At Tonik, we pride ourselves on providing the highest quality products along with superior customer service. We also believe than an informed customer is the foundation of our business. To that end, here’s some information from our in-house experts to help customers in the UK make informed purchasing decisions. This article will discuss printer ink cartridges.

If you have a printer that runs off ink cartridges, you could be unaware of the different legalities, troubles, and profits associated with them. Printer ink cartridges are absolute necessities in the UK and all over the world. Here are a few interesting facts and figures about ink cartridges for printers.

Printer Ink Cartridges - Fact #1: Determine your real expense. Prior to purchasing a dirt cheap brand-name printer, check into the expense of getting ink cartridges. A high number of printer makers sell the product lower than the market value, giving the initial impression of a tremendous deal. The actual profit for printers, on the other hand, lies in the manufacturing of printer cartridges. But one source suggests that printer makers are receiving $21 billion annually in sales.

Fact #2: Standards. Concerned about the burgeoning cost of printers ink cartridges, the ISO and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) have set up testing procedures for printers. Such procedures assist manufacturers and customers to figure out the yield of inkjet cartridges and toner cartridges. This info lets actual cost per page of printing to be discovered.

Printer Ink Cartridges - Fact #3: Legalities. Almost every major manufacturer has been involved in lawsuits regarding the sale and use of remanufactured inkjet of remanufactured inkjet or laser printer ink cartridges. Epson was victorious in a case involving the blocking of the sale of remanufactured cartridges. Both Canon and HP have been stuck in legal disputes over both cartridges and alleged unfair competition.

Fact #4: The “single use” concept. In 2005, Lexmark won a suit that gives the company the authority under patent and contract law to enforce the “single use only” policy that’s written on the boxes in which their cartridges are packaged. To put it another way, those trying to fill a Lexmark cartridge a second time could actually be prosecuted.

Printer Ink Cartridges - Fact #5: The “prebate” concept. Not each and every one of the Lexmark cartridges are for “single use only”. For these unlabelled items, Lexmark has a program that gives a 20% discount on ink cartridges if consumers return them to Lexmark after a single use. Those who fail to return them are breaking the law and could face legal action if they refill a cartridge, send it to a third-party refiller or simply do not return it to Lexmark.

Those buying printer ink cartridges in the UK and abroad should find out what the laws state in their place of origin prior to engaging in any refill efforts.

There are several options or types of printer ink available in addition to OEM, including refurbished laser or inkjet printer ink cartridges, generic cartridges, refurbished cartridges and self-refill kits. In addition, companies like Hewlett-Packard have recycling programs that aim to reduce waste and pollution. Generic or non-branded cartridges are significantly cheaper and often work as well as OEM cartridges. If you’re concerned about environmental issues, opt for refurbished cartridges that reuse the existing shell and simply refill it.

Our printer ink cartridges perform flawlessly in virtually every brand of printer in the UK. Why not contact us today for more money-saving ideas?