Ways To Ensure The Cartridge You Buy Is Compatible With Your Printer

2010-01-23

It is something that anyone who loves to print photos, high resolution images and multiple text documents dreads often - having to replace their printer ink cartridge. It can be a costly and daunting task which requires patience. Over the course of a year, a person can spend the same amount on ink cartridges as they did for the printer itself. In the beginning, people would take shortcuts around this by buying ink refill kits. Depending on the manufacturer, they were either marketed as a temporary fix or just as superior as the more costly cartridges. While those were economical to use, they were also inconvenient - using a syringe-like tool to fill small ink cartridges took a steady hand - and a lot of newspaper to prevent messing up furniture.

As the average person may not want to hold on to every bit of packaging that comes with every product they buy, it is always wise to hold on to any manuals or troubleshooting instructions. It is especially helpful when it comes time to service a printer. The instruction manual normally has information about what to do when printer ink runs low or the cartridge needs to be replaced.

Keeping a printer model or number handy is important when buying ink cartridges. The reason being that printer models change often. There was a time when a person could buy a printer that used only black ink or spent a lot of money on a printer that make copies and send faxes. Even small things such as scanning resolution control can change the model and/or series number of a printer. Also, since the printer ink cartridge packaging is likely to change over time, it will most likely list the latest models by that manufacturer. If a person has a printer more than two years old, it most likely won't be listed.

The best way for a person to make sure they are always buying the right ink cartridge is to bring the empty cartridge with them to an office supply store or search online directories for the correct printer ink cartridge. Once an exact match is discovered, write it down or memorize the number. As some printers may use three and four-color ink chambers, it is best to note the colors, cartridge numbers, printer model number and the manufacturer. It does not hurt while searching online to also find out about generic brands or buying in bulk. Finally, many office supply chains or online programs have ink cartridge recycling programs that give instant discounts on store purchases. That, in it of itself, can be an incentive to bring in empty ink cartridges and buy the right one.