Printing technology has seen some significant improvements since the early days. However, as other printer aspects undergo perfection and innovation, it appears that manufacturers deliberately reduce the lifespan of cartridges to help their bottom lines. Consumers, including schools and families, bore the heaviest burden of printing costs. Now there is a possible way in the form of remanufactured cartridges.
OEM Cartridges
Inkjet printers are quite affordable. Manufacturers rarely make a profit from the sale of the printer itself. Their money comes from the cartridges we buy later. It’s a trap; their strategy is to sell us cheap printers and make money from us for many years to come through expensive ink.
The printer companies nudge users towards more cartridge purchases. Several investigative reports show that the amount of ink in new cartridges has been reducing. Also, big printer brands have been doing intensive marketing to discourage refills and the use of third party cartridges. For many of us, when the cartridges run dry, the only option has been to buy new ones from the printer brand.
Remanufactured Cartridges
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Remanufactured cartridges sound like a possible solution to the dilemmas that we face. These are used printer cartridges that have been cleaned and recycled for further use. Remanufactured cartridges have undergone a refurbishing process to provide a factory-direct level of performance.
The remanufacturing process involves testing an ‘expired’ cartridge for peak performance and sealing leaks. Any remaining ink in them gets emptied. The cartridges are cleaned with demineralized water and then dried. A custom vacuum filling machine is then used to refill the cartridges to OEM specifications. A new smart chip is also placed on the cartridges to make them compatible with any printer.
Remanufactured Ink Cartridges for School Printing Projects
The cost of education is as high as it can be. After buying all the necessary books and supplies, one of the highest cost we often have to deal with is the cost of printing. Printing is critical in an education set up, especially when it comes to notes and assignments.
Replacing a printer cartridge, as seen earlier, can be expensive. The price of ink is measure-to-measure costlier than blood and vintage champagne, according to Consumer Reports.
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For instance, an HP #45 black ink cartridge sells at $30. The ink content in it is 42ml, meaning that the cost per ml of ink is about $0.71/ml. On the other hand, going by information from the Red Cross, you can buy 500ml of blood at $20. The cost of blood thus averages at $0.40/ml.
The amount of ink in the new cartridges is also less than what it used to be. The cartridges are rarely filled fully. Instead, they contain half or even a quarter of the amount they used to carry a decade ago. These are the driving factors for the increased uptake of remanufactured cartridges in homes and schools.
Recycling saves costs
The recycling bit of remanufactured cartridge is the first advantage. The shelf that holds the ink adds up to the price of the ink. By recycling this part, the refurbished ink cartridge ends up costing less than a new brand name cartridge.
Lower failure rate
Recyclers often use premium materials from OEM cartridges in the refurbishing process to retain the quality and performance of the re-made pieces. Therefore, the resultant cartridges have a lower failure rate.
Remanufactured cartridges hold more ink than OEM
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According to Yoyoink.com, The profits that manufacturers are making from cartridge replacements are enormous. They say that much of this money goes to ink research and development. Refilling with third party ink helps to subvert these costs.
As mentioned before, it’s the nature of printer companies to sell half-filled cartridges. On contrast, remanufactured ink cartridges are always full. They offer a chance to print more pages compared to the original.
The print quality is the same
Whether it is kids’ homework, photos, coupons, and other projects, remanufactured ink cartridges provide clear outputs. Even though there is little pressure for excellent print quality when it comes to school projects, refurbished cartridges often deliver the same print quality as the OEM versions
Remanufacturers are the only competition for printer ink cartridge manufacturers. They provide easy refills and acceptably performing ink cartridges. Remanufactured cartridges could be what save parents from the high printing costs of school projects.
