Is it worth it to Refill Ink Cartridges?

An ink cartridge is one of the things that will affect your final work when printing. Normally, ink cartridges come with the printer when you purchase it. However, the ink will be finished at some point. Here, you will need to either refill the ink cartridge or buy a new one. Which of the two should you do? Generally, it is always beneficial to use a good-quality ink cartridge.

But, should you refill your ink cartridge or it’s not worth it? Let’s discuss that, shall we?

You must consider some factors before you decide whether you will be refilling your ink cartridges or not. Here are some of the factors that determine which option you should go for:

1. The Type of Printer

You should know that some printers out there may not support the refilled cartridges. Most of the current printers in the market are developed with technologies that won’t support refillable cartridges. In other words, the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) will only want you to use their product and prevent you from compromising with the printer.

For example, you can find an all-in-one printer that uses Durabrite inks. These Durabite inks will have a special cleaning agent that cleans the nozzles and tubes of the printer. The tubes and nozzles of a printer are usually responsible for plumbing the ink into the printer from the cartridge.

In this case, you may not use a refillable cartridge in such printers. So, it won’t be worth it to refill ink because you can’t do it in the first place.

Some of the printers are also made with a countdown circuit. This is a device that counts the number of pages that are being printed. When the printer reaches a set page limit, the cartridge will become worthless. This means that it won’t work even if you refill the cartridge.

Other printers come with embedded chips on the ink cartridges. These chips will be used to verify if the cartridge used is used or refilled, which then bars you from using a refillable cartridge.

However, there is another type of printer called ink tank printers. Ink tank printers don’t come with an inbuilt print head. They do have an individual color tank that is made of magenta, yellow, black, and cyan tank. These tanks can easily be filled with ink bottles.

So, if you prefer using a refillable ink cartridge, consider buying an ink tank printer. Even though the ink tank printers will be costly when you purchase them, they do save you a lot of money in the long run. Since the refill tanks are inexpensive, you will not incur too much printing costs.

Therefore, if you have an ink tank printer, then refilling your ink cartridge is very worth it because it is cost-saving. Still, you have to ensure that you choose the best ink tank printer 2019. Consider the brand, the reliability of the printer, and what people are saying about it.

In Comparison to the Original Ink

Too many times, the replacement of any product will not always be better than the original. In this case, the refillable ink will not be as good as the original ink. Suppose you just want to print some pages for your personal use like for reading or other personal forms, then it wouldn’t be such a big deal. In this case, you can easily go for the refillable ink.

Nonetheless, if you want to print photos or items to display, you will want to consider the difference in color and quality. Anybody can notice a difference in the photos printed with the original ink and when you change the ink.

The best way to handle this is to consider how you intend to use it. But above all, you have to find a refillable kit that is guaranteed to work decently. In some cases, the refillable kit might be very costly, but it will not compromise with your print quality.

The Possible Mess Involved

Well, as you are changing the ink cartridge, you will be doing it manually. This means that you will be using your hands, and things can get messy. You might get ink on your hands, and the ink tends to leave a strong stain that isn’t easy to wash off. This can stay on your hands for a week or even more.

If you are not ready to go through the mess and stains, going for the ink refill may not be your best option.

Nonetheless, you can avoid this by using gloves to protect your hands and skin. But remember that you may also stain your clothes and the work area. So, ensure that you wear an overall or an apron that you wouldn’t mind having some stains on them. Also, do the refilling in the garage or on an old table. You can also wear some old clothes when refilling the ink cartridge.

The Longevity of the Print

You should consider how long the print lasts with the OEM ink cartridges. Also, consider how it will last with the refilled ink cartridges. Well, OEM ink cartridges tend to last longer than the refilled ink cartridges.

One reason for considering this factor is based on the project that you are about to handle. If you are printing a high-value contract, you will need to ensure that the prink health and longevity is reliable enough. It should last for long enough to maintain the quality of the print you already started providing.

Also Read:

How to build a 3D Printer

Another thing about refillable ink cartridges is that they tend to compromise with the printers in several ways. For instance, it can mess up the low ink notifications, which can then affect your projects in the future.

Is it Worth It?

Well, when you want to decide if you should refill your printer ink or not, ensure that you consider all the necessary factors. If you don’t mind the quality of the refillable ink print, you can go ahead and refill them. But ensure that you know what you will be getting.

The good thing about it all is that you will be saving some money in the long run. Ensure that you follow the right tips when refilling your ink and that you choose a good refillable ink cartridge.