compatible
Cartridges
Compatible inkjet
cartridges are another economical option. These are original, new ink jet
cartridges that have not been remanufactured, but instead, are produced by
a company other than the printer manufacturer. These cartridges can be
purchased at lower prices than their brand name counterparts, and then
refilled. There are patents protecting some brand name cartridges, and
compatibles will not be available for those model. However, suppliers of
compatible inkjet cartridges often offer brand name cartridges as well,
usually at a significant discount. Compatible EPSON cartridges cannot be
refilled with much success. They have a very porous sponge in the
cartridge which fills with air as the ink leaves. You need to use a vacuum
pump to displace the air when trying to refill the cartridge. Often a
refill kit is not sold if a compatible cartridge is available.
Compatible inkjet cartridges vary greatly in quality. Look for a company
that manufactures their cartridges using the same ISO standards as brand
name manufacturers. A “no questions asked” return policy is a good
indication that the company stands behind the quality of their cartridges.
Mr. Ink Man
We recommend Mr. Ink
Man - one of the leading sellers of compatible cartridges for all brands
of printers. They also sell recycled cartridges for HP.
To give you an idea of
just how big a savings you can expect, Mr. Ink Man sells a compatible
black cartridge for the Epson 880 for $6.95.
For online comparison
purposes, Access Micro sells the original Epson T019201 black cartridge
for $31.76, almost 5 times as much!
We have had only
excellent results from Mr. Ink Man's compatibles, and have never had to return
anything. However, their return policy is about as good as it gets:
"We
guarantee everything we sell 100%. We will gladly refund your money
if you are unsatisfied in anyway for any any reason. There is
absolutely no risk to you."
Suz
Fundraisingmom.com
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