Printer ink cartridges can be very expensive. The ink that is bought in stores can cost over $100 per cartridge. . The high cost of printer ink cartridges can put quite a strain on computer users trying to save money. If you're not careful, your zeal in saving money when purchasing cheap ink cartridges could cost you more if you don't get what you expect. Purchasing compatible instead of OEM ink cartridges is another way of saving money. Whereas OEM (original equipment manufacturer) ink cartridges are produced by the same company that made your printer; compatible ink cartridges are produced by many different companies.

Printer ink must be compatible with the printer that you are trying to install in it. If the printer ink is not compatible with the printer that you are putting it in, you may at the very least be stuck with a box that does not accomplish anything, and is a waste of money. In some instances, less reputable sources have been known to sell ink that has ruined computers, shorting out the electronic components that the printer needs to inject the right amount of ink onto the paper.

Another way to save money on ink cartridges is by examining the projected yield for the cartridge. Yield is a measure of how many printed pages you can expect to get out of a new ink cartridge. All ink cartridges from the original manufacturer will list the page yield on the box for easy inspection. Try to find out what the page count for any one cartridge is when you look for ink online. Reviewing page yield is one way to make sure that your are getting what you pay for even if it is a cheap ink cartridge.

A refill kit is another method of saving money if you don't mind doing some work yourself. Kits generally come with the replacement ink, of course, along with a syringe and even some special cloths designed to more easily clean up spills. They can also come with very small bottles, used for refilling the original cartridges. Often, a hole needs to be drilled into these cartridges, or they need to be partly disassembled, in order to refill the ink. Certainly you will save money buy refilling your own cartridges. The work and effort that is expended should also be considered when deciding on whether or not a refill kit is acceptable.

The cost of new ink cartridges has made cheap ink outlets thrive online. Research should be done before any purchases are made, as cheap ink may not always be the best solution to fulfill your needs. The last thing you want to do is to buy some cheap ink that end up ruining your printer and costing you even more money! It is also important to make sure that any refill kit will be simple enough that it makes it worth your time. Spending less money will certainly get you cheap ink, but you may end up paying more in the long run or spending way too much time and effort to make it worthwhile.