Net Ink

[Fay]

First time I have got what is supposed to be real Epson Ink, off internet. So far it is crap!!! Ruined a sheet of premium glossy, cleaned the nozzles about 10 times & there are still gaps in the colour!!!

[mickw]

I have suffered using so-called Hewlett Packard ink which was also crap.
From experience, if you want good results and a cartridge that lasts, use a genuine cartridge.  I have wasted loads of money trying to save money.
I'll only ever use genuine cartridges

[Fay]

Yes, I won't do it again Mick

[Ian]

fay, the danger with Epson printers is that the print heads are part of the printer, not the cartridge like HP ones. If they get blocked, it's off to Epson for repair.

Having said that, I've got an Epson photo printer that tends to get blocked due to underuse. I revive it by putting a small square of damp tissue paper in printer where the heads rest when it's powered off. This usually softens the ink enough to clear the jets.

I'm with Mick though, don't ever buy non-genuine Epson ink. HP, I've had success with Tescos carts, but if the head's rubbish, not a problem because it's changed with the next cart.

Except my new HP all in one that has 2 sets of carts - one are ink reservoirs, other set is print heads. But that's another story...

[Mike]

I stopped using Epson printers about 7 years ago as I was fed up with the heads getting clogged up. Sin ce then I have used a HP printer, and even if I don't use it for weeks or months, the first time I use it again it works perfectly. No need to do a head cleaning routine or anything. Like Ian says, the head is part of the printer with Epson so you always have the same print head. With most other print manufacturers the print head is part of the cartridge, so every time you get a new cartridge you get a brand new print head too. A far more sensible arrangement. Next time you need a new set of cartridges, look at the price of a new printer, as it will probably be a lot cheaper.

[Fay]

Well I never knew that about the print heads. But I have always been happy with  my Epson & always bought the same inks, they are a fortune now. If using the correct paper as well as ink, I get good colours.

[Tony G]

In this 'throw away society' if you look around it is sometimes cheaper to buy a new printer (which comes with both B/W and colour ink cartridges) than it is to buy just the cartridges.

Here is the printer (with both ink cartridges, but less ink than the refills, but..................)
http://www.eclipsecomputers.com/product.aspx?code=PRH-D1660&af=50

and here is the ink cartridges
http://www.moreinks.co.uk/HP_Deskjet_D1660/CC640EE_-_CC643EE.aspx?EComAID=GoogleBase



Tony G

[Fay]

Tony, you are right, never thought about it!
2 Epson inks are around £55, a new printer is not much more. Could have a loft full of old printers soon, just change it when the ink runs out!!!

Get a grip Tony!!!!!

[MarkS]

A loft full of useful stepper motors ...

[mickw]

Generally it's also better to get a printer with as many individual colour cartridges as possible (5 or more) for the best results for photos and economy.

[Fay]

So you buy the colours as they run out, not all at once like Epson?

[mickw]

Yep and you generally get better tones with the extra colours.

Standard colours are cyan, yellow, magenta
My printer also uses light cyan and light magenta.

Some printers also use shades of grey 

[Mike]

Fay that is eaxtly what I did... Went into PC World to get some new cartridges for my Epson Inkjet and realised I could get a whole new HP printer, with flatbed scanner/copier, for less than the cost of a set of ink. So I came out with that instead.

[Tony G]

Fay,

I'll find you a bargain. 

Tony G

[Mike]

Fore more information on Inkjet Printers go HERE

[RobertM]

Some printers also use shades of grey

Yep, I'm there and not amused !!!

I would be very wary of buying a Canon now.  The HP I had before was very economical on cartridges but Canon photo printer I bought last year just eats cartridges for breakfast.  It has really annoying firmware that insists in cleaning ALL the print heads immediately after switchon, before every print/scan job as well as if you replace a cartridge.  Grey seems to get hit much more than any other colour and I'm wondering if that's because it's the most expensive and hard to get of all the cartridges.

HP definitely gets my thumbs up, also one of my daughters is using an Epson and that seems very good too.

Robert

[PhilB]

The "set of inks for more than the price of a new printer phenomenon" has been around for sometime. But beware! Some manufacturers now only pack half full cartridges or ink tanks with their printers, so called "starter packs"! So the new printer for the price of a set of inks isn't quite the bargain it appears. However it probably still makes sense to buy the printer!!

What ever way you look at it most inkjet ink costs more by volume than fine champagne, and this isn't likely to change any time soon.

[Rocket Pooch]

Buy a colour laser, saves a lot of cash in the long run..............

Honest............................................................................

[Mike]

I bet that most of you print in B&W most of the time. I know I do. I purchased a cheap B&W laser printer a year ago and use that for B&W prints. I put a new cartridge in it sometime back in 2009 and it's done many thousands of pages since.

[Fay]

I think that a lot of the ink online is cheap because it is half full!

[mickw]

I think that a lot of the ink online is cheap because it is half full!

And it's crap 

[PhilB]

Always check the price of ink or toner before buying a printer. I bought a low cost laser some years ago only to discover that a new cartridge for it cost £75 

[Fay]

You are right there, Phil, the price of the inks vary so much depending on the printer

[Mac]

my one is £132 + vat. and thats just for the black.
http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/uk/en/sm/WF06c/A1-12771-64209-64548-64548-1839976-1839982.html?lang=en&cc=uk

mind you, it is a laser and i get 7000 pages per cartridge.

[Mike]

Around £35 for a toner cartridge for my HP laser. Last time I put a cartridge in was around Nov 2009. I bought a new toner around March expecting it to run out soon but it is still going.