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Written by Printer Wizard
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Thursday, 26 June 2008 |
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Printer ink is said to be the most expensive substance on the planet, often costing thousands of dollars per litre. Printer ink is a $32 billion market worldwide. Printer ink is pricey no matter where you shop.
by PrinterWizard
Printer ink is said to be the most expensive substance on the planet, often costing thousands of dollars per litre. Printer ink is a $32 billion market worldwide. Printer ink is pricey no matter where you shop.
Inkjet printer ink is manufactured both by printer vendors and third-party vendors. The inkjet cartridge is a combination of speed and precision. Inkjet manufacturers have never lowered their prices or engaged in a price wars. Inkjet cartridge refills are one option that may save you money, although they can be messy to use. An easier alternative is to purchase compatible or remanufactured ink cartridges.
Some customers and industry analysts charge that inkjet companies are using their influence to unfairly distort the price of replacement ink cartridges and shut out off-brand competitors. Despite the calls that the inkjet market stifles competition, there are still many alternatives available.
On average, inkjet printers provide an ink efficiency of just 58 percent when used for photo printing purposes and 47 percent when used for printing business documents such as presentations. Durability is another important consideration for printed photos. The big three manufacturers (HP, Canon and Epson) all make archival inks for their middle and higher-end photo printers.
Although third-party and aftermarket printer ink is often less expensive, the overwhelming majority of experts say that if quality and reliability matter most, you should stick with the printer manufacturer's recommended ink cartridges and ink.
You can save ink by selecting a lower-quality mode for printouts that are for 'internal' use only. When determining quality and value you must align your expectations accordingly. It is easy to see that there is a terrific cost savings to buying remanufactured printer ink, that being said, you must balance quality expectations with the price.
We wish there was some complicated reason like it costs a lot of money to produce or something like that, but the truth is that printer ink is so expensive because manufacturers can make it that expensive. "Official" printer ink is more expensive than heroin, but instead of competitive pricing, they go hand in hand with RIAA's marketing folks (read: more competition equals pricier products). A solution to the rising cost of printer ink is to buy "generic" brands of ink instead of the original brand of your printer
About the Author:
Printer ink is a subject Alan Wilson has a vast knowledge of, having over 10 years working with printer ink for many applications. |