You’d think buying ink cartridges for your printer would be simple, but it can easily turn into a real pain if you don’t take care. You can get home to find you got the wrong type, then you have to decide if you trek back to the shop to get a refund, or whether you should donate them to charity…
Here are five of the most common mistakes you should take care to avoid.
Ignoring the manual
You’re actually meant to read the manual! It tells you not only how to operate the printer, but it also tells you which cartridges it takes. Before you start up your machine for the first time or buy some new cartridges, read it, note down the cartridge type and save yourself a big headache. Your manual will also tell you how to change a cartridge once it’s spent. By doing so, you not only avoid the frustration of using the wrong cartridges but also ensure that your printer functions correctly, prolonging its lifespan. To complement your printer manual, you can explore the wide range of compatible and reliable ink cartridges available at Sell Toner.
Playing 20 questions with the shop assistant
This is usually a direct result of making mistake #1 – not reading the manual and noting the cartridge type. This is a real pain for shop staff – they have to use their powers of deduction to work out what you mean while the queue behind you grows ever longer.
Even if you really have no clue about the cartridge type, at least bring the manual with you to show the shop assistant. If you don’t have the manual, remove a spent cartridge and take it to the shop (in a clear bag to avoid spills).
Paying way too much for your ink supply
This is especially important to avoid if you’re running a business. Replacing ink cartridges is a major overhead, so if you’re paying more than you need to then you’re suffering from a real drain. Check out the deals you can buy online to see if you can find cheaper ink cartridges – online retailers often have some good bulk deals, so you can avoid the retail store mark-ups.
Using the wrong ink for the job
This sounds like the wrong type of snow situation, but you can actually use the wrong sort of ink for the wrong sort of project. You have dye-based and pigment-based inks and although they’re both inks, they’re not the same. If you get the two confused, you can end up with a costly mess.
Dye-based inks are more stable and they give very vibrant colours; however, they also take longer to dry and they smudge easily if touched beforehand. Pigment inks, on the other hand, dry pretty much immediately and they are stored in individual cyan, magenta, yellow and key (CMYK) cartridges. Key is black, by the way. These colours all work together to create the colours in photos and other colour print-outs.
Refilling cartridges yourself
This sounds like a real money-saver, but it has huge potential to go wrong unless you have the right equipment. There are many companies that specialise in buying spent cartridges, refurbishing and refilling them, ready for re-sale. They have the right machinery; if you’re using a pipette over your kitchen sink – it’s not so great!