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Canon Compatible Ink Cartridges in the UK: Information for Buyers
If you're looking for Epson, Lexmark or Canon compatible ink cartridges for your printer in the UK, you might be thinking that it would be cheaper to simply replace the printer, especially if you're buying branded cartridges from the printer's manufacturer. In many cases, it truly is cheaper to replace the printer. Why? Because cartridges are where the manufacturers make their profit, not the sale of printers. And it doesn't matter whether you need a toner cartridge for a laser printer or an ink cartridge for an inkjet printer: the price is always surprisingly high. Here's why.
Inkjet Printer Technology in a Nutshell
There are two varieties of inkjet printers. The first type has an ink tank and a print head. Optionally, this printer cartridge also can have an onboard chip that monitors ink levels. Because of the integrated print head, these cartridges are quite expensive. The second type of cartridge does not have an integrated print head because the print head is part of the printer. This is true of compatible ink cartridges for Canon, Epson, Brother and others. These headless printer cartridges are marginally less expensive. Also, there's no significant difference in print quality between the two types of cartridges.
Laser Printer Technology in a Nutshell
Laser printers work in an entirely different way. A laser printer cartridge contains a loose powder called toner. Toner is heat sensitive and gets fused onto the paper by heat during the process of producing an image or text. Most laser printers are used for black text printing, sometimes in high volume. Some toner cartridges for laser printers are good for up to 20,000 copies.
The Remanufacturing Process in a Nutshell
Whether inkjet or laser, virtually any toner or printer ink cartridge can be reused. It's just a matter of inspecting the cartridge, replacing any necessary parts and refilling it with fresh ink or toner. Quality remanufactured Canon compatible ink cartridges, for example, will perform as well as a branded cartridge because most third party manufacturers have rigorous quality control procedures. In the past, printer manufacturers have claimed that unbranded ink and toner cartridges could damage a printer and even void its warranty. But thanks to pressure from the European Union and the United States, this claim has been thoroughly discredited.
The User's Dilemma
So if you're interested in saving money on, the solution might be to use compatible printer ink cartridges manufactured by a third party, not the printer manufacturer. These cartridges are substantially less expensive and deliver the same print quality and number of copies as branded cartridges. There are plenty of affordable Canon compatible ink cartridges available from a variety of manufacturers in the UK. Using them is the true way to control printing costs. |
