Should
I refill or just buy a new inkjet cartridge?
Why
"refill" my inkjet cartridge?
Is it very confusing to refill a cartridge?
How
many times can I refill a cartridge?
Do I need a special
"refillable" cartridge?
Does
the use of a refilled ink cartridge void the printer warranty?
Do you use quality ink?
Is
there a 'universal refill kit'?
Do your Refill Kits use the
‘harmonica’ squeeze type bottles I have seen in some stores
(or on TV ads for ‘universal’ kits?)
What
can I do to improve my print quality if it begins to decrease?
How do you ship?
Do
you guarantee your products and services?
Should I refill
or just buy a new inkjet cartridge?
Your
choice entirely. It is our desire to provide quality printing
products for you at a reasonable price. We do offer
genuine HP inkjet cartridges that you might be interested in if,
for instance, your HP cartridges are worn out from much
use.
However, inkjet
technology is here to stay, and learning the simple but valuable
art of refilling a printer cartridge is bound to pay off, so we
also offer another, more cost-effective alternative: the
JetMaster Refill Kit. Every Refill Kit we sell has been
specially designed for the one, two, or three cartridges that
correspond with their specific HP printer.
Why
"refill" my inkjet cartridge?
Just
about all inkjet printer manuals state that the user 'should
not refill cartridges'. The hidden sting is in that
dictatorial ‘should’ that should really be a ‘may’. Why?
Because hundreds of thousands of refilled ink cartridges are
printing daily in all corners of the world. In other words, the
‘law’ requiring to use original only inkjet cartridges is
honored more in the breach than in the observance. Of course
original manufacturers want users to keep buying the OEM
cartridges (or 'consumables,' appropriately termed)! If
you've noticed inkjet cartridge prices lately, it is becoming
increasingly (yet absurdly) wise to just buy a new printer every
time you run out of ink!
New traps (or
"marketing solutions") are constantly being devised by
manufacturers in an effort to save and make more money at the
consumer's expense. Here is one, new in implementation, but as
old as trade: Some HP cartridges carry a ‘G’ after their
part number (e.g. 51626G, 51629G, 51645G etc.). ‘G’ series
cartridges contain half the ink than in the G-less cartridges.
At the store you pay 1/3 less for the G cartridges than you
would pay for the full cartridges. That is, you pay 30% less
than a full tank but only get half a tank.
The
historically curious may remember that one of France's post-WW
II prime ministers was Mendes-France. Mendes-France undertook a
program of economic reforms and a satirist captured their
essence in a cartoon. Before the reform one kilogram of pears
cost 10 francs, after the reform, half a kilogram of the same
pears was only 5 francs….
Is it very
confusing to refill a cartridge?
The idea of "refilling" an inkjet cartridge can sound
intimidating at first, but rest assured, we have been in this
business for over 20 years... 20 years that we have used to
continue to perfect the specialized inks, tools, and detailed,
full-color instructions we send along with each of our Refill
Kits. From the laboratory to the office, our products have been
tested thoroughly for quality and ease of use.
If you were to
have any additional questions before, during, or after your
refilling experience, you could always count on our staff to
provide friendly, knowledgeable technical support. Since we
refill all of our own cartridges right here in our office, we
are specially familiar with the products we offer to each of our
customers.
How many times
can I refill a cartridge?
Statistically,
the most accurate answer is between 5 and 10 times. The
wide variation depends on a number of factors, including care
taken of the inkjet cartridge - e.g. not letting it entirely run
out of ink prior to refilling - abrasiveness of the printer
paper used (which causes the electric contacts on the printhead
to wear out), how clean the environment around the printer is,
etc.
Do I need a
special "refillable" cartridge?
No, all
cartridges are refillable. This is the basis of our
business. You can refill the cartridges you already own,
or cartridges you purchase from us online with the same quality
ink again and again.
Does the use
of a refilled ink cartridge void the printer warranty?
No on two grounds.
- FTC
regulations (Federal Trade Commission – Magnusson-Moss
Warranty Federal Commission Improvement Act – Subparagraph
C, secion 101) specifically addresses this point. User is
NOT obliged to utilize supplies furnished by the original
manufacturer, to maintain the warranty. There are limits
here too – if the manufacturer can prove that the supplies
do not comply with the standards required by the original
equipment then he can refuse to honor the warranty. But this
is impossible. The printer supplies, in this case, are the
inks and the inks are guaranteed to match or exceed the
required specifications.
