Frequently Asked Questions

Do you know the difference between Inkjet and Laserjet printers?

Inkjet Printer

  • Uses a water based ink cartridge.
  • Inkjets are great for printing bright colors, photos and images.
  • Inkjets are great for printing on a variety of different materials.
  • Mainly used in locations with a low print volume or in large scale poster printers.
  • Shorter Lifespan.

Inkjet printers are mainly used in homes and small offices, though many commercial printing companies use inkjet printers to produce high quality posters and other pieces.

Laser Printer

  • Uses a powder based toner cartridge.
  • Great for printing clear, sharp images and text.
  • Great for printing on paper based materials.
  • Mainly used in offices with a high print volume or in large scale production printing.
  • Long reliable lifespan.

Small and large businesses use laser printers because they have the reputation of being reliable while making a quality print product. Common uses include printing company stationery, flyers and brochures.

Pros & Cons for refilling or purchasing non genuine cartridges

I have had a lot of people enquire about refilling their cartridges or buying non genuine cartridges. We’ve decided to write up the pro’s & con’s to help you decide. We hope that we can give you as much information below to enable you to make the right decision based on your needs.

 

Pros:

Cost Savings: This is the most common reason people witch to refilling or non-genuine cartridges. Yes, the savings are massive and in most cases are a third of that the genuine cost.

Environmentally Friendly: All cartridge containers are made from some sort of plastic, by refilling you are stopping the cartridges going to landfill.

Availability: From time to time the availability of genuine cartridges becomes an issue, but with refilling or buying non genuine this is not an issue as refill suppliers usually stock large drums of each colour.

Cons:

Printer damage: Refilling cartridges will increase the risk of causing permanent damage to your printer. The cartridge will either leak or clog your print head. This will then cause the printer to become useless and need replacing.

Ink/toner Quality: The quality of the refillable ink is not as high as if it was made by the manufacturer. Each manufacturer has their own unique special mix that they use and program their printers accordingly so by using a refill or a non-genuine cartridge will alter the output colour of your printer.

Messy process: Refilling cartridges your self is a very messy affair if you are planning to self-refill. Your hands will become stained and if the air to ink ratio is not correct in the cartridge the ink will not flow out of the cartridge correctly.

Printer Warranty: 99.9999% of the time using a printer cartridge that has been refilled or a non-genuine cartridge will void warranty on the printer. A lot of refill suppliers will say “no it won’t void warranty” but in fact it will. If the printer ever has to go in for a warranty repair, the repair may need to look at the diagnostics for the printer which will give them the information and right down to the point of what cartridge was used, when it was installed and how many pages its printed.

Conclusion:

As it comes down to a real preference whether you want to buy genuine, non-genuine or refills its a decision only you can make. Mr Inky would just recommend only using non-genuine after the warranty has expired. Yes, it can save you money and help the environment, but it can also cost you in the long run when you need to replace your printer often.