Get More Out of Your Ink Cartridges

Apparently, ink is the most expensive liquid on the planet.  If it were sold in gallons it would be more expensive than Channel perfume, oil, wine -- you name it.  This is an issue for both individuals and businesses.  Especially as the value of the dollar drops every day and our dollar does not buy near what it used to.  Unfortunately, it appears things will get much worse.  There are many obvious ways to save money such as brown bagging instead of eating out for lunch, carpooling, and cutting our 1,000 cable channels to the basic 150 channels.  Most people don't think about the cost of their ink until they need new cartridges.  Here are a few ideas to help you get more out of your cartridges.

1. Only print what you absolutely need a hard copy of.  I prefer to read a long email or document on paper rather than scroll page after page on a computer screen, but doing just that will extend the cartridge life.  Instead of printing receipts or invoices so you can file them in your file cabinet, think about developing an e-file system.  You can file by date making it easy to retrieve files and more difficult to spill your Diet Coke on them.  There are many companies and software that provide back-up services to ensure that your files are never lost or destroyed.  External hard-drives are relatively inexpensive and have the ability to store endless amounts of data.
2. Print at least one page per week.  This sounds counter-intuitive, but by printing on a regular basis your cartridge printheads will stay fresher and you will get a larger percentage of the available ink.  For many people, printing at least a page per week is done by monday morning.  However, if you are one of those people who rarely use their printer -- doing this will give you a longer cartridge life.  Try printing the configuration page or the demo page in your printer menu.  This will print a little of every color and keep your printheads from drying out.
3. Use your printer's "Printhead Cleaning" function.  Most cartridges, new or refilled, will require using this function every once in a while to maintain the quality of your prints.  If you have never used this function there are a couple of ways to do this.  If your printer is connected to a computer you can run this from your computer.  Go into the Start menu and choose Printers and Faxes.  Once you locate your printer, right click on it and scroll down to Properties and left click.  From here there may be a Maintenance tab at the top or go to the Advanced tab.  Look for the Printhead Cleaning function and run it.  Most printers also have the ability to perform a printhead cleaning from the printer itself.  Either through a combination of pressing different buttons or through the Menu or Settings buttons.  See your printer's operation manual for complete details -- every printer is a little different.  One word of caution -- using this function excessively will eventually drain your cartridges.  So use this function in moderation.
4. Only print in black unless color is necessary.  As is the case in most printers, your black cartridge is less expensive and holds more ink than your color cartridge/cartridges.  So printing using only the black cartridge as often as possible will cost you less in the long run.  There are a couple of ways to go about this.  Most printers will open a window each time you press print.  Click on the Properties button and select Gray-scale.  Some printers also have an advanced setting that allows you to default all printing to black and white when selected.  This is another function that is best described by referencing your operation manual.  However, if you are printing only in black and white you need to upgrade to a monochrome laser printer, which will drive down the cost of your printing dramatically.

If you begin using just one or two of these ideas you will notice a difference in how long your cartridges last and a longer gap between each ink purchase.  Ink is not the only controllable expense, but it is an expense that we do have some control over.

Thank you for reading and please let us know your thoughts...

Empty Cartridge Recycling

Many of you may already be aware that as of July 1, 2010, Staples lowered the value of recycled print cartridges through their Staples Rewards program to $2 per cartridge, with a limit of 10 cartridges per month.  I've got to say that I saw this one coming, and I also expect more limitations in the future.  The buying and selling of empty print cartridges has become too competitive to pay a set amount for any random cartridge that goes through a recycling program.  I would guess that around 90% of the cartridges they receive are valued much less than $2 a piece, but they probably make bank on the remaining 10%.  Because of the quality standards remanufacturers are required to maintain, most are unable to use non-virgin cartridges (cartridges that have been previously remanufactured or refilled).  Currently, Staples does not have a requirement for virgin or non-virgin cartridges.  I hallucinate this is coming.  Office Max has also made similar cut-backs to their recycling program.  So how does this affect you?  First, if you aren't already recycling your used print cartridges you should be.  Even if you aren't using remanufactured cartridges, which you should be, it is the environmentally responsible thing to do and they probably have some value.  Second, if you do have a bag full of empty cartridges you have been saving or even a pallet full just know you are probably not sitting on the gold mine you thought.  Typically, the older the cartridges get the less value they have.  Supply and demand.  The longer a printer has been on the market the greater the supply of empty print cartridges for that model.  The newer the printer, the smaller the supply.  There are thousands of individuals and businesses willing to pay for your empty cartridges--just "google" it.  We would also be interested in your empty cartridges.  Just give us a call and we can let you know what they are worth to us.  We also give $4 off the purchase of a remanufactured toner cartridge when you recycle an empty toner cartridge and $2 off the purchase of a refilled inkjet cartridge with the exchange of an empty.  If you don't recycle your cartridges with us, please recycle them with someone.  It supports the aftermarket industry and drives down the price of remanufactured cartridges for you.

