Nearly all of us use printers whether at home or in the office, and we all dread the time when we have to replace the cartridge because it is just another expense we can’t afford. There are cartridge shops that make buying a cartridge an unpleasant affair because you always end up paying more than you should and many time for the wrong items too.
It certainly pays to do some research and look around for quality stores that will provide you with good customer services, quality products and who won’t rip you off. You want a shop that offers printer supplies which include original equipment manufacturer (OEM) cartridges for all the different brands.
What kind of printer do you have? This is an important question because understanding the needs of your printer will lead you to getting the right cartridge. Of course black ink is always going to be cheaper to replace than coloured toner. Photographs and brochures are printed in colour, while official documents are most printed in black and white.
Buy Each Colour as You Need It
If you want to be printing in colour then an inkjet printer is a good buy because if you run out of one colour, you don’t have to replace the entire cartridge like with some printers, but you will simply need to buy each colour separately as you need it.
Each manufacturer will offer their cartridges at different prices, with some of the top brands becoming quite expensive. Everybody is trying to save these days, but even so, it doesn’t always pay to go for the cheapest ink and toner cartridges. The reason for this is that the quality of the ink and toner might not be good and then you sit with prints that are of an inferior quality.
Sometimes it pays to check out what warranty you will get when you buy the cartridge. Remember to always read what the warranty says because sometimes the manufacturer will say that in order for their warranty to be effective, you need to buy your cartridges from them and that failing to do so will render your warranty void.
Store Cartridges Carefully
You can buy ink from a regular cartridge shop or you can buy from an on-line cartridge store. The cartridges need to be stored carefully if you want them to last. There are ink expiry dates, and once this date has expired, the ink will no longer work properly.
The ink’s composition changes over time and air can actually get inside the cartridge turning the liquid ink into a thick pasty substance that can clog up your printer’s print head. Most manufacturers include a warranty date with the cartridges, bearing in mind that expiration dates aren’t set in stone and that some ink cartridges do function normally after the expiry date.
An important aspect when considering inkjet or toner cartridges is finding the right store. You want a store that will sometimes offer discounts and make different payment methods available, and in the case of on-line stores you want technical support and the ability to contact them via email or telephone.