We’ve all seen them sitting on the shelf – those replacement ink cartridges that promise to give you high quality printing at only a fraction of the price of Canon ink cartridges. The steep difference in price is often the reason why most of us purchase one of these less expensive cartridges and decide to give them a try in our printer, because, after all, what can go wrong when you’ve got a product that was designed to be a refill for your Canon printer, right?

Actually, That Is Right

While your motives may be purely financial the first time you purchase, what you’ll often find is that the replacement supplies work just as well and last just as long for all of your Canon series printers. When you use Canon toner cartridges from a company that specializes in refill products, you’re getting products that were made to be compatible with your machine. In some cases, they’re even made in the same factories as the brand names. We understand the attraction of lower priced products, so providing you with high quality supplies at a fraction of the involved cost of the brand name is a natural selling point.

It’s important to note that some companies offering refills aren’t always as reputable as others. There are those who offer products with a significantly low output or choices that have lower quality, but when you turn to the right company, you’re getting compatible choices that are designed to work in harmony with your brand name device, costing you significantly less at the outset. With a level of service you can trust, you’ll always get great products for any printer series you may have invested in when you choose us. Moreover, you can also get fantastic office products like Canon toner cartridges for quite a bit less, ensuring your small business can reduce its budget instantly.

Real Cartridges – Real Costs

Brand name Canon choices are designed to go into your equipment in the office or at home. They have been specially designed to work well with equipment and issues like leakage will never come into play. Real brand name products are typically new, and they usually come with a guarantee. They’re often available in office stores and from the manufacturer’s web site for a premium that is competitive with the cost of the printers themselves.

Refurbished models stack up pretty well against that list, though. They’re made to work with your printer too, and they’re typically built right beside your brand name cartridges. Once you’ve found a great company like us to buy from, issues like leakage aren’t present, and we have a guarantee to prove that. What’s more is that these products are just as available thanks to our vast warehouse, and the costs are significantly less than what you might pay when you choose the manufacturer.

First there was the inkjet, fast and efficient.  Then came the laser printer, even faster and with better quality.  For the longest time, the laser printer held sway over the inkjet in terms of speed and clarity.  Except recently, the tables have turned again.  Each printer type continues to improve as companies strive for our business but only one thing remains the same.

Ink vs. Toner – The Simple Explanation

The true difference between an inkjet printer and a laser printer is their printing methods.  Though people often group the two based upon their speed, clarity, size, and other capabilities, the real separating factor is the way they print.  After all, some inkjet printers these days can be just as big as a laser printer.

Inkjet printers use ink cartridges.  The ink in the cartridge will either be black or colored, depending upon your printing needs.  If the ink is color, three compartments within the cartridge keep cyan, magenta, and yellow ink apart.  The bottom of the cartridge has a set number of tiny nozzles.  When the printer is given a print job, the ink cartridge receives its orders and sprays out the ink in whatever pattern it is told to in order to give the desired results.  Ink cartridges are generally cheaper than toner cartridges, and now companies have split up the colors so you no longer have to throw out a color cartridge just because it ran out of a single color.  Now you can buy cyan, magenta, and yellow all separate, replacing only the color you need at an even cheaper price.  Black is still sold on its own.

Toner is a different creature altogether.  If you have ever used a laser printer, you may have noticed a small period of time in which the printer seems to be “starting up.”  In some ways, it is.  The printer warms up the toner cartridge, which contains carbon particles mixed with a polymer.  The heat melts the mixture and then transfers it onto the paper, where it immediately dries.  This is why when papers roll out of a laser printer, they are warm.

Typically, inkjet printers are slower than laser printers.  In many cases of more expensive products, this is still true.  However, companies are now coming up with ways to reinvent the inkjet printer, making it faster and more competitive with laser printers.  Because inkjets do not have to warm up any toner, they can simply print right away, and other innovations have stopped ink from smearing, even when highlighters are applied.

Laser printers still tend to win with the clarity of their printing, though.  They are still very fast and strongly preferred by the majority of businesses.  However, they tend to be more expensive, and if you want to print out high-quality color images, an inkjet is the better choice.

When deciding on a printer for your home, inkjet and laser are pretty close overall.  You need to consider what you will be printing and which type will best suit your needs.

For many, the idea of starting their own business is an exciting prospect. For once you’re able to be the boss and to design your own schedule. You’re solely responsible for the amount of money that you are able to earn and the potential that your business has also rests on your shoulder. Many are so excited to own their own business that they often don’t sit and contemplate the things that they’re going to need in order to ensure that their business is a success. One thing that many forget about is the printer.

The Role of the Printer In Business

When you’ve got a business, having a high quality printer is very important. Almost all businesses can make constant use of a printer. Say, for instance, that you’re a carpenter. You may at first believe that a carpenter would have no need of a printer, but this is not so. A carpenter often needs to print out their invoices, or needs to print out a list of materials that is needed. Some use printers to print out the diagram of what their proposed design would look like, while others use their printer to print business cards to pass out.

If you have a printer that is just “okay”, you’ll like wind up having to purchase a new one in short order, as most printers that are good for home use don’t hold up enough to be able to print constantly, which is often something that home business owners find themselves doing.

The Right Printer

When you’re searching for a new printer, the first thing you need to figure out is what you need your printer to do. Do you need it to be able to simply print things? And what quality of items will you need it to print? Often if you’re only looking to print out invoices, you can get away with purchasing a less expensive printer than you would need if you were going to be printing photos or something in that vein. Do you need your printer to be able to scan or to fax as well? Printers that can do all three, print, copy, and fax, are often a bit more expensive than printers that are only designed to print, but the consumer also gets to save a bit of money as well, as they do not have to purchase three separate machines. Some, however, say that the printing quality in an all-in-one machine is not as good as it is for printers that only print.