Do you have a thought or comment?  We would love to hear from you.

Photo Printing Questions Answered

More and more of our customers are using their printers to print their own photos.  This is an amazing time that we are living in.  Not many years ago, I remember taking my film rolls into the grocery store, filling out an order form, placing both in an envelope and dropping them in a collection bin to be processed.  And then returning to the store several days later to pick-up the photos that were developed by an outside company.  Now with digital photography and advanced personal printers the ballgame has changed dramatically in a relatively short period of time.  Without question printing from your home is convenient and time saving.  We are frequently asked by our customers what type of photo paper we recommend.  Generally speaking we have found that paying a little extra for paper provides better results.  Recently, we were helping a customer solve a photo printing issue with their Canon printer.  In doing some research we found some helpful information.  Each manufacturer has their own brand of photo paper that are designed to work with their printers.  For example, Epson uses Piezo-electric technology and their paper is optimized for this technology.  While most of the technology used by the different OEM's is very similar, there is enough of a difference that a universal photo paper does not meet the needs of all printers.  So our recommendation now is to use Canon paper for your Canon printer, HP paper for your HP printer, etc.  Our customers have noticed an improvement in their photo quality using this advice.  The cost of printing your own photos is debatable.  It really depends on the printer and the cartridges you are using, and if you are using OEM cartridges or remanufactured cartridges.  When you factor in these costs along with the cost of paper it is probably more of a convenience than a money saver.  Wal-Mart offers photo prints starting at $0.09 a piece!  I should be telling you just the opposite so you keep returning to us to buy new cartridges, but we try to be as helpful and honest as possible.  My wife prints all of her photos with remanufactured HP #02 cartridges and they look beautiful, but this would not be very cost effective if her husband did not own a Cartridge World franchise! ;)

Have a comment or question?  We would love to hear from you.

Happy Second of July! Huh?

This coming Sunday is July 4th, and like most Americans,  we will be celebrating Independence Day.  Actually, my family will begin celebrating tonight watching the firework display at Utah State University and continue celebrating all weekend through Monday.  It honestly should be a week long celebration.  We live in the greatest country in the world and that is something worth celebrating.  For most of my life the Fourth of July simply meant a paid vacation from work, fireworks, and golf.  Over the past couple of years, as I have watched as our country has entered such a politically charged environment--it has taken on new meaning for me.  My life to this point has been fairly "easy".  I have not had to sacrifice my life, my family, my everything to fight for freedom, as so many of our forefathers have done.  It has been given to me on a silver platter.  And even with the many challenges we face right now as a Republic, I can honestly say we do live in the greatest time and in the greatest nation this planet has ever known.  I really like this quote taken from a letter John Adams sent to his wife: 

"The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more."

 

He was off by two days, as it is now celebrated on July 4th, which is the date shown on the Declaration of Independence.  John Adams was referring to the day the resolution of independence was approved by Congress, which was July 2nd.

So this weekend, go out, watch the fireworks, light-up your own fireworks, eat too much, drink too much, spend time with your families and friends, lounge by the pool, lake or ocean, and love life.  At the end of the day, take a moment to remember why we have it so good.  And thank God.  Have a great weekend and God bless America.

