Know Your Shopping

Years ago computers were huge and their accompanying printers were huge as well. Instead of ink cartridges like those used now, they had toner reservoirs and later toner cartridges. Filling a toner cartridge was not easy and it was messy. The toner cartridges were better. Some printers ran on print wheels and some used ribbons.

Now our computers are more compact and the printers do more than just print in some cases. Printers use cartridges with self-contained reservoirs. Some can be refilled and it isn’t as messy as adding toner was.

There are two types of printer cartridges. Primarily Hewlett-Packard and Epson printers use the first, the Piezo Electric. A small crystal is subjected to an electric current that causes the crystal to expand about every 5 microseconds (20,000 per second. This expansion causes the inkjet ink to be squirted out through the print heads very rapidly and precisely.
Piezo Electric has fewer print heads than bubble jet/thermal printers but can do more precise action and tend to last longer.

Bubble jet print cartridges heat the ink rapidly into a bubble and is squirted through ink nozzles thousands of times per second. Bubble jet printers are quieter than the Piezo based printers. It gives you extremely high resolution color printing.

Ink jet not megapixel method has the ink squirted through nozzles as they move over a variety of media. Liquid ink in various colors is squirted at the paper to create an image. The print head scans the page horizontally using a motor assembly that rolls the paper in vertical steps.

A strip of an image is printed, then the paper moves on ready for the next step. For speed, it doesn’t just print a strip across the page; it prints vertical rows of pixels in each pass.

There are various types of inkjet technology. DOD or drop on demand squirts small drops of in ink onto the paper through tiny nozzles. It is like turning a hosepipe on and off 5,000 times per second. The amount of ink dropped on the page is controlled by the driver software that says which nozzles fire and when. A problem with ink jet technology is the tendency for the ink to smudge right after printing. This is improving with the development of new ink compositions.

Thermal Technology of printing fires the ink onto the paper. There are three stages in this process. In stage 1 the squirt is started when the ink is heated to create a bubble. Initial pressure bursts the bubble and hits the paper. The bubble breaks as the heating element cools. The vacuum that is created draws the ink from the reservoir to replace the ink that was ejected.

Printers’ years ago used to be very expensive and the reason for this was because the print heads that would stamp the image on paper was within the printer. Ink and/or toner were added to a reservoir or the printer used ribbons to stamp the image on paper. Now printers are fairly cheap, the cost comes when you have to purchase the ink cartridges for it. One would think that it would almost be worth it to buy a new printer instead of the cartridges because the price of the cartridges is often more than some of the more basic ink jet printers available.

The current price of cartridges while currently expensive have some technology in them that is complex and actually over the long haul will end up being cheaper than it would be to replace print heads often. Print heads are now contained within the cartridges themselves. The exciting thing about that is you could have your printer for a very long time if you use the correct cartridges for your printer.

Color cartridges work the same as black cartridges by squirting the ink through tiny nozzles onto the paper in horizontal strips as the cartridges move back and forth across the page. The color cartridge however, has three reservoirs with cyan, magenta, and yellow ink, each in a separate reservoir.

The image quality can depend on a number of things. Paper quality can affect the image you get. Brightness and absorption of the ink are the two main things that affect image quality. Brightness is exactly how bright the color or print image is while absorption is how effectively the paper absorbs the ink. For inkjet printers it is best to use paper made specifically for inkjet printers. You will get the best possible image with the proper paper. Also check the settings of your printer and/or your display properties, these things can also affect your printing project.

Depending on the paper you use and your printer, you may want to leave your documents alone for a little while so the ink can dry. Some printers have an ink saver setting that will put out less ink, which will dry faster, and still give you a near perfect image. Get to know your printer and how it works.

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About the Author
Martin Smith is a successful freelance writer providing advice for consumers on purchasing a variety of
Printer ink cartridges which includes
Cheap ink cartridge

It is true. You can save a lot of time and money by ordering your next inkjet cartridge online. Today, there are many reputable online printer ink merchants. They sell quality ink cartridges at huge savings. However, before you place an order, there are at least ten very important things you should know about ordering online.

As the old saying goes, “An ounce of education is worth a pound of cure.” When you order online correctly, you’ll reap huge savings in both time and money. If you order from the wrong online company, your headache could turn into a migraine.

