Save money on printer inks

Posted on 8 Apr 2009 at 15:19

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Tests into print longevity were also carried out and Cartridge World's cartridges did as well as HP- and Canon-branded cartridges, although they didn't fare quite so well against Epson's and Lexmark's cartridges. However, the reviewers commented that the prints were still acceptable at the end of the 12-month test period.

Ink for a minute

It appears that at least some refilling services use inks that are capable of results as good as, if not better than, those from branded cartridges. But let's not forget that HP's independent report showed that no refilling service provided as many prints as HP's own cartridges. We put this point to both refilling companies.

Cartridge World's Mark Holland is quick to point out that, as HP no doubt invests constantly in developing its products, so Cartridge World is continuously investing in the technologies within its refilled and remanufactured cartridges. As such, he insists that the quality of its products is constantly improving and that recent independent studies prove this. He adds, "HP would not publish a study that recommends an aftermarket product. It is well known within the industry that there are some poor manufacturers, and by including them in the study the average percentage performance of the aftermarket was guaranteed to be low. However, if the quality of products in this market was as bad as the study suggests, the industry would surely not be as big as it is."

While this sounds plausible, the report also showed a reduction in the number of prints for every single refilling company evaluated, including Cartridge World and Refill24 (although scores were not identified against named companies). How could this be possible, given that both Cartridge World and Refill24 claimed to refill cartridges with at least the same amount of ink found in the original?

Van den Hoogenband explains that four cartridges were tested for the report and points out, "The results of testing four types of cartridges seem to be inadequate for drawing conclusions on refilling printer cartridges in general, as there are roughly 350 to 400 inkjet cartridges that can be refilled. If customers have cartridges filled by The Ink Company, in principle they will get the same number of printouts as with an original."

If a customer comes to him for a refill and it appears that the cartridge cannot take the original amount of ink - this usually happens after cartridges that have a sponge inside have been filled several times - then the customer is told. In such cases, he explains, they will be offered an original cartridge as an alternative.

Practical matters

If you still fancy refilling your cartridges, there are some practical issues you need to consider. How easy is it to refill your own cartridges, and can you refill a cartridge repeatedly or does there come a point when you should consign it to the bin? Are there are tips that will make refilling more successful? We put these questions to Mark van den Hoogenband.

He says that DIY refilling is not necessarily difficult, although of course some models are easier than others. He admits that many refill kits don't come with a particularly helpful instruction manual, but is quick to point out that the manuals with Refill24's kits are clear, practical and cartridge-specific. He says, "These manuals are based on how we refill every day. We have received comments and questions in the past from customers that have caused us to change the manual."