Printer and ink manufacturer conspiracy

Nathan

Nathan

SF VIP
Location
High Desert- Calif.
I am convinced that printer(and printer ink) manufacturers have been conspiring from day one to get the customer to buy more ink. Computer ink is enormously expensive, and if that isn't bad enough the printer ink "management" software will prevent you from using up all that precious ink, the stated reason being "to insure print production quality". But that software is primarily developed for Windows and Apple(Mac) operating system environments. My printers operating in Linux have no such constraining software, I just get to use all my printer ink.
 

I have a cheapo printer (canon) I use the black cartridge most of time and It lasts a long while and I do print coupons.
 
Also, I had to buy a new printer because I can't find the cartridges for my old one anymore. And it's not common knowledge that you can refill an ink cartridge, but you can. That used to be pretty cheap, but now it isn't.
 
My HP printer is so old that it's hard to find new cartridges at the stores, and when I do, they want almost as much as a new printer would cost. In the past year, I've bought a set of remanufactured cartridges on EBAY, for a fraction of what the stores charge, and they work fine.
 
I'm not sure how hard it would be to just refill the cartridges yourself. You can buy a complete refill kit from Amazon for just under $12, /w both black and colored. That would be less expensive than buying either new or refilled online. Didn't look but I'll bet YouTube has a video on the process.
 
Nathan said:
I am convinced that printer(and printer ink) manufacturers have been conspiring from day one to get the customer to buy more ink. Computer ink is enormously expensive, and if that isn't bad enough the printer ink "management" software will prevent you from using up all that precious ink, the stated reason being "to insure print production quality". But that software is primarily developed for Windows and Apple(Mac) operating system environments. My printers operating in Linux have no such constraining software, I just get to use all my printer ink.
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Obviously you are still using an obsolete printer family like HP, etc. that still uses ink CARTRIDGES!! I used to use those too, refilling cartridges with a syringe trying to save money, meanwhile ruining more than a few of my T-shirts and jeans with spilled ink. Those days are long past!! We don't churn our own butter anymore! Cartridge based printers like the dot matrix ones that preceded them should all be hauled away en masse to a recycling center and buried deeply!! For the past several years I have used an EPSON ET-2750 'ink tank' printer. The ink for it from EPSON comes in BOTTLES which you simply pour into a tank in the printer, every few months or so, glugglugglug.. The ink for my printer costs zilch. Really. Its zilch. And the color print quality is excellent besides.
 
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sch404 said:
Obviously you are still using an obsolete printer family like HP, etc. that still uses ink CARTRIDGES!! I used to use those too, refilling cartridges with a syringe trying to save money, meanwhile ruining more than a few of my T-shirts and jeans with spilled ink. Those days are long past!! We don't churn our own butter anymore! Cartridge based printers like the dot matrix ones that preceded them should all be hauled away en masse to a recycling center and buried deeply!! For the past several years I have used an EPSON ET-2750 'ink tank' printer. The ink for it from EPSON comes in BOTTLES which you simply pour into a tank in the printer, every few months or so, glugglugglug.. The ink for my printer costs zilch. Really. Its zilch. And the color print quality is excellent besides.
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I must bear that in mind. Last time I needed new cartridges, I bought a new printer because it was cheaper than buying the ink.
 
@Nathan,

I used to take out the cartridge and reinstall it to bypass it's software. Do newer printers monitor the actual ink level or can they still be bypassed like this? I haven't had a working printer for 5 years I just gave up on it.
 
