An
ink cartridge or
inkjet cartridge is a replaceable component of an
inkjet printerAn inkjet printer is a type of computer printer that creates a digital image by propelling droplets of ink onto paper. Inkjet printers are the most commonly used type of printer and range from small inexpensive consumer models to very large professional machines that can cost up to thousands of...
that contains the
inkInk is a liquid or paste that contains pigments and/or dyes and is used to color a surface to produce an image, text, or design. Ink is used for drawing and/or writing with a pen, brush, or quill...
(and sometimes the print head itself) that is deposited onto paper during printing.
Each ink cartridge contains one or more partitioned ink reservoirs; certain manufacturers also add electronic contacts and a chip that communicates with the printer.
Thermal
Most consumer inkjet printers, such as those made by Canon,
HPHewlett-Packard Company or HP is an American multinational information technology corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, California, USA that provides products, technologies, softwares, solutions and services to consumers, small- and medium-sized businesses and large enterprises, including...
, and
LexmarkLexmark International, Inc. is an American corporation which develops and manufactures printing and imaging products, including laser and inkjet printers, multifunction products, printing supplies, and services for business and individual consumers...
(but not Epson) use a thermal inkjet; inside each partition of the ink reservoir is a heating element with a tiny metal plate or resistor. In response to a signal given by the printer, a tiny current flows through the metal or resistor making it warm, and the ink immediately surrounding the heated plate is vaporized into a tiny air bubble inside the
nozzleA nozzle is a device designed to control the direction or characteristics of a fluid flow as it exits an enclosed chamber or pipe via an orifice....
. As a consequence, the total volume of the ink exceeds that of the nozzle. An ink droplet is forced out of the cartridge nozzle onto the paper. This process takes a matter of milliseconds.
The printing depends on the smooth flow of ink, which can be hindered if the ink begins to dry at the print head, as can happen when an ink level becomes low. Dried ink can be cleaned from a cartridge print head by gentle rubbing with
isopropyl alcoholIsopropyl alcohol is a common name for a chemical compound with the molecular formula C3H8O. It is a colorless, flammable chemical compound with a strong odor...
on a swab or folded paper towel.
The ink also acts as a coolant to protect the metal-plate heating elements − when the ink supply is depleted, and printing is attempted, the heating elements in thermal cartridges often burn out, permanently damaging the print head. When the ink first begins to run low, the cartridge should be refilled or replaced, to avoid overheating damage to the print head.
Piezoelectric
All Epson printers use a piezoelectric crystal in each nozzle instead of a heating element. When current is applied, the crystal changes shape or size, forcing a droplet of ink from the nozzle. This allows use of inks which react badly when heated, and can produce a smaller ink drop in some situations than thermal inkjet schemes.
Variants
- Typically, two separate cartridges are inserted into a printer: one containing black ink and one with each of the three primary color
Primary colors are sets of colors that can be combined to make a useful range of colors. For human applications, three primary colors are usually used, since human color vision is trichromatic....
s. Alternatively, each primary color may have a dedicated cartridge.
- Some cartridges contain ink specially formulated for printing photographs.
- All printer suppliers produce their own type of ink cartridges. Cartridges for different printers may be incompatible — either physically or electrically.
- Since replacement cartridges from the original manufacturer of the printer are often expensive, several vendors produce "compatible" cartridges as less expensive alternatives. These cartridges sometimes have more ink than the original OEM-branded
An original equipment manufacturer, or OEM, manufactures products or components that are purchased by a company and retailed under that purchasing company's brand name. OEM refers to the company that originally manufactured the product. When referring to automotive parts, OEM designates a...
ink cartridges and may produce the same, better, or inferior quality, depending on a variety of factors, including the vendor's ability to duplicate the ink formulation in all respects. Although compatible cartridges "have been designed to be interchangeable with an OEM cartridge," they have been known to cause serious damage to some makes and models. This can be especially problematic when the use of these cartridges leaves the printer void of warranty - a policy which varies from country to country.
- Some cartridges have incorporated the printer's head (examples include HP
Hewlett-Packard Company or HP is an American multinational information technology corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, California, USA that provides products, technologies, softwares, solutions and services to consumers, small- and medium-sized businesses and large enterprises, including...
, DellDell, Inc. is an American multinational information technology corporation based in 1 Dell Way, Round Rock, Texas, United States, that develops, sells and supports computers and related products and services. Bearing the name of its founder, Michael Dell, the company is one of the largest...
, and LexmarkLexmark International, Inc. is an American corporation which develops and manufactures printing and imaging products, including laser and inkjet printers, multifunction products, printing supplies, and services for business and individual consumers...
