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Some information concerning compatible cartridges

I often wonder why printer manufacturers have to have so many different printer models on the market. Do they really need so many models of printer all basically doing the same thing? Epson are past masters of introducing new models and the same can be said for the replacement ink cartridges that accompany the printers.

Initially, once a new printer model is thrust onto the unsuspecting public, the Epson Stylus SX125 is a good example, only one type of ink cartridge is available to buy and those cartridges are original or OEM cartridges, usually supplied with the printer.

Did you know? - The ink cartridges supplied in the box with your printer may contain only a quarter or half the ink than that of a cartridge bought separately.

Once the ink has been used however buying replacement cartridges can be expensive. Within a few weeks of the printer’s launch, third party cartridge manufacturers have licensed a valid patent design of the cartridge that can reduce the cost of replacing the ink cartridges. These are compatible cartridges.

The Epson SX125 ink cartridges comprise of four cartridges. A T1281 black, a T1282 cyan, T1283 magenta  and a T1284 yellow. Buying these inks as a set of original inks could cost you a considerable deal more compared to the cheaper compatible version.

It’s a common myth that using compatible cartridges in your printer will void any warranty or guarantee that you currently have with your printer. In actual fact, the companies who produce compatible cartridges have to meet stringent requirements for the patent to be met and approved. Only if the patent is passed can the cartridge be sold to the general public and safely used in printers.

The printer manufacturers will dismiss the use of compatible cartridges in their products naturally. Printer development is a costly business and with so many companies producing printers, products are released that have to be sold as cheaply as possible to compete for sales. The printer itself does not make the company a profit. Only a small margin of profit may be made by a sale of a printer unit. It is the consumable area that makes the profit as companies will rely on this for it’s income.

Should I use compatible ink? - It’s really a question of budget. Of course there are some differences with compatible inks. If you are printing documents or photos that you want to last for a substantial number of years then investing in original manufacturers inks is advised. Compatible inks will fade over time due to the ink used in them but for general printing, the savings are immense with quality results.

Why printer manufacturers research and produce so many printer models, maybe we’ll never know but it’s clear why there are different types of the same cartridge and why compatible cartridges are an attractive option. 

Here’s a thought for you.

When your printer ink runs dry, do you throw your empty cartridge away or do you refill it? Would you be surprised to learn that over 30 million empty printer cartridges are thrown away every year in the UK alone!

Yikes!! Surely you would agree that this is a waste of resources and will not help reduce our carbon footprint. As a throw-away society, we are running out of valuable resources fast.

Did you know that ink cartridges use a plastic which is present in the casing that will take over a 1,000 years to break down and dissolve into the earth. Here’s another shocking thought, to create a brand new cartridge can take up to 3 pints of valuable oil in the production process.

What if you don’t want to refill those cartridges? Fear not, they can be recycled and used again. You can even gain a little income. So, what do you need to do?

Well, simply visit www.inkcartridgerecycle.co.uk and there you will find loads more information about recycling your empty printer cartridges. You can also find a chart which will give you a price guide on the various cartridges that they pay you to recycle.

You can also get more information about ink cartridge recycling by visiting this great resource - How to recycle your empty ink cartridges

Printing your digital photos might be a bit more than simply clicking ‘Print’. Read this handy guide that will give you some hints and tips to print quality digital photos.

http://ping.fm/4wY27

It’s nearly Christmas and as a special thank you for shopping with us, we are offering you the chance to get 10% discount off your next order of compatible and remanufactured ink and toner cartridges.

Place your order and enter this code ‘XMAS10’ into the discount code box provided.

This great offer will end on the 24th of December 2011 at 5PM so don’t hesitate and order today.