There are some ink cartridges that are cheaper than others, and also some types of cartridge that offer better value for money than others. This article looks at the different types available to see whether there really is such as thing as a cheap printer cartridge. First of all it is important to look at the different types of printer available and how this affects ink prices and printer cartridge prices.
Inkjet printers are cost effective machines suitable for both home and office use. They come in a variety of styles ranging from the quite basic for use in the home, to multi-functional and extremely advanced that are more suitable for office environments. Often they can be equipped with other capabilities such as scanning and photocopying. They use less ink than other types of printer making them a good place to start if you are looking for a printer with reasonable ongoing costs.
Laser printers are another common type of printer. They are generally more expensive than inkjet models and they also usually have higher cartridge costs than inkjet models. They require more ink to print one page of text and that makes the running costs higher too. They do print extremely high quality pages however and are far superior to inkjet models in terms of printing quality. They also print extremely quickly which makes offices the perfect environment for them. When large volumes of paper need printing, a laserjet will get the job done quickly.
Photo printers are a third type of printer available on the market. These are primarily for printing photographs and pictures. It is possible to print photos from other types of printer but nothing provides as good a quality as photo printers for this purpose. Photo printers need high quality ink and specialist paper ideally too which makes them more expensive than the others in terms of ongoing costs. They can go through high volumes of ink which makes the cost of replacement ink cartridges high.
Finally there are multifunction printers available. This was touched upon earlier but worth mentioning again. Printers can also be photocopiers, faxes and scanners - something that is very popular in small offices. Because of the multi-function usage however they can burn through ink very quickly indeed. Although they are available in inkjet models, the high volume of ink that gets used can increase the overall price of ink considerably.
It is possible to keep costs of ink down in other ways. Purchasing original equipment manufacturer cartridges is the most expensive route to take. OEM cartridges are those produced by the same manufacturer of the printer for that specific model. It is possible to buy compatible printer cartridges which are much cheaper. These are generic cartridges built for compatibility for a large selection of makes and models. Be aware however that sometimes fitting these types can be problematic. It is also possible to send your cartridge away to be refilled and re-built so it can be used again. Eco-friendly yes, but time consuming and you have to trust the ink has been refilled completely to the top.
So the answer to the question of is there is such a thing as cheap ink cartridges is yes, so long as you choose the right type of printer for your needs and do your homework when it comes to cartridges. By taking into consideration all the items outlined above, you can find yourself with an excellent printer that is fulfilling your needs whilst not costing a fortune in ongoing running costs. Whether it is canon mp620 ink cartridges you need or you are perhaps looking for a canon mp460 ink cartridge, shopping online is another excellent way to make savings.