Buying a new inkjet printer

Walk into any high street electrical store or indeed any supermarket and you can find printers for sale at really low prices. At first you may be tempted to just go ahead and buy it. However, it may be more beneficial for you to resist temptation for a moment, take a deep breath and think about it.

Firstly, 'what are you going to be printing?'
If you're going to be printing lots of photos and graphics it may be worth thinking about looking for a photo printer (pretty easy thinking here). A photo printer that will give you the best quality possible for images and photos when used with a good quality photo paper.

You may write a lot of letters or print out emails so you need a good quality general inkjet printer that will give good, clear results.

Finally, you may need a printer for your home office and that's best suited to a multifunction or all-in-one printer. These usually have a scanner built-in the printer to allow you to scan and copy as well as print your documents..

So you know what the printer is going to be used for and you're in the store and about to put the box in the trolley but wait! Things may not seem as good as they may appear to be.

'What's the catch?' you may ask. If the printer seems a really good price or comes free with a computer package then chances are that the replacement ink cartridges that the printer uses could be more expensive than the actual printer itself. You have to ask yourself this, 'Why would the manufacturer sell you or give you a printer?'. Simple, they want you to buy the expensive original ink cartridges for that printer.

The manufacturers make profits on the cartridges rather than the printer itself. By giving you the printer at a very low price, you think you're getting a bargain until the cartridges run out. Then, when you look into the cost of new original cartridges, they cost more than the initial price of the printer and you're left out of pocket.

So what's the answer? Before you put that printer in the trolley, do a little research on the printer model and find out if the printer has alternative cartridges available to buy. These alternatives include compatible and remanufactured inks.

Compatible ink cartridges are brand new cartridges that are made by a third party manufacturer and can be a really cost effective option. Remanufactured cartridges are original ink cartridges which have been professionally refurbished and refilled, often exceeding the original ink content and these can be up to half the price of original cartridges.

Some printers may not accept these alternatives so check on our website www.printcartridgedirect.com to find out. You may also find some special offers and deals on selected cartridges too.