Compatible Ink Cartridges

Many people assume that to get the best quality of print out of a printer, you need to use original ink cartridges direct from the manufacturer themselves, the much cheaper price tag of compatible versions putting them off, rather than luring them in.



However, you can achieve the exact same results with compatible cartridges and save yourself a packet in the process. There are, however, a few simple rules to follow to ensure you get the best out of compatible cartridges.

Firstly, as with any printer cartridges, ensure the heads are correctly cleaned. Running a cycle to clean the printer heads will ensure the ink flows correctly. You can select this option from the maintenance section of your printer properties. Keeping the ink flowing by using it regularly will also help ensure the heads dont get clogged up, even if that means just printing off a test page every few days. Should neither of these work, dabbing the printer heads with a dry cloth or cotton wool bud should remove any excess, erroneous ink.

Next, ensure print alignment is correctly set. Again, this is easy to do via the maintenance section of your printer facilities.

Finally, if you are using compatible ink cartridges you should ensure that they are all compatibles, and you are not mixing them with any original ones. Mixing the two can cause compatible cartridges not to be recognised or, equally importantly, can have a detrimental effect to the quality of print. The ink in compatibles is mixed in such away as to be used in conjunction with the other compatible cartridges in the printer. This may be different to that of the originals and therefore may produce a different colour entirely or a weak, tired look.

Following these simple steps, you can ensure you get the best possible print, the cheapest possible way.