). The precision parts required generally make the cartridges more expensive, but the printers are cheaper since they don't include the precision print head. Other cartridges don't include the print head and so can cost less, though the printers tend to be somewhat more expensive (Epson is an example).
Pricing
Ink cartridges are typically more expensive than consumers might expect – sometimes a substantial fraction of the cost of the printer. To save money, many people use compatible ink cartridges from a vendor other than the printer manufacturer. The high cost of cartridges has also provided an incentive for counterfeiters to supply cartridges falsely claiming to be made by the original manufacturer. Another alternative involves modifications of an original cartridge allowing use of
continuous ink systemA continuous ink system , also known as a continuous ink supply system , a continuous flow system , an automatic ink refill system , a bulk feed ink system, or an off-axis ink delivery system is a method for delivering a large and practically unlimited volume of liquid ink to a comparatively small...
s with external ink tanks. Others use aftermarket inks, refilling their own ink cartridges using a kit that includes bulk ink.
Some printer manufacturers set up their cartridges to interact with the printer, preventing operation when the ink level is low, or when the cartridge has been refilled. One researcher with the magazine "
Which?Which? is a product-testing and consumer campaigning charity with a magazine, website and various other services run by Which? Ltd ....
" over-rode such an interlocked system and found that in one case he could print up to 38% more good quality pages, after the chip stated that the cartridge was empty. In the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, in 2003, the cost of ink has been the subject of an
Office of Fair TradingThe Office of Fair Trading is a not-for-profit and non-ministerial government department of the United Kingdom, established by the Fair Trading Act 1973, which enforces both consumer protection and competition law, acting as the UK's economic regulator...
investigation, as
Which? magazine has accused manufacturers of a lack of transparency about the price of ink and called for an industry standard for measuring ink cartridge performance.
Which? stated that color HP cartridges cost over seven times more per milliliter than 1985
Dom PerignonDom Pérignon is a brand of vintage Champagne produced by the Champagne house Moët & Chandon and serves as that house's prestige champagne. It is named after Dom Pérignon, a Benedictine monk who was an important quality pioneer for Champagne wine but who, contrary to popular myths, did not discover...
.
It can sometimes be cheaper to buy a new printer than to replace the set of ink cartridges supplied with the printer. The major printer manufacturers − Hewlett Packard, Lexmark, Dell, Canon, Epson and
Brotheris a diversified Japanese company that produces or imports a wide variety of products including printers, sewing machines, large machine tools, label printers, and typewriters, fax machines, and other computer-related electronics. It markets its multifunction printers as Multi-Function Centers...
− use a "razor and blades" business model, often breaking even or losing money selling printers while expecting to make a profit by selling cartridges over the life of the printer. Since much of the printer manufacturers' profits are from ink and toner cartridge sales, some of these companies have taken various actions against aftermarket cartridges.
Refills and third party replacements
Because printer cartridges from the original manufacturer are often expensive, demand exists for cheaper third party options. These include ink sold in bulk, cartridge refill kits, machines in stores that automatically refill cartridges, remanufactured cartridges, and cartridges made by an entity other than the original manufacturer.
Consumers can refill ink cartridges themselves with a kit, or they can take the cartridge to a refiller or remanufacturer where ink is pumped back into the cartridge.
PC WorldPC World is a global computer magazine published monthly by IDG. It offers advice on various aspects of PCs and related items, the Internet, and other personal-technology products and services...
reports that refilled cartridges have higher failure rates, print fewer pages than new cartridges, and demonstrate more on-page problems like streaking, curling, and color bleed.
Another option is for the consumer to purchase "bulk ink" (in pints, quarts, or gallons) and refill the cartridges themselves. This can be extremely cost-effective if the consumer is a heavy user of cartridges. 1 pint (0.473176 l) is sufficient to fill about 15 to 17 large-capacity cartridges.
Generally speaking, Canon, Dell, HP, and Lexmark cartridges are not difficult to refill, though some Lexmark cartridges employ a built-in counter chip that can't be reset; Epson cartridges also have a built-in counter chip, however it is possible to purchase a chip resetter. As Brother cartridges generally lack any chip and consist of merely a sack of ink, they can be readily refilled. Since refilling involves handling ink, it can be a messy process for inexperienced people.
Some third party manufacturers have been offering refillable cartridges with an auto reset chip to simplify the refilling process. These refillable cartridges are less harmful to the environment and often easy to further refill.
Laser toner or inkjet cartridges sold as "remanufactured" are usually re-filled cartridges, although many third party newly manufactured "compatible" cartridges exist. Inkjet cartridges sold as "compatible" are typically newly manufactured cartridges. Inkjet cartridges sold as "remanufactured" are cartridges that have been used at least once by a consumer and then refilled by a third party.
