Rafi Michael asked:


A photo printer is a printer designed for high quality digital photo printing on photo papers. The conventional inkjet printers and the modern digital printers require printer supplies that include inkjet refills and cartridge refills. There are several different models of printers requiring different compatible printer cartridges. These can either be new or remanufactured cartridges. Whether a person acquires a new or a remanufactured cartridge will depend on several factors. Before the era of digital printers, only the standard inkjet printers existed. The coming of photo printers brought a revolution and the birth of digital cameras even increased their use. Initially they were more expensive than the inkjet printers but they later dropped in prices when one company started offering less expensive photo printers. All major manufacturers of printers then followed suite and people really bought the printers.

Currently there are photo printers which print 4″ x 6″ photos. These compact printers do not require a computer at all and can also be found in larger sizes which can print 8″ x 11″, 10″ x 14″ and even larger photo sizes. The larger paper-size printers are manufactured by all major printer manufacturers which can handle different photo printer requirements. These printers are usually so good they have a guaranteed lifespan of over 100 years.

There are several significant differences between the standard inkjet printers and photo printers. To start with, photo printers use more printer cartridges than standard inkjet printers. They also make use of colors like light magenta, light black, photo cyan and yellow to be able to produce more realistic and vivid pictures. Standard inkjet printers use tricolor cartridges. Another plus on these printers is that they have digital memory cards that enable the printing of pictures without the need for a computer. Standard inkjet printers must make use of a computer to print.

Some photo printers have the capability of printing directly from cameras that support PictBridge protocol. PictBridge is a standard set in the photo industry by the Camera and Imaging Products Association (CIPA) on direct printing, which allows printing images directly to the printer from digital cameras. The majority of standard inkjet printers do not have these features. One of the latest printer technologies in the market today is photo printers that can print without using ink. The inkless printers are much smaller than conventional ink printers which make them both portable and convenient. The photo printers that are usually referred to as portable or mobile are printers that use wireless technology using signals instead of cables to print. However, most of them are just as big in size as conventional printers.

The inkless photo printer is a real portable printer that can comfortably fit into a purse or a pocket. The maintenance of these inkless printers is very easy since there are no printer supply costs and no toner refills or cartridge refills required. The best part of it however, is that no ink is required and thus no inconveniences are caused when looking for cheap remanufactured compatible cartridge.

John C. Arkin asked:


Among all of the printers that are available in the market today, the most preferred and purchased type of printer is the liquid inkjet printers. It is used for a number a different purposes from printing out essays to complete brochures and newsletters. It is found in residential homes, business establishments, academic institutions, government offices and non-profit organizations.

What is a liquid inkjet printer?

Liquid inkjet printers are those that use nozzles to spray miniscule droplets of colored ink from the cartridge onto the paper’s surface. There are two kinds of liquid inkjet printers depending on the printer head used. The first is the fixed-head type. This kind of inkjet printer has a built-in printer head which is designed to last the entire lifespan of the printer.

The second type of liquid inkjet printers are those equipped with a disposable head. This means that each time that the ink cartridge needs to be replaced the printer head would need to be replaced as well. This makes this kind of inkjet printer more costly.

Common brands of liquid inkjet printers

The most common and most popular liquid inkjet printer brands in the United States today are:

Hewlett-Packard

Canon

Epson

Brother

Xerox

Lexmark

Advantages of liquid inkjet printers

They are much quieter than dot matrix printers

Liquid inkjet printers are able to print fine quality images similar to that of a photo printer with the ability to print text documents as well, unlike most photo printers

Liquid inkjets are able to print documents and images faster because it does not have to warm up

Highly cost-effective. Newer models now allow you to purchase ink cartridges by the color. This means that you only need to replace whichever ink cartridge is empty and then use the remaining cartridges. Some liquid inkjet printer cartridges being sold today are designed to be refillable. When a cartridge runs out of ink, you can simply refill the cartridge with inks that are available in most office and school supply stores. These ink refill kits are cheaper than buying completely new liquid inkjet printer cartridges.

Disadvantages of liquid inkjet printers

There are a few disadvantages of using liquid inkjet printers as well. The first is that most liquid inkjet printers that are now out in the market today are equipped with very fine nozzles that are prone to clogging. Although these printers come with the capability to clean the nozzles, this cleaning process uses up a significant amount of ink.

Another reason is that liquid inkjet printer use inks that are water-soluble. They are prone to smear, blot and even be damaged when it comes in contact with even just a minute drop of water, completely ruining your printed works.

Syahrul Azlan Idris asked:


Computer users were first treated to a taste of computer printer inks and ink cartridges way back in the early 80’s. Computer printer inks were seen as a viable substitute for those unreliable and often noisy printers which used ribbons at that time. Later on, new technologies that touted “drop-on-demand” ink cartridges were offered to the public, and this was soon extensively accepted, altogether becoming the most commonly-used technology for printer ink cartridges.



Nowadays, modern computer printers use separate ink cartridges for black and other color inks. Specialized photo printers even use different ink cartridges for each color. Different models and makes of inkjet printers use specific ink cartridges, most of which are widely available in computer supply shops, so users can quickly and effortlessly get replacements whenever they need it. For instance, having a Canon inkjet printer will require you to find suitable replacement cartridges depending on which model you’re using.

You can always have a choice of whether to get OEM cartridges, refilled ink cartridges, or maybe even just inexpensive printer inks and recycle the cartridges yourself. These are cheap alternatives that are being used by cost-conscious users everywhere. You can find a refill kit to refill your ink cartridges whenever you need to. Several companies have already gotten into this business, getting used ink cartridges to refill and reseal so that they can function as good as new, original cartridges, but at a lesser price, of course.

Actually, this is the main benefit of using recycled ink cartridges. You can get the same quality and the same warranty like the original, but you won’t have to pay as much. Another alternative for you would be to find a company, either in your local area or through the Internet, which specializes in discount ink and discount ink cartridges. You can get really good deals from companies like these.

However, you should only buy discount inks and cartridges from reputable stores, whether from your local computer supply shop or on the World Wide Web. This will guarantee that the ink cartridges you bought will have a normal-use lifespan, even if it’s recycled and inexpensive. Established dealers can rely on their reputation for service and quality as an added warranty for their customers, so you can have more confidence in buying from them. Lots of times, you can also avail of special offers from these stores, like free shipping or extra discounts. Buying your supplies on the Internet is now easier than ever, and it’s the most convenient way to order anything you need or want.

There’s this common misconception that using recycled printer ink cartridges, cheap printer inks, or refill kits will void your computer printer’s warranty. As a matter of fact, this is not true at all. Using recycled printer ink cartridges or cheap ink will not affect your printer’s warranty in most cases. This is another benefit to buying your recycled inks or discount inks from reputable stores, as you can be certain that the products you are buying can be used in your computer printer without damaging it in any way.

The most practical and cost-effective alternatives for computer printing today are discount inks, recycled ink cartridges, and refill kits. Inkjet printers are proven to be viable and inexpensive business printing solutions. And as long as there are inkjet printers being used in companies, offices, and even homes, inexpensive solutions like discount inks, recycled cartridges, and refill kits will be there to provide more cost-effective and practical solutions.