Ink cartridges

[frenchie47]

Don't know if this is the right forum to post this, but has anyone any views on compatible ink cartridges?

Hving just bought a Canon i865, and finding genuine cartridges hard to find (I know I don't need them just yet, but will do so sooner or later) I wondered if any of the compatible cartridges on offer would do harm to the printer.

[Mark H]

I think compatable ink cartridges would be fine if they are made for that printer. Where you can run into problems is if you are doing calibrating your monitor and printer for color accuracy. With a different brand of ink cartridge, you might get some color shift requiring another calibration.

[frenchie47]

Thanks Mark H

Just been out and found some genuine cartridges, but they're 12 Euros each - a total of 60 Euros for the five (about $71)

[Wade777]

with the cost of ink cartridges you might as well just buy a new printer ;)

[frenchie47]

Yes Wade777 I think you might be right

[Chandler]

You might as well just go for the compatible cartridges.  I take the risk with my Epson printers, even though the printhead is built into the printer (and once ruined the printer is ruined).  I've saved so much money on ink for the Epson C42UX that its paid for about 2 new C42's anyway!

Some brands do have slight colour variations, but it doesn't matter for me, and photos look fine to me.

[iansl]

Well, if you want to compare it,

My Printer
Black $20
Grey: $20
Photo: $25
Color: $35

That makes...$100

[frenchie47]

Thanks Chandler - I've taken the plunge and ordered some. As the printer is a Canon, I understand I can change the printhead if the worst comes to the worst, or even just buy a new printer complete.


Iansl - thought my costs were bad enough.

[pat]

Here?s an article from PC World with some tips on cutting printing costs.

[Neon]

I read the article linked above a few weeks ago, and one of the important points emphasized in this article from the same publication:
PC World

is that there is considerable variation in the quality of bargain inks - most will deliver acceptable quality prints, and most will fade faster than manufacturer's ink. Some lesser quality inks will cause clogging problems also.

[frenchie47]

Thanks Pat, thanks Neon - appreciate the input.

[Whizbang]

I buy the original only when there is some bankrupcy sale.  Canons have been the easiest to work with because of the separate printhead on the newer models.  The brand of the "Off-brand" is critical.  Some are really good on some models while lax on others.  I bought a replacement one time that was advertised as "new cartridges from another source other than OEM."  They were simply refurbished Epsons with a generic label pasted over the Epson stamped-in-plastic logo.  It worked OK, but I do not like the false advertising, and I will not buy from that source again.

[frenchie47]

Thanks Whizbang - it obviously pays to look around. I certainly like the idea of the separate cartridges and also the separate print head. I used to have a Lexmark, but if one colour was depleted, you had to change the complete cartridge.