Ink cartridges made by the printer manufactures are expensive. One can't argue that the lower priced generic brands or the refill kits are appealing. There are a few things to be considered, however, before making the switch to save money.
Printer manufactures will do everything they can to dissuade you from making the switch to the cheaper brands. They will tell you that it will harm your printer, you will not get quality prints. They may even threaten to discontinue your warranty if you stop using their ink products.
On the other hand, the companies that sell the remanufactured cartridges and refill kits claim that these stories are just hype to make you buy the original cartridges.
In all honesty they are both right to an extent. There is no doubt that the product you get from the printer manufacturer will give you high quality prints. However, it is also possible to get high quality prints from other brands or from refills and save money.
The biggest factor in how good your prints will look is the quality of the ink used in the cartridge. Every brand - and even different models from the same company - use a slightly different type of ink in their cartridges.
These inks are designed to work a specific way both with the printer itself and with the paper you print on. If you use the wrong kind of ink in your printer, your print quality will suffer and it is even possible you could damage the printer.
Before you start shopping be aware of what type of ink your printer requires and be sure you stick with that kind.
Avoid buying from cartridge manufactures that put the same kind of ink in all of their cartridges. They are clearly not concerned with giving a quality product and their cartridges will most likely not work well on any printer type.
It's best to shop around for companies that are willing to guarantee their product. Then you must choose the ink compatible with your printer. If you still have problems you have the guarantee so you will not loose your money.
With careful shopping you will be able to find cartridges that are compatible with your printer, you will not sacrifice the quality of your prints and you will save money.
