What HP, Dell, Epson, and Canon don't want you to know....

Think you got a great deal on a printer? Like the rest of us, you probably paid $50 to $75 for a decent Epson or Lexmark printer. What's the catch, you might have asked? Most salesmen would say there is no catch. They'd probably go into a rant about how the printer market has gotten more competitive, driving prices way down. While that's a true statement, it isn't the primary reason for such inexpensive printers these days.

So, why are printers so inexpensive? It's pretty simple - printer manufacturers need you to buy their printer model so you're forced into buying their outrageously-priced ink cartridges. It's kind of like the relationship between a gasoline company and car manufacturer, except in this situation the printer company is supplying both the automobile and the fuel. Gas companies wouldn't make any money if no one owned an automobile. In the case of printer manufacturers, things are a little different. They don't make any money on selling printers - they make their money by selling you the replacement ink cartridges.

It makes a lot of business sense when you think about it. A consumer buys a printer every few years, but may buy ink as much as once every three months. Printer manufacturers would much rather have this steady stream of income. Consumers don't factor ink cartridge costs into the equation when they buy a printer. They look at the features and price tag. Sure you're getting a great printer and not paying a lot. But if you use your printer on a fairly regular basis, the cost of ownership over a year or two (thanks to high priced ink cartridges) may exceed $500.

Before you buy your next printer, remember to do some research on printers, paying particular attention to the cost and longevity of the ink cartridge replacements. A little research ahead of time can save you hundreds of dollars. We don't recommend Lexmark printers because Lexmark ink cartridges are generally much more expensive than those of other brands, like Canon or Hewlett Packard. Because Lexmark embeds a special chip right into the cartridge, the cost of buying replacement Lexmark ink is astronomical. Before you buy your next printer be sure to research the cost of ink cartridges at Castle Ink or other reputable resellers.

In addition to researching ink cartridge costs before you buy your printer, there are some things you can do if you already have a printer and the cost of ink cartridges is literally breaking your bank. The absolute best advice is search for non-OEM replacement cartridges which get you the same quality standard for a lower price. Your primary options are compatible cartridges or remanufactured cartridges.

As a consumer you have a choice when it comes to buying replacement inkjet cartridges. It is a common belief that consumers are obligated to purchase expensive brand name ink cartridges from the manufacturer, or the printer's warranty will be voided. This is not true - by law, the use of compatible replacement cartridges does not void the printer's warranty. You can in fact opt to buy less expensive compatible ink cartridges or remanufactured cartridges, often realizing a savings of between 50% and 75%. All major ink cartridge brands have compatible versions, including Apple, Canon, Hewlett Packard, Lexmark, Brother, Epson, IBM and Xerox. For additional information about inkjet cartridges visit Castle Ink's website. They have many good web pages devoted to explaining your various options when it comes to both buying a printer and ink cartridges.

Below is additional information about each kind of printer cartridge available to you.

Brand Name Cartridges
Most of the printer manufacturers make the replacement printer cartridges that are best suited for their printers. This is the most expensive option, and in some cases the only option if you purchase a newer printer whose manufacturer embedded computer chips inside the ink cartridge. The purpose of this may be to regulate the ink, limit the cartridge to one use or to a certain number of pages, or to keep the cartridge in alignment. However if you use a compatible or remanufactured ink cartridge and it can't communicate with the printer, or if they speak a different language, your printer won't recognize the cartridge and it may damage the printer or not work at all.

Compatible Cartridges
When you consider buying an ink cartridge for your printer, the primary factor that you need to think about is how much you want to spend. Buying a new inkjet cartridge will depend upon how much you want to pay. You can purchase a new brand name ink cartridge, or you can buy a new compatible ink cartridge. Both types of inkjet cartridges will give you the same quality, quantity and performance you have come to expect from your printer. The difference is in price: a brand name cartridge can cost about twice the price you would pay for a compatible ink cartridge.

Compatible ink cartridges are specially manufactured to meet OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) specifications. They usually set very high standards of quality and reliability and offer high quality printing results, often exceeding the quality specification set by the OEM. These cartridges are manufactured with brand new components and are an economical alternative to expensive brand name cartridges.

You may also be pleasantly surprised to notice that the compatible cartridge will print as many or more pages than your original OEM cartridge. This mainly happens because some original OEM ink cartridges were not filled to capacity. In this case a compatible inkjet cartridge may give you double advantage: it can reduce your cost per cartridge and reduce your cost per page by printing more pages.

Remanufactured Cartridges
As the name suggests remanufactured cartridges are rebuilt from used empty cartridges. The remanufacturing process is not just about refilling the cartridges; they are taken apart, repaired, new parts are used if needed, and than they are refilled with ink.

High quality standards are maintained during the remanufacturing process so that the quality of the ink and any replaced part is the same as the original equipment manufacturer's (OEM) quality. They go through various recycling and reprocessing steps to ensure their quality, and are tested after manufacturing in real time printing.

If processed correctly, remanufactured cartridges have the ability to meet or exceed OEM specifications.