Here’s the list… ten things you should know about ordering your inkjet cartridges online:

Company Information

Before you order online, find out how long the company has been in business. At a minimum, you want a company that has been around at least 2-3 years. In addition, you should have three ways to contact the company:

1. There should be a street address. A physical address is much better than a P.O. Box.

2. The company should have a toll free number so you can contact customer service for any questions about your order.

3. At a minimum, you should have an email address for contacting sales and support about your specific needs.

Website Information

All reputable online merchants go to great efforts to help educate you on exactly what products are available, how you can order them and how you can resolve any problems that may occur with an order. At a minimum, the following five informational items should help you:

1. Glossary of terms – The website should provide a list of terminology that is commonly used on the site. These words should be listed and defined so that it is very clear to you what they mean.

2. FAQ- Frequently Asked Questions will save you a lot of time. These are the most commonly asked questions and answers that the company receives. They can help you have a clear understanding of what to expect from the company.

3. Refunds – The Company should clearly state their refund policy. It should explain under what conditions you may receive a refund, exactly what you must do to get a refund and for what period of time a refund is available.

4. Exchange – The Company should have an exchange policy. It should clarify what you must do to exchange your order, what the company will do and when it will be done. For example, if your account is to be credited, when and how will that take place?

5. Cancel Order – If you change your mind and want to cancel your order, you should know how and when this can be done. For example, most companies will allow you to cancel your order before it has been shipped. Once the ink cartridges have been shipped, you’ll need to ask for a refund.

Easy Product Selection

Finding the exact product you need for your printer should be quick and easy. The online merchant should allow you to search for your ink cartridge by name or number. It should only take a minute or two to locate and verify that the ink cartridge you have on the screen is the ink cartridge that meets your printer’s specifications.

Discount Prices

One of the major reasons for purchasing your inkjet cartridges online is to save money. Depending upon your specific printer, you can expect to save up to 85% when you order your inkjet cartridges online. If you have a printer that is not extremely popular, your savings will be less. However, you will still save money by purchasing your inkjet cartridges online.

Money Back Guarantee

Every company that is worth doing business with will have a simple, no nonsense money back guarantee. That means if you’re not satisfied for any reason with your ink cartridge, you should get a full refund on your purchase price. In some cases, online merchants will give you a better than 100% money back guarantee… for example a 110% guarantee. Any company worth doing business with will stand solidly behind their inkjet printer cartridges.

Shipping Information

Before you place your order, you should know exactly how much it will cost to ship your printer ink cartridges. Many companies offer free shipping. Others offer free shipping with a minimum amount order. For example, if you purchase $30 or more, they pay shipping.

You need to know when your inkjet cartridges will be shipped. Most companies ship the same day, unless they receive the order very late in the day. In that case, do they ship the next morning or afternoon?

Finally, you need to know how your printer ink cartridges will be shipped. For example, is it U.S. Postal, UPS or FedEx? Knowing how your ink cartridges are shipped lets you know what to expect.

Privacy Policy

Every company should have a stated privacy policy. It should tell you exactly what they will or won’t do with the information you give them during the order process. For example, you may not want to receive unsolicited email or regular mail from other companies that sell printer ink cartridges.

Secure Server

A reputable online merchant will use a secure server for all payments. This insures that all your personal information is protected when you pay with any major credit card. In reality, a secure server is safer and more dependable than paying by mail. Many times you’ll see a frequently asked question about site security. This should let you know if a secure server is being used.

Order Tracking

Many, but not all, online merchants offer a method for you to track your order. Although not essential, it is very convenient. It lets you know exactly where you ink cartridges are and when you can expect them.

Referral from a Friend

Last but not least. If you have a friend who has purchased printer ink cartridges online, ask them about their experience. It’s no different than purchasing an ink cartridge from a local retail store. Ask them about the price, customer service, shipping and overall satisfaction.

Now that you have reviewed a few pointers about purchasing printer ink cartridges online, it’s time to get started. If you follow these guidelines, the chances are very high that you will experience the best service, warranty and products available for your printer… and you will save money in the process.

About The Author

Larry Andrew is an educational consultant, author and publisher of www.ez-printer-ink.com. Purchasing printer ink, toner and inkjet cartridges on line should be fast, convenient and cost-effective.

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