The legality of this industry was brought to the
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Eastern District of Kentucky* Western District of Kentucky...
in the case of
Lexmark Int'l v. Static Control ComponentsLexmark International, Inc. v. Static Control Components, Inc., 387 F.3d 522 , was an American legal case involving the computer printer company Lexmark, which had designed an authentication system using a microcontroller so that only authorized toner cartridges could be used...
. The Court ruled that reverse-engineering the
handshakingIn information technology, telecommunications, and related fields, handshaking is an automated process of negotiation that dynamically sets parameters of a communications channel established between two entities before normal communication over the channel begins...
procedure to enable compatibility did not violate the
Digital Millennium Copyright ActThe Digital Millennium Copyright Act is a United States copyright law that implements two 1996 treaties of the World Intellectual Property Organization . It criminalizes production and dissemination of technology, devices, or services intended to circumvent measures that control access to...
.
HP has fiercely defended its printing interests from the refill industry, including filing patent complaints and false advertising lawsuits which allege that inferior ink is not properly differentiated from the original HP ink.
Environmental impact
Many programs have been implemented in the United States and Europe to encourage the recycling of ink cartridges. New York has implemented a recycling law for businesses and consumers regarding toner and ink cartridges. In California the Public Contract Code (PCC) section 12156 encourages businesses to purchase recycled ink and toner cartridges.
The list below outlines a few facts about toner/ink cartridges and the impact they have on the environment.
- GHGs (green house gases) emissions from manufacturing a single mono toner cartridge have been calculated to approximately 4.8 kg CO2; per cartridge. This is for the cartridge only and excludes the toner inside. The Life Cycle Assessment of toner reveals that the GHG emissions are approximately 16 metric tons per 1 metric ton toner produced. On average a cartridge with a yield of 5000 pages contains 200 grams toner. This equals 3.2 kg CO2 emission per cartridge.
- Each year over 350 million cartridges are thrown out to landfills.
- By 2012 500 million laser cartridges and 1.8 billion ink cartridges will be dumped in landfills.
- Each cartridge becomes 3.5 pounds of solid waste sitting in a landfill and can take up to 450 to 1000 years to decompose.
Almost all inkjet cartridges can either be refilled or remanufactured. Refilling your own ink cartridge can help to reduce your running costs, it also helps the environment by reducing the number of cartridges that go to landfill. Every year millions of empty printer cartridges are needlessly thrown away often going to UK landfill sites near you! Here are a few good reasons why it is so important to “refill and re-use” rather than disposing of your cartridge to landfill.
1 Over 45 million cartridges go into UK landfill sites each year*.
2 That’s enough to cover Old Trafford football pitch 17 times or build a second Blackpool Tower!
3 Cover the Humber Bridge 3 times! (2,220m x 28.5m)
4 Build a replica of the Tyne Bridge! (396m x 17m)
5 Stretch the length of Hadrian's Wall! (73 miles) 15 times
6 Each cartridge thrown into landfill can take up to 1000 years to decompose**.
7 In just 12 months, cartridge recycling could save 15 million litres of oil in the UK.
- Source: UK Cartridge Remanufacture Association, 2006
- Source: International Imaging Technology Council, http://www.consumerchoice.info/faq.htm, October 2008
In the
UKThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, large compatible cartridge manufacturers have implemented recycling programmes in order to receive back empty cartridges for refilling of HP, Lexmark, Dell, etc. cartridges, as no compatible version is readily available.
See also
- Arizona Cartridge Remanufacturers Association Inc. v. Lexmark International Inc.
Arizona Cartridge Remanufacturers Association Inc. v. Lexmark International Inc. 421 F.3d 981 was a decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit which ruled that an End User License Agreement on a physical box can be binding on consumers who signal their acceptance of the...
- Cartridge (electronics)
- Inkjet refill kit
An inkjet refill kit is a set of tools and a certain amount of ink used to refill ink cartridges. The specific tools and the amount or type of ink depends on which cartridge the kit is designed for...
- Razor and blades business model
- Damaged goods (business strategy) and crippleware
In economics, a damaged good is a good that has been deliberately limited in performance, quality or utility, typically for marketing reasons as part of a strategy of product differentiation.-Computer software:Deliberately limited programs are usually freeware versions of computer programs that...
- Remanufactured Ink Cartridge
Remanufactured Inkjet Cartridge is a printer supply used for inkjet printers. It is made up of a used OEM cartridge that undergoes several processes for recycling, refilling, and selling...
External links