Ink & Cartridges

How to Save Money on Ink

The main problem with most ink jet printers is the cost of replacing the ink cartridges. The printer manufacturers more than make up for the low cost of the printer in follow-on ink cartridge sales.

You have four choices as far as replacement printer ink cartridges are concerned: original manufacturer replacements, third party manufacturer replacements, commercially refilled printer ink cartridges and do-it-yourself ink refilling kits. As you would expect, the cost of replacement goes down with each option.

It is nearly impossible to see any difference in the output, no matter which type you choose. I'm sure the original manufacturers would disagree, but in my opinion, just go with the cheapest choice you can.

Because there are so many printer manufacturers and they all seem to use a different type ink cartridge for each printer they make, it can be difficult to find anything but a few original manufacturer's cartridges on sale at any one store. I think the Net is the ideal place to shop for printer ink cartridges for this very reason.

Sam's Club and Costco always have great prices on the printer ink cartridges they sell, but the selection is often limited. Office stores such as Office Max and Staples usually carry a bigger selection at slightly higher prices.

If you are lucky, you might have a service close to you that refills printer ink cartridges. Check your newspaper, especially the free shoppers, or ask at your local computer store. This can cost as little as a third of the price of a name brand original printer ink cartridge. Major chains, like Walgreen's, now have ink refilling stations in their stores, making it easier than ever to use this option.

You will find that not all your used cartridges can be refilled, especially if they have been sitting empty long enough to totally dry out. Some cartridges come with chips that supposedly prevent re-use, but I have read work arounds for this problem. Also chip resetters are another inexpensive option, but it is still another cost to consider.

There are many places that sell printer ink cartridge refill kits or ink in bulk. However, this can be messy even for the most fastidious of us. You have to be absolutely 100% sure that the hole you drill to refill the cartridge is absolutely 100% sealed. As I can attest, it is quite messy when a whole cartridge of ink drains into your printer within minutes of reinstalling it.

There was also the time I failed to read the directions for a new ink refill kit, blithely assuming they are all the same. The entire room and I ended up looking like we had a bad case of measles since I was refilling the red cartridge at the time! But that was entirely my fault, so a word to the wise ..

I think some printer manufacturers are taking criticism of ink costs to heart. Lexmark, for example sells black ink cartridges with very large capacities for about $4.00. Lexamrk and others are also taking used cartridges, refilling them and offering them as trade- ins. This is yet another source for lower cost ink.

Personally, since I am selling my computer-crafted products, I try to keep a supply of refilled or third party ink cartridges on hand, but in a pinch I sometimes need to buy the manufacturer's version. So in pricing my computer-printed projects, I use an average cost of ink based on all three types.

I have also written articles about my computer crafting experiences, as well as about your computer setup, printer, graphics programs and supplies that I recommend. Please visit Computer Crafting, the gateway to all computer related articles on The Artful Crafter.