Summer Safety Tips

Summer is officially here.  This is easy for me to remember because we celebrate our twins birthday on Summer equinox.  With summer come warmer temperatures, which I really felt yesterday for the first time this year.  Like any other liquid, ink becomes more fluid and tends to expand in the heat.  The combination of heat and ink cartridges can potentially mean disaster for the interior of your car.  So we just want to remind you to not leave your ink cartridges, full or empty, for an extended period in your car on these hot summer days.  Plan ahead of time, or take them with you as you are running errands.  Toner and high temperatures are not a good combination as well.  Toner particles will begin to fuse together at around 105 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit.  This will cause streaks in your prints and diminished cartridge life.  So you will also want to quickly move your toner cartridges from your vehicle to room temperature for storage.  We pack our toner cartridges in foil bags to protect the photosensitive drums from harmful light.  So once toner cartridges are put on your shelf and the temperature is maintained, they can safely be stored for many years.  Our refilled ink cartridges can be stored safely for at least 6 months.  However, we have tested several cartridges that have been stored for a year and a half and more.  So remember these tips and your summer will be that much more enjoyable!

Do you have any comments or direct-experiences with this?  We would love to hear them.

Baseball Sweepstakes

Just wanted to let you know about Cartridge World's most recent promotion.  Visit the link below before July 18th, 2010 and register to win 2 airline tickets, 2 nights hotel, and 2 tickets to see the Major League Team of your choice!  No purchase necessary.  Just our way of saying thank you for being our customer with America's favorite pass-time.  Other prizes include signed team merchandise and free ink for a year (value of $500)!  You can't win if you don't play!  So jump on this link today--you have absolutely nothing to lose.

Click Here to Register for the Baseball Sweepstakes

HP Is In My Doghouse

Last week I wrote about the importance of getting good advice before buying your next printer.  Today I need to vent.  Whatever printer you do decide to buy--DO NOT BUY AN HP PRINTER.  Just say "no" to HP.  However, to be more specific, HP is still our recommendation for laser printers--both color and monochrome, just do not buy an HP inkjet printer.  For years HP has been the dominant player in printer hardware and they have the largest market share to boot.  Most people buy an HP ink printer believing it is of higher quality.  My how times change.  HP has fallen on hard times.  They are posting losses almost every quarter and recently laid off about 9,000 workers (only 3% of their workforce).  Apparently, they are blaming these hard times on us, the aftermarket industry, because they are fighting us tooth and nail.  This is very apparent in their new series of inkjet printers.  These cartridges are almost as bad as Lexmark's Prebate program cartridges.  Although they are easy to refill the problems only begin once the cartridge is inserted.  The chips are highly encrypted, which is evident in the slow development of replacement chips by the aftermarket.  In addition, the cartridges that do not have chips, but have gold colored contacts are designed to be used only once.  This has always been the case, but older cartridges could be refilled 6 to 8 times and still produce high quality prints without rejection by the printer.  That is no longer the case with this new generation of HP cartridges.  They will simply shut down when the internal counter reaches X number of prints.  The printer "does not recognize the cartridge", or warns you to "check the cartridge".  If you own an HP printer and use refilled cartridges you have seen these messages.  It is our policy to provide the customer with a new replacement cartridge--no questions asked.  However, you may have more difficulty getting an exchange or reimbursed from online retailers or other local remanufacturers.  Either way, it is a frustrating experience.  Just what HP ordered.  Now you are forced to buy new HP branded cartridges.  Here is another trend HP does not tell you about... these new generation of cartridges hold less ink and are more expensive than "older" HP cartridges.  That is also the trend with toner cartridges.  However, you still have many good options.  Thrift stores carry many older printers that are gems at the bargain price of $5 to $15 dollars.  Canon and Brother now offer several printers that are very refill friendly.  In many situations it makes more sense to upgrade to a monochrome laser printer, many of which can be purchased for less than $100.  There are tons of great deals available on refurbished laser printers, which usually include 30 to 90 day guarantees and give you ample time to discover any potential problems.  Another advantage of laser printers is the availability and price of replacement parts.  A quality laser printer can last 10 years or more with very heavy usage.  This is not the case with inkjet printers.  They are just disposable.  In short, do not buy HP inkjet printers right now.  I hope they change their philosophy as they lose more and more business to other manufacturers.  As long as HP fails to acknowledge that a large percentage of their customer base wishes to use recycled cartridges and that the aftermarket industry is a permanent player, they are going to continue to struggle.