There is often some confusion about printer ink cartridges. Often people are unclear on where to get them, what they need to buy and how they fit them. If this sounds familiar then this article is for you. Here you will find everything you need to know about ink cartridges for the printer. When someone talks about ink, or toner, or cartridges, they are talking about the same thing - the juice in a printer than enables a piece of text to be printed. More often than not, a free cartridge will come with any printer that you purchase. Usually you will be amazed at the good value of the printer which is seemingly inexpensive. The cartridges however, going forward, can be anything but.

When you start to see the pages coming from the printer getting paler and less intense, this is a sign the ink is running out. You will need to replace the cartridge. Where do you buy one? Usually the best place to search is online, because here you will have the best deals available and you may even be able to find some particular bargains such as cartridges without their boxes which work just as well as their perfectly boxed counterparts but are a fraction of the price. If you head to your nearest computer shop then you will be paying a premium on an already expensive item. Wherever you are going to purchase some more ink, you will need the make and model of your printer if you want to buy some OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) ink.

OEM ink is generally the most expensive and it is possible to buy alternatives. Some companies sell generic ink cartridges that are compatible with a number of different makes and models of printer. It is also possible to have the cartridges rebuilt and refilled with ink so they can be reused. Searching online is the best place to find out more about either of these services. Once you have bought your ink you simply need to slot it into place in the printer and switch it on. It really couldn’t be simpler and there is no mess like you get when changing the ink cartridge of a pen.

It is advisable, if you are wanting to save a little money or make your cartridges last longer to only use black ink to print. A printer will usually take two types of cartridge, a black cartridge and a coloured one. They often run out at more or less the same time if you are printing in colour all the time. If you change the settings to only print in black then you will save yourself some money over the long term. Black cartridges are cheaper so if you only need to change this one regularly the savings will be considerable. Another good tip for making your cartridges last longer is to use a "draft setting" when you print. This prints in much lower resolution, but if the printing is not too important then the quality is perfectly reasonable.

Printers and cartridges may seem a little confusing but it is quite straight forward really. The best advice is to look online whenever you need anything for your printer, or a printer itself. Here you will have access to the best deals and can make good comparisons between models and the price of printer ink too. When you buy a printer, try and base it on the price of the ink if you can, and when you look at price you must use the yield price as your baseline comparable. This is the only figure that allows you to accurately compare.

Whatever ink cartridges you need, from canon pixma mp270 ink cartridges to hp photosmart c4480 ink cartridges, search online first to see what you can find.