Printer Ink Cartridges

[Alan Knighting]

Ros,

I think that happens with all ink-jet printers no matter who the manufacturer is. The only answer I know of is to use them regularly otherwise the ink dries in the print heads. The Epson management software has a head cleaning option which you should use. It does work and it does get rid of the problem.

For black printing I am very fortunate. When I came to France seven years ago I brought with me an HP LaserJet 4 which I use as my standby printer. I know it’s out of the ark and it works on a parallel cable but it’s built like a battleship and works every time; I haven’t even had to change the toner kit. Because of that I’m very tempted to buy a colour laser printer next time round but the colour rendition on the cheap ones I have seen is awful – the more expensive ones are a lot better but a good one can cost a couple of thousand pounds.

Fluffy

[Stu]

Alan,

I think it's been said elsewhere that a good inkjet is better than a cheap laser. We spent a fortune on good quality colour laser printers in the UK when I had a 'proper job'. I'd hold up my Epson prints against those of the Canon laser printer I used to use any day! The best laser I've used was made by Oki.

I agree with the comments you make about the head cleaning, and the everyday use to get the best from your printer. That goes for any printer though, not just the Epson. Anyway, it's just one of my many 'conspiracy theories', that printers are now as cheap as chips because the manufacturers make far more money from flogging the ink cartridges than they do selling printers.

[Big Sis..]

Ros,

I think that happens with all ink-jet printers no matter who the manufacturer is. The only answer I know of is to use them regularly otherwise the ink dries in the print heads. The Epson management software has a head cleaning option which you should use. It does work and it does get rid of the problem.

Thanks Alan I will give that a try next time...I have used the head cleaner but usually after changing the ink...
It is frustrating cos it usually says you have enough ink left to do xyz numbers of printouts like youve just done
and then it says ink needs replacing....

[Alan Knighting]

Alan,

I think it's been said elsewhere that a good inkjet is better than a cheap laser. We spent a fortune on good quality colour laser printers in the UK when I had a 'proper job'. I'd hold up my Epson prints against those of the Canon laser printer I used to use any day! The best laser I've used was made by Oki.

Me too, thousands of pounds per printer. The daily throughput and monthly working cycles meant I had to; inkjets were simply not up to the task. Now I just need a personal printer and I think the choice is obvious – inkjet.

I agree with the comments you make about the head cleaning, and the everyday use to get the best from your printer. That goes for any printer though, not just the Epson. Anyway, it's just one of my many 'conspiracy theories', that printers are now as cheap as chips because the manufacturers make far more money from flogging the ink cartridges than they do selling printers.

What conspiracy theory? An inkjet printer, complete with cartridges, costs about twice what two sets of cartridges cost. It’s blatant.

Fluffy

[Jimbo]

Alan Knighting wrote:

What conspiracy theory? An inkjet printer, complete with cartridges, costs about twice what two sets of cartridges cost. It’s blatant.

I'd go further Alan, it's outrageous.

William Dorsey wrote (about the inkjet industry):

Creating such a glittering market was based on a business strategy along these lines: identify a mass-market need, saturate that market with an attractively-priced product and, finally, reap outrageous profits from the (captive) consumers with repeated sales of exorbitantly-priced consumable products. It’s a high return-on-investment strategy that has served the printer manufacturers well - at the expense of the cartridge-consuming public.

Why do we allow manufacturers to exploit us so easily? Why not ignore their warnings that refilling cartridges with generic ink will void their guarantee and do it anyway. It's fiddly and a bit messy but it's cheap. And it works.

Jim (back at the barricades)

[Alan Knighting]

I'd go further Alan, it's outrageous.

I suspect you are as aggravated about this as am I. Of course it's outrageous but there will always be some people who allow themselves to be taken in by it all. I'm not taken in by any of it, that's why I use Abix.

Why do we allow manufacturers to exploit us so easily? Why not ignore their warnings that refilling cartridges with generic ink will void their guarantee and do it anyway. It's fiddly and a bit messy but it's cheap. And it works.

God only knows.

Can anyone persuade me that 20ml of black ink is worth 25€? No. If it were true it would make black ink more valuable than black Beluga Caviar.

Do I care that the print-out is claimed not to be archive friendly and might not be readable in 20 years time? No. I’ll not be around by then but in the unlikely event that I am I will simply print it again.

Do I think the guarantees are worth the paper they’re written on? No. My use of a refill kit or a compatible cartridge only gives them an easy exit out of a worthless guarantee.

The printer manufacturers are “pulling my plonker� and ripping me off in the process.

At the end of the day, if my ink-jet printer is buggered I’ll throw it away.

Fluffy

[e-richard]

I’ll not be around by then but in the unlikely event that I am I will simply print it again.

I suspect you won't be able to print it again because your Tesco operating system will have replaced Windows and the file formats will be totally incompatible

[roxytoo]

i've got an Epsom stylus CX3650

It has 4 separate cartridges and when one runs out you don't have to replace them all

I get my replacments for £1 a cartidge from a company in North Devon! Delivers next day and never had a problem!!

[Big Sis..]

Hi Jacki sounds good I have an epson R 300 have you a contact address or email contact thanks Ros...Jacki sent this http://www.nd-ink.co.uk/ hope its ok to list it

This ink fiasco doo dah sounds very like the Hoover Bag....Oh you cant manage without them....ends up cheap Hoovers Dear Bags...Then Dyson came along.....you dont need bags[we knew that] so have this very expensive bagless Hoover and think of the money youll save ...yeah right......

[Bob T]

I think that Jimbo can beat the £1 per ink cartridge bargain. I know that the inkjet printer that he is using at the moment cost him nothing! That is because I gave it to him when I bought the second laser.

[Jimbo]

I know that the inkjet printer that he is using at the moment cost him nothing! That is because I gave it to him ...

True Bob (and I'm not ungrateful) but it's cost me money ever since. And you owe me one for persuading me to buy an expensive laser printer which can't produce the quality in colour prints that a cheap inkjet can. This printer is already on its second set of cartridges which have probably cost more than the printer did new. Fortunately, its been making colour prints which I have been able to charge out commercially - not everybody is that lucky.

And that's before I start banging on about the high cost of photo quality thick stock (at least 270gm) inkjet paper. I always thought that traditional photographic paper was expensive - but at least that had silver in the emulsion!

Jim

[Paul Carmel]

I really don't know how I found this..........I just did.

http://lasermonks.com/

[Big Sis..]

Me neither PC...

Is this where the first Hoody originated...

[Big Sis..]

Thanks for the ink link Meiska...

I ordered some on Mon and they came Weds...so that was good]and i only paid the non express postage which was reasonable...thanks again

[Topcat]

I looked at both those sites, but neither seemed to cater for my printer, which is an Epson Stylus DX4000.

They had the 5000 and 3800 and the 4200, but not mine. Does anybody know why? I haven't had it long.

Oh, and has anybody tried getting them refilled? At my partner's office he gets them all refilled which costs less.

Pauline