Frank Bolsom asked:


When it’s time to replace you printer ink cartridge, buying bulk ink will save you some money. You need to be sure the bulk ink will be suitable for your printer, however. So how do you find the best deals?

The following your alternatives:

Original Manufacturer Cartridges

You can usually buy them for less if you buy them in bulk. If your printer uses both a black cartridges and a color, you likely use more of one than the other. If you’re going to buy them in bulk, just buy the one you use most.

The original manufacturer’s cartridges will usually give you the best quality prints out of any of the alternatives. They are the most expensive, however.

Also, if you buy them in bulk keep in mind that they do dry out. Most ink cartridges have a “best before” date on the box. If they sit too long before you use them, the ink may dry out (which means your bulk purchase savings will disappear out the window).

Remanufactured (Refilled) Cartridges

There are many companies that sell remanufactured cartridges. These are basically refilled OEM cartridges, but without the hassle and mess of doing the refilling yourself.

The companies that refill them also usually do a more thorough job of cleaning and testing them than you can do yourself, so they tend to be more reliable.

These cartridges are much like the original brand of ink – they will dry out if they sit too long. Don’t buy more than you need to last you for a couple of months, otherwise they may not work by the time you use them.

Do-It-Yourself Refill Kits

These kits let you refill your empty cartridges and are the cheapest option of them all. The bottles that hold the ink until you refill the cartridge are also much less prone to drying out, so these kits have a much longer shelf life.

The refilling process can be tricky, however, for some printer models more than others. It can be quite messy if you aren’t careful.

Comparing the Costs

Let’s compare the price of each of the above options:

An original HP ink cartridge for the V40 series printer costs about $30 from most stores (black only).

If you buy this ink in bulk from a wholesaler, it will cost about $100 for 4 cartridges, or $25 per unit.

You can buy remanufactured ink cartridges for the same printer for $21 each, or less if bought in bulk.

Finally, a bottle of black refill ink for that printer will cost you roughly $15, and will refill the ink 4 times. This works out to $3.75 per refill.

gardnerwilkinson asked:


Ink cartridge refilling has emerged as a popular method of refurbishing the cartridge of a printer and is fast replacing the need to buy a new cartridge every time. So far most original equipment manufacturers of inkjet printers have been recommending the use of only original cartridges to avoid any kind of damage to the printer. Not only this, these printer manufacturers argue that the use of original cartridges provides superior quality prints as against the cartridges that have been refilled. However, experience has proved these concerns largely baseless.

Ink Cartridge Refilling: Options Available

Printer users can now avail of ink cartridge refilling services provided by an established company. While one can purchase an ink refill kit and do the refilling themselves, this can be quite messy. It is always advisable to use the services of a professional.

When to Opt for Ink Cartridge Refilling

The best time to opt for ink cartridge refilling is before the cartridge becomes totally empty. This will ensure that the cartridge doesn’t dry up, besides preventing the chances of clogging. It is also important that the cartridge is allowed to rest for a few hours to ensure that the pressure of the ink in it gets stabilized.

Some models of printers have an inbuilt chip that keeps track of the use of the cartridge. This chip conveys a signal when the cartridge ink is low or nearly empty. Once the ink cartridge refilling has been done, this chip’s memory should be reset to enable it to track the use of the cartridge again. The resetting will allow the chip to notice that the cartridge is full and printing can be carried out.

Benefits of Ink Cartridge Refilling

Ink cartridge refilling has emerged as a cheaper and more effective option for increasing the life of a cartridge. Listed below are some of the major benefits of ink cartridge refilling:



The cost of refilling an ink cartridge is nearly 50% lower than purchasing a new cartridge.

Print quality offered by refilled cartridges is as good as that offered by original cartridges.

It is possible to find a provider of ink cartridge refilling services who offers 100% money back guarantees.



Cartridge World is a leading provider of cartridge refilling services for all types of printers. Founded more than a decade back, the company now has a global presence.