Which is better, OEM ink jet cartridges or compatible ink jet cartridges?

When a company like Canon, Epson or Lexmark manufactures a printer, it will also provide OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) ink jet cartridges for that printer. Many big brand manufacturers will insist that OEM ink jet cartridges are the best pick because they are manufactured with their printers’ specific technology in mind.

For example, Epson’s website (www.epson.com) states, “What you save in dollars with third party (or ‘compatible’) ink cartridges, you could sacrifice in quality and performance.” However, Tech Support Alert (www.techsupportalert.com) reviewed the most popular compatible cartridges for two market leading brands of printers (purchased from 20 different ink jet cartridge websites). They found “good results with all the cartridges we tested from the recommended sites” and felt that “the cartridges we tried, worked just as well as the original OEM cartridges though not necessarily identically.”

It may be true that OEM cartridges perform slightly better in some categories, but before you pay a premium price for that ink jet cartridge, it might be worthwhile to determine if the compatible cartridge will satisfy your particular printing needs.
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How do I clean clogged nozzles on my inkjet printer?

If your printer is printing blank pages or pages with white lines running through the text, the ink jet cartridge nozzles may be plugged with dry ink. This can be resolved by using the print head cleaning service and nozzle check in your printer’s diagnostic tools. If the print head is so caked with ink that the printer’s self-cleaning utility does not work, try rubbing a Q-tip soaked in Isopropyl alcohol over the surface of the print head. The alcohol will help dissolve the excess ink. Follow-up by wiping a dry Q-tip over the surface of the print head and run the printer’s self-cleaning utility several more times. Remember: once an ink jet cartridge is opened, it starts drying out, so try printing a few pages at least a couple times a week to keep the nozzle clean and the ink flowing.
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What top the list of complaints in the 2006 PC Magazine Reader Satisfaction Survey?

While ink jet printers are an affordable option for most consumers, the cost of ink can blow anyone’s budget. In PC Magazine’s 19th annual Reader Satisfaction Survey, the cost of ink proved to be at the top of the list of Reader complaints. Readers were extremely unhappy with the cost of HP ink jet cartridges, awarding HP a score that was significantly lower than average. Third-party ink prices for HP printers did not rate any higher with PC Magazine Readers (nor did the quality of HP photo paper). Brother scored better on ink pricing for its all-in-one color ink jets, but Readers were not satisfied with the quality. So . . . who do PC Magazine Readers prefer to buy ink from? The Reader’s Choice leader, Canon. Canon scored significantly higher than average on ink jet cartridge pricing, with a rating of 5.7 out of 10.
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Canon i960 Photo Printer, print, Cannon i960 ink jet cartridges, Canon printer, ink, cartridge, printer
The Canon i960 Photo Printer was made for the photo enthusiast. Digital photographers will appreciate its ability to print from compatible digital cameras and camcorders without a computer. This Canon printer also offers software that reduces red-eye issues and facial imperfections. And you don’t have to wait long to share your photos, according to Canon’s website, “You can produce a stunning edge-to-edge 4" x 6" borderless print with the look and feel of a traditional photograph in approximately 37 seconds.” Ink for Cannon i960 ink cartridges is sold separately (six individual ink tanks for each printer). Installation is a two-step process, first installing the print head and then snapping the cartridge in place. Cannon i960 compatible ink cartridges utilize the Canon Think Tank System™ so when one color runs out, only one color needs to be replaced, instead of the entire ink cartridge. On the downside, the speed is slow when printing both Word and Excel so it’s not practical as a home business printer. However, used as a second printer, you will never have to pay someone else to print beautiful photos!
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What is a good, low cost printer for a student?
The Epson Stylus Photo R200 Printer is a six-color printer with the capacity to handle any task in your home office. An inexpensive printer, the Epson Stylus Photo R200 is easy to set up, prints good quality photos (just a tad shy of professional quality) and also prints to cds. Epson inkjet cartridges r200 are sold individually making them an easy, economical home printing solution. The cartridges are available in black, cyan, light cyan, magenta, light magenta, and yellow. Like in all Epson inkjet cartridges, the ink is engineered to be quick-drying so the colors do not smudge or bleed. This is a great printer for a student or scrapbook enthusiast!
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What does my inkjet cartridge retailer offer in addition to cartridges?

No matter if you shop online or in a retail store, your inkjet cartridge retailer offers more than just ink for your printer! In addition to spare cartridges, you’ll want to stock up on other inkjet items. A surge protector is important to protect your investment, and cables should also be on your shopping list because they are typically sold separately from the printer. Every home office uses loads general purpose paper, but Inkjet printers are most commonly used for color printing, so keep a variety of photo paper on hand. With an inkjet, you can explore your creativity with specialty items, like Epson’s StoryTeller Photo Book Creator or Xerox Glossy Greeting Cards. With the right supplies, you will find all kinds of practical uses for your printer besides printing documents. To keep your inkjet supplies organized, invest in a good stand for your printer. It will free up desk space, keep your printer within a usable distance, and give you more storage space for your inkjet products.
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Why do I only need four colors of ink?
Your computer may be set to display "millions" of colors. Why does your printer only need four? Many years ago, printer technologists figured out that all the colors visible to the human eye can be created with tiny dots of just four colors: cyan (a kind of light blue-green), magenta (a purplish-pink) and yellow, with black added or subtracted for darkness and lightness. Whether you buy generic ink cartridges or name brand toner for your printer, bear in mind that the rating for the number of pages per cartridge is based on just 5 percent coverage -- if you're printing color photos, you'll get far fewer pages from one cartridge.
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How many cartridges do I need for the Canon I960 Photo Printer? [MELANIE NOTE: They asked for more detailed information about the ink numbers but their site gave me a blank page when I plugged in Canon i960]
The Canon i960 Photo Printer was made for the photo enthusiast. Ink for Canon i960 ink cartridges is sold separately (six individual ink tanks for each printer). Installation is a two-step process, first installing the print head and then snapping the cartridge in place. Canon i960 compatible ink cartridges utilize the Canon Think Tank System™ so when one color runs out, only one color needs to be replaced, instead of the entire ink cartridge. On the downside, the speed is slow when printing both Word and Excel so it’s not practical as a home business printer. However, used as a second printer, you will never have to pay someone else to print beautiful photos!
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Can I find a generic compatible cartridge for my Epson R200 printer?
The Epson Stylus Photo R200 Printer is a six-color printer just a tad shy of professional quality. Epson inkjet cartridges r200 are sold individually, making them an easy, economical home printing solution. As with all Epson inkjet cartridges, the ink is engineered to be quick-drying so the colors do not smudge or bleed. The inks are also available in compatible generic cartridges with model numbers of T048120 (black), T048220 (cyan), T048320 (magenta), T048420 (yellow), T048520 (light cyan) and T048620 (light magenta).
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