What is an ink cartridge?
An ink cartridge is a component of a printer cartridge and contains ink that is used to project print onto paper during the printing process used by inkjet printers. Printers are 100% dependant on ink cartridges to print anything. Generally, all consumer ink printers use a thermal inkjet, and inside have multiple partitions which each contain a heating element with a tiny metal resistor. As a signal is given by the printer, a small current travels through the resistor warming it up. The ink that is in contact with the heated resistor is evaporated into a small nozzle. Depending on the cartridge series you have, ink can either be dye-based or pigment-based.
What types of ink cartridges are there?
There are various ink cartridges that a consumer can use. The OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturers) Products are created for specific printers by manufacturers such as using an HP cartridge for an HP printer because it is the best fit and also warranties won’t be disregarded. The Compatible Generic or Third-Party Printer Cartridges are those that manufacture generic ink cartridges and are cheaper than OEM types. Remanufactured Variation ink cartridges are made from recycled ink cartridges which are overhauled, cleaned, and refilled with ink, and altered with new parts and ink pigments. They are also cheaper than generic variations. The last type of ink cartridges are refills that are simply refilled with ink and sold again. Canon refillable ink cartridges and Epson refillable ink cartridges are currently the top-ranked refillable ink cartridges. These are not as reliable as OEM types because your printer is more prone to ink leakage and damages.
The best ink cartridge brands
The best printer ink cartridge brands generally come from the printer brand manufacturer themselves. Counting each drop, ink cartridges are particularly expensive as the printer manufacturers sell their printers at a low expense and have to make a profit somehow. Affordable printers on the market generally only come with two cartridges. One cartridge holds a black (K) pigment-based ink cartridge and the other is a tri-color ink cartridge that contains dye-based cyan, magenta, and yellow (CMY) inks. The best-manufactured ink cartridge brands include; Canon, Epson, HP, Brother, Samsung, Lexmark, Pantum, Xerox. A few of these brands make the following:
- HP 910 ink cartridges
- Canon ink cartridges 245 and 246
- HP 62 ink cartridges
- HP 902 ink cartridges
- Canon ts3122 ink cartridges
- HP envy ink cartridges
- Epson 288 ink cartridges
- HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M277DW ink cartridges
Ink cartridge reviews
Ink cartridge reviews are highly essential for any consumer’s benefit. Reading reviews can prevent a consumer from damaging their horrendously expensive printers and help them to choose the most compatible ink cartridge brand possible.
When you write reviews you also notify ink cartridge manufacturers about the quality of their product from a consumer’s perspective using the product firsthand and this ultimately helps with the improvement of their product for future uses.