Issue 4.15
Printing is expensive. We have come a long way from the old dot-matrix printers that used a ribbon and an impact printhead to transfer dots to your paper. Back then, you would pay perhaps half a penny for each sheet of paper and your ink ribbon could print a thousand sheets or more for $5-$10 before you would replace it. An interesting innovation was the laser printer that used toner like a copy machine would. You could buy one for $400 (as opposed to about $150 for a dot-matrix) and the toner cartridge would cost about $80 to replace. The advantage was that the image on the paper was sharp and clear and a cartridge would print thousands of pages before needing replacement.
Then they introduced color printing. First came the color ribbons for dot printers which gave mixed results, but made it possible to create color text and documents and print fuzzy but recognizable pictures. Then, at about the same time, they introduced color lasers (which sold for about $2000) and a new innovation – inkjet printers that used micro size drops of black or color ink to transfer an image to the paper. At first the images were a little fuzzy or discolored, but technology improved rapidly. The price also changed from $400 or so to around the same price as the dot-matrix versions. What the printer manufacturers realized is they could sell the printer much more cheaply because people would buy the ink repeatedly since it did not last as long as either the dot or laser printers. They could actually lose money on the printer but make major profits by charging $30-$60 for $3 worth of ink and doing it over and over for the life of the printer. Pretty soon this gave rise to a new industry – refilling empty ink cartridges for $5-$10 instead of having to pay for a new one.
This did not go over well with the manufacturers because their profit was in the ink, not the printers. They began making the cartridges difficult to refill and now they embed microchips in the cartridges to identify that they are genuinely from the manufacturer. Those chips stop working when the ink runs out. This raises the cost to manufacture the cartridges by a dollar or so but discourages people from refills because their printer will inform them that these are not genuine products and may void their warranty if used. All of that is an effort to protect the maker of the printer and their profits.
As it has evolved, some companies have realized that they need to accommodate those who can’t afford hundreds of dollars a year for ink and they don’t make it too hard to use remanufactured or refilled carts. Others continue to try to force their customers into only buying new carts from them. The hardest to use refills on are the HP printers and many people have mixed results either in quality or in actual compatibility when refilling. Epson and Brother seem to have little trouble with refills as long as they are of a reasonable quality. Other printers such as Canon, Lexmark, Dell, etc. fall in between.
These issues may have a bearing on what you choose when buying a new printer. If you have a working printer, even if it is an HP, you may want to try refills to see if they work for you, but you may want to avoid that until your warranty is out of effect because it may be voided. Check the box and paperwork for applicable information – then make your choice, and always remember to back up anything on your computer that is important to you.
Shaun McCausland has worked in the computer industry for over 33 years, 26 years of it locally with Bits ‘N’ Bytes and Musicomp and currently does in-home and on-site computer consultation, service, training and repair. If you have questions you can reach him at 435-668-7118 or shaun@musicomp.net.