Most Epson printers do not play nice with Linux. I use Linux simply because of that issue & price. HP works quite well so I'll stick with the cheaper printers for my 10 pages. If I can save a few bucks filling the cartridges seems, easier and less 'stuff' to store.
 
sch404 said:
Obviously you are still using an obsolete printer family like HP, etc. that still uses ink CARTRIDGES!! I used to use those too, refilling cartridges with a syringe trying to save money, meanwhile ruining more than a few of my T-shirts and jeans with spilled ink. Those days are long past!! We don't churn our own butter anymore! Cartridge based printers like the dot matrix ones that preceded them should all be hauled away en masse to a recycling center and buried deeply!! For the past several years I have used an EPSON ET-2750 'ink tank' printer. The ink for it from EPSON comes in BOTTLES which you simply pour into a tank in the printer, every few months or so, glugglugglug.. The ink for my printer costs zilch. Really. Its zilch. And the color print quality is excellent besides.
Click to expand...
I am using a Brother_HLL2395DW_Laser_printer, monochrone. Works quite well in LInux and I'm pleased with the seemingly endless printing I can do, per toner cartridge.
 
Flarbalard said:
@Nathan,

I used to take out the cartridge and reinstall it to bypass it's software. Do newer printers monitor the actual ink level or can they still be bypassed like this? I haven't had a working printer for 5 years I just gave up on it.
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That I couldn't say, it's been several years since I used an inkjet printer, and much longer ago since I ran a printer in Windows.
 
I have bought an Epson Printer with tanks for the ink,
refills are available from lots of places, even Amazon
sell them, authentic or pirate copies, both versions are
available, I intend to go for pigment ink when I get some,
I hear that the colours are brighter and sharper, the ink
is also waterproof, not that I intend to get any printed
paper wet!

Mike.
 
Murrmurr said:
Also, I had to buy a new printer because I can't find the cartridges for my old one anymore. And it's not common knowledge that you can refill an ink cartridge, but you can. That used to be pretty cheap, but now it isn't.
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It's true that you can refill cartridges, however, in newer HP printers there's a particular technique required to bypass "Cartridge Protection", otherwise the refilled cartridges won't work.

https://www.yoyoink.com/articles/how-to-make-generic-ink-cartridges-work-on-an-hp-printer/#content_2
 
Timewise 60+ said:
Yep, that's why I went to a black and white, toner driven 'Brother' printer. Mush less expensive per copy cost. Then if I must have something in color, I copy it on media and go to a place that offers color copies...
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That's what I did. A high volume cartridge can get up 700-1000 copies. Problem is some old brother cartidges are $100 at some of office supply stores.

These Epson eco tank printers which have refillable cartridges might be the way to go.
 
I used to print a lot of pages, when I was a copy editor. I used an inkjet printer. Yes, the cartridge that comes with the printer is not full capacity.

I bought the manufacturer's new cartridges, because the refilled or off-brand ones didn't work well for me.

Ideally, I would have bought a laser printer. Much cheaper and more convenient in the long run. But I couldn't afford the up-front cost of the machine. Laser printers don't do color, but I didn't need color.

I don't think I've ever heard of the "ink tank" printer suggested by @sch404 . Sounds like a good idea. But again, the machine itself is expensive.

My advice to anyone who has $500 lying around, who prints more than a few pages a month, would be to stay away from those little ink jet printers.
 
NorthernLight said:
I used to print a lot of pages, when I was a copy editor. I used an inkjet printer. Yes, the cartridge that comes with the printer is not full capacity.

I bought the manufacturer's new cartridges, because the refilled or off-brand ones didn't work well for me.

Ideally, I would have bought a laser printer. Much cheaper and more convenient in the long run. But I couldn't afford the up-front cost of the machine. Laser printers don't do color, but I didn't need color.

I don't think I've ever heard of the "ink tank" printer suggested by @sch404 . Sounds like a good idea. But again, the machine itself is expensive.

My advice to anyone who has $500 lying around, who prints more than a few pages a month, would be to stay away from those little ink jet printers.
Click to expand...
An Epson "ink tank" printer similar to mine is only $200 on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Epson-EcoTank-Wireless-Cartridge-Free-Supertank/dp/B096N8CNBZ/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=epson+ecotank+printer&qid=1677011477&sr=8-3&ufe=app_do:amzn1.fos.e3dc0fa2-4ee8-4881-a97d-5992ecbdb227
 

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