- With most HP
inkjet cartridges, the printhead is in the ink cartridge. In
an inkjet printer the printhead is the heart, the ink the
blood, the board the brain and the moving parts the limbs. A
refilled ink cartridge brings new blood to an existing
heart. The printhead is designed to be used for about 5 to
10 full ink refills, depending on the quality of the
printing paper, cleanliness of air, etc. In the worst case,
the only thing that could become worn out after repeated use
is the printhead; that is the inkjet cartridge and the
overall warranty of the printer are not at issue.
Do you use
quality ink?
Yes,
our first inks (dot matrix) were produced in 1982. We only
provide extra quality inkjet inks, complying with all the
specifications of the emulsions involved in the various inks for
the various inkjet printers. Our inks meet or exceed the quality
of the original inks used in your cartridge. When a customer
reports (unsolicited) that his printout looks better than new, a
tingle of pleasure runs through our corporate veins.
Is there a 'universal
refill kit'?
No,
simply because inkjet inks are different. And they are different
because the printer manufacturer themselves want it so. Some
companies (no names please) bent in battle to bamboozle the
buyer, advertise ‘universal inkjet refill kits'. The scheme
(scam?) relies on the assumption that the buyer has one ink
printer only and will use black first – the incompatibility in
black inks is less immediately apparent, but an incorrect black
ink will shorten the life of the printhead or ink cartridge.
The old adage
that not all that is printed is true equally applies to
television. A Post Office poster designed to warn about scams
was concise and explicit. It showed an overweight lady holding
in one hand a flier that said "Lose 50 pounds in 50
days". And the lady said with a caption, "All I lost
was 50 dollars…"
Do your Refill
Kits use the ‘harmonica’ squeeze type bottles I have seen in
some stores (or on TV ads for ‘universal’ kits?)
No, for
two reasons:
- Harmonica
type, squeeze bottles do not allow you to accurately measure
the ink you inject into the cartridge.
- Air collects
at the top of the harmonica, above the ink, in the space
between the ink and the needle. Air should not be ever
injected into the jet cartridge ink reservoirs – air locks
prevent the ink flow to the printhead. The graduated
syringe-like dispensers we provide with our kits give
deliver ink in accurate measure and without air.
What can I do
to improve my print quality if it begins to decrease?
Whether
your printhead is a part of your cartridge or a part of your
printer, a clean printhead is key to a good printout. With use,
every printhead accumulates ink residues – whether using
original or refilled inks. We now have available both
cleaning kits and ink cartridges (tanks) filled with specialized
cleaning solutions. Field reports indicate good results. To be
sure, some ink tanks rely on internal sponges to store the ink
and sponges can dry if left unused. There are ways for
recovering from a dry sponge and the process is not complicated.
Contact us if you would like more information.
How do you
ship?
We
offer a panoply of choices. Priority Mail, UPS ground, UPS 3
day, UPS 2 day, UPS next day and, for the economically cautious,
First Class Mail. Please note that UPS provides a very efficient
tracking system. At any time, day and night, you can know where
your shipment is by simply connecting to www.ups.com
and typing in the related tracking number. The US Post Office
has implemented a similar system that includes far fewer
details. First Class Mail shipments are equally intended
to reach the recipient, but no insurance is included, and
therefore, no guarantee of delivery (other than the fact that we
shipped your order).
There was much
internal (at HP Cartridges and Refills) soul searching on
how to handle shipping costs.
One option was
to make the shipping appear cheap and to charge more for the
goods, the other was to charge the appropriate costs for both
equipment and shipping. We chose the second option. Some
customers may like it, some may not. We thank the pleased and
ask the displeased for their understanding.
Do you
guarantee your products and services?
Yes, we
will replace ink cartridges that are defective or damaged or
refund you at our discretion.
And
finally…a lighter touch
To refill or not to refill, that is the question.
Whether it
is better to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous prices,
Or to take arms against excessive cartridge costs
And by refilling end them.
To refill, to print, that’s all,
And with a refill to end the spoilage and
The concurrent natural waste that spent cartridges are bound
to be.
It is a consummation devoutly to be wished.
