When printer ink cartridges were introduced in 1984, they changed the face of office and home printing. Because it was no longer necessary to insert messy toner cartridges or change ribbons the printing process became much cleaner and more reliable.
Immediately before the advent of printer ink cartridges and the ink jet system, most home and office printers used the dot matrix method.
Printing results, although good for their times, was nowhere near as crisp and sharp as it is today. Back then you could only print in black or red. When the printing quality deteriorated it was time to change your ribbon. This often left you with printer ink smudges on your hands and clothes.
Then, when the paper ran out, you had to put a pile of semi-attached paper - perforated on the sides - behind your printer and then feed it into a pickup mechanism before you could resume printing.
But you weren’t done, yet. After the printing job was complete you still had to separate the sheets and tear the sides off each individual sheet. It was a long and laborious process.
It’s no wonder that once inkjet technology became available and cartridges with high quality printer ink hit the streets it only took six short years before this process became the norm. Today not only can you print black and white documents, you can print in full color and print photographs and graphics as well.
When the paper runs out you just fill up the paper bin. No guiding, no separating. Just fast, efficient printing that rivals a traditional printer in quality.
Thanks to the development of high quality printer ink cartridges schools and businesses worldwide can now have their everyday printing needs met and also have choices as to the types and sizes of media they’d like to print on.
One similarity between printer ink cartridges and dot matrix ribbons still remains, though.
That is each printer uses refills specific to the brand and printer. Most printers use one cartridge for black and another for color, although some use separate cartridges for each of the primary colors.
Every printer manufacturer recommends that their own brand of printer ink cartridge is used in their printers. However, you can save money by either refilling their cartridges yourself or buying remanufactured cartridges that have been refilled with printer ink.
If you choose to refill your cartridges yourself you can buy a low priced kit and do it at home, although the process can be a bit messy.
Your alternative would be to purchase an ink jet cartridge that has been remanufactured. That would be an original printer ink cartridge that’s been taken apart, inspected, refilled with high quality printer ink, and tested before being offered for sale.
These cartridges are guaranteed by the remanufacturer, cost less than OEM cartridges, offer the same high quality as original equipment manufacturer cartridges and are safe to use.
Another more affordable alternative to an OEM cartridge is a compatible printer ink cartridge - one that has been manufactured to the same specifications as an OEM cartridge.
To find a well established, affordable source for printer ink cartridges go to http://www.Prink.co.uk
Wendy Moyer is a professional writer.
