Reduce printing costs by up to 150% using Generic Ink Cartridges
Many stores have been retailing Generic or Compatible Printer Consumables since early 2000’s. During this time they have tested all of the leading brands of Generic inkjets to see how they compare to their genuine competitors. Nowadays they are very confident in selling a line of non genuine inks as they have proven over the years to be super reliable. One huge advantage of the non genuine inks is that they usually tend to contain a larger amount of ink than the equivalent genuine ink cartridge.
On average the cost is around 40% or less than the genuine product so in actual fact the savings are far greater when the extra ink is factored into the equation. Most Generic cartridges come with a 60 Day Money Back Guarantee or similar so you can’t go wrong by trying them.
Compatible Ink Cartridges vs Genuine
Consumers who have never tried using generic inks or those who have tried them in the past and been burnt by very low quality printer cartridges needs to have another go. Nowadays the quality of non genuine inks if purchased from a reputable retailer are very similar in quality to the actual brand name cartridges. For many years tonnes of low grade compatibles filled with cheap, nasty ink flooded the Australian market. Now with the fierce competition and the need for cheaper consumables people are turning to generic printer ink by the thousands and the quality has improved immensely.
Besides being on average between 40 – 150% cheaper to purchase most of the time they also contain a much higher amount of ink. Modern inkjet printers now are printing at such high resolutions that the small outlets in the print head are so microscopic in size that if the ink is not of a very high grade then the print head will quickly clog or block. This is the reason we stress to people that they need to buy from reputable dealers as there are still so many online stores flogging cheap, low grade rubbish. Some of them will work fine over a short period however if the ink is not of a high grade then the print head will eventually clog and render the printer useless.
Almost all printer manufacturers these days are utilizing micro chips on their cartridges. A micro chip is a small electronic circuit which tells the printer information such as cartridge type, colour, ink levels and in some cases expiry dates. The manufacturers cunningly update their firmware regularly to stop the generic cartridges from functioning correctly. When this occurs we make sure that we stop selling these cartridges until an updated chip comes out which is once again compatible with the latest firmware.
Many companies do not follow this protocol and they continue selling the outdated micro chipped cartridges causing a great deal of frustration to their customers. Brother, Epson and HP are well known for these dodgy tactics and I personally believe that it has done their printers reputations more harm than good.
Printer Warranties when using Compatible Ink Cartridges
There have been literally thousands of articles on this very subject as to whether using non genuine cartridges voids your printers warranty. Since 2007 having sold millions of dollars worth of compatible inks to tens of thousands of customers there has rarely ever been a case where generic inks have been blamed for printer failure. As long as the cartridges are molded correctly to size and to strict tolerances, the ink is of a very high quality and they use a good micro chip then there is never going to be an issue.
Due to the mass production of the modern printer and the very low purchase prices (typically $50 – $150) they have become a throw away device. Several years ago you could buy a printer and expect it to last at least 5 years. Nowadays, realistically if you get a good 2 years out of your printer then you have done well. The print heads are no longer made to last and more often than not are the first component to fail rendering the printer useless. Manufacturers are quick to place the blame on generic cartridges however in reality this has absolutely nothing to do with the longevity of the print head. The only exception to this is consumers who use very low grade compatibles where the ink is of a poor consistency and it dries in the print head and is very difficult to remove.
As a general rule most companies will honor the printer warranty when generic inks are used however your’e always going to get the odd technician who is anti compatibles and will try to blame the inks for the failure. Finally it’s like most things in life, “you get what you pay for”. If you buy a $3-00 generic cartridge then don’t expect the company you purchased it from to offer you any back up should your printer die. If you purchase a quality non genuine cartridge from a well known company (with a phone number and email address) then you should expect full support should anything go wrong due to a faulty product.