The Differences in Printer Cartridges

If you are shopping for an inkjet printer - make sure you consider the cost of replacing printer cartridges before you give up your hard-earned cash for that sale-priced printer. Prices for inkjet cartridges vary greatly, and for some printers you have a variety of options open to you, including compatible, remanufactured or refillable printer cartridges, and for other brands, your choices are quite limited. In this article, we explain a little bit about the mechanics behind printer cartridges, and how you can make an informed choice when you purchase your next desktop printer.

Inkjet cartridges are available in two basic variations:

First is the combination print head and ink reservoir. This is the most expensive cartridge on the market today as the print head, the circuitry that controls the print process, is discarded and replaced each time you require replacement ink. These cartridges can be remanufactured, however, most manufacturers recommend refilling them just one time. That's right, just once.

Hewlett Packard uses the print head and reservoir type of cartridge in their printers. Black HP printer cartridges have been remanufactured with great success. However, due to a high failure rate, most companies have stopped remanufacturing HP's color cartridges, and PrinterSupplies.com does not sell remanufactured color HP cartridges for the same reason. And, as Hewlett Packard has patents protecting their cartridges, compatibles, i.e. generics, are currently not available.

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The second basic cartridge variation is the ink reservoir cartridge. This type of printer cartridge provides the greatest savings long term. Unlike the type of cartridge above, the print head is NOT contained within the cartridge. As this is the most expensive part, shopping for a printer that uses an ink reservoir type cartridge, avoids this expense.

The money saved on the long-term purchases of cartridges by choosing a printer that uses an ink reservoir type of cartridge versus a print head cartridge can be dramatic. Epson and many other manufacturers use these types of printer cartridges in their printers. These types of cartridge designs allow manufacturers to easily produce compatible cartridges, further increasing savings over the long-term use of your printer.

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