Know your printer
Start with your printer's brand and model number, which you will find on the front or top of the printer. Think about how you use it: occasional home printing and regular office printing have different needs, and this affects which cartridges make sense for you.
Think about ongoing ink costs
Some inkjet printers use only two cartridges, one black and one tricolour. Others use a separate cartridge for each colour, usually four to six. With separate colour cartridges you only replace the colour that runs out. With a tricolour cartridge, the whole cartridge needs replacing when one colour is empty, even if the others still have ink.
If you are choosing a new printer, compare the price of its cartridges as well as the price of the printer. Over time, ink can cost more than the printer itself.
Compare original and compatible cartridges
Original (OEM) cartridges are made by the printer manufacturer itself, such as HP, Canon, Epson, Brother, Lexmark or Pantum. Compatible cartridges are made by third parties to fit specific printers and usually cost less. Some compatible cartridges also hold more ink. Each product page states whether the item is OEM or compatible.
Check the capacity
Every cartridge has a stated capacity, either as a page yield or in millilitres. A lower price does not always mean better value if the cartridge holds less ink, so compare capacity as well as price.
Look at the full cost
Include delivery charges and any other costs when comparing prices between cartridges and sellers.
Work out the cost per page
Cost per page is the cartridge price divided by its page yield. Page yields are measured at about 5% coverage, so if you print a lot of images or colour, expect fewer pages. Use cost per page as a rough guide rather than an exact figure.
Setup cartridges run out sooner
The cartridges supplied with a new printer are often setup or starter cartridges with a lower capacity. Plan to buy replacement cartridges soon after you start using a new printer.
Single cartridges or multipacks
Multipacks often work out cheaper per cartridge. Buy a quantity you expect to use within six months to a year, as ink can dry out over time and printer firmware updates can occasionally affect which cartridges a printer accepts.
Black and colour cartridges
If your printer has one black and one colour cartridge, the colour cartridge combines cyan, magenta and yellow. Check the capacity of each so you know what to expect from them.
Keep your cartridges in good condition
Print a page or two each month to help stop the ink from drying in the print head. Do not leave the printer without cartridges installed for long periods.
Recognise when ink is low
Your printer will usually show a low ink warning, or you may notice faded prints. Printing a colour test page will show which cartridge needs replacing. If the printer has not been used for a while, run its cleaning cycle before replacing anything.
If you are unsure which cartridge fits your printer, you can send your printer model to support@maxiprint.co.za.