Once you’ve found the right printer for your business, make sure you figure out where you’re going to order your ink cartridges. Having a good supply of ink cartridges on hand is often very wise, so that you do not have to worry about running out of ink at an inopportune moment. Printers are very important in the business world, which is why your printer choice matters so much.

We love our printers. We love the way they print our pictures and print our text. Pleasure or business, they certainly get a lot of use.

And then it happens; you’re humming along having the best time and then out of the blue with no warning there is a problem, the paper is jammed or there are lights flashing or there is no ink on the paper. What do you do? Slamming the printer to the floor or against the wall is probably not the best option even though it might be tempting. You might have to call a tech in, but before that, look at the list below and see if you can fix the problem and save the overpriced hourly rate.

Can You Say “Paper Jam”?

You know the sound.  That sound of paper tearing and crunching all at the same time. You flip open the printer and, oh yeah, it’s as bad as it sounded. Fortunately, there is a way to fix the problem, and it doesn’t include a chainsaw or a sledge hammer. Turn off the machine and pull the paper gently in the same direction as the paper path. What you don’t want to do is pull the paper backwards – doing that could mess up your printer for ever. Cancel the job on your computer, and send it again.

How Much Paper Will Go Through the Printer at One Time?

Oh how many ways can we spell frustration? You are almost finished with a printing session; the boss has already looked in three times to see if you’re finished and then, all the paper just fed through the printer at one time. This can’t be good. Can’t help you this time, but here are a couple hints to maybe keep this from happening again. Fan the paper before you load it into the printer, this will separate the sheets. Humidity can cause the paper to stick together so storing it in a dry, cool place will help.

Hey Ma, Look!  No Words!

You have installed a new cartridge, and after printing the first sheet – nothing! There’s not a single letter on the page. Two things might have happened. Are you sure you got every bit of the sticker off the cartridge before you put it in the printer?  If you did then the other thing to do is clean the print head. There’s a function for that installed in the printer. Running the print head cleaner will get any air bubbles out.

Why Does My Face Look So Grainy?

Guess what, your printer might not be at fault on this one. If the image quality is low, then the print quality will be low. Images need to be at least 300 dpi. Any dots per inch (dpi) lower than 300 will result in a grainy print.

A Smudgy Printout

Are you printing images that contain a lot of vibrant, bright colors? You could have the wrong setting for the paper selected. Text printing should not be done with the setting at the highest level. If you are using photo paper, make sure you are not using the regular setting.

We know this is a small list of what can make your mild mannered printer go crazy, but it’s a good starting place.

Most people are thoughtful about the money they have and how they spend it, preferring to spend their hard-earned cash as carefully as possible. Because of this, many wonder about their options when it comes to printer ink. Just looking at the differences between Epson ink cartridges produced by the company and those produced by Castle Ink, a company offering remanufactured and replacement toner inkjet cartridges, is enough to frustrate anyone. The manual on your Epson Stylus printer may suggest ink from the manufacturer, but the bottom line is that most compatible cartridges are just as good, if not better, than the ink you get from the brand.

Poor Quality Products? Hardly!

When you’re searching for cartridges like these, it’s not very difficult to find companies who swear that their remanufactured versions are exactly the same as the brand name. They claim that there is no difference between the quality of printing that you will get from the maker’s version of the cartridge and from their own. How do you know who to trust?

While it certainly won’t hurt you or your printer to trust the brand name, it may hurt your wallet. Companies like these make more than half of their money from costly printer cartridges, so convincing you that purchasing an inexpensive compatible product instead of actual brand name products means you will have documents of much lower quality than you might have with the brand name choice is in their best interest. Toner from companies like Castle Ink that specialize in replacement printer supplies is often made in the same factories with the exact same equipment as those from Epson, Canon, and other big names in the printing industry. That means you get the same quality for less. As long as you ensure you’ve chosen a reputable name to buy remanufactured supplies from, both you and your printer can look forward to great documents, graphics, and other printables.

Your Machine

Whether you have the popular Stylus or a much newer model like the Impact model, printers are very delicate pieces of machinery, and they require the right tools to function well. Fortunately, remanufactured and discount ink replacements are made just for your machine, so the results will be exactly as you’d hoped every single time. Despite the extensive warnings many companies put out that these cartridges will leak or explode in your printer, the fear is simply a myth that will ensure you buy only brand-name products.

As long as you’ve checked the output of the cartridge you’re considering, as well as the reputation of the company you’re buying from, you’ll get printer supplies that are made to go perfectly with the brand of printer you have in your home. Those that design refill cartridges know the models as well as the brand itself does, offering excellent performance with every product. 123inkjets.com even has a customer service team on hand ready to help should you need anything after you’ve completed your purchase. And because the cartridge products are made with high quality materials at every turn, they are equipped to handle all of your tasks, allowing for the best possible results at a price you’ll love.

While it is possible to find toners made by the company you bought your printer from in many different places, you just can’t get the great prices you might with a remanufactured choice. Take the time to look at our selection, and you’ll find out how many people have come to expect excellent performance from top rated companies that offer remanufactured choices.  So, whether you’re looking for Canon ink cartridges or another brand entirely, you’re certain to find what you need at a great discount.

The inkjet cartridge, while a household standard these days, wasn’t always as available as it is today. Years ago, before computers were standard in almost every home, printing virtually anything was something of a premium and often required large amounts of toner and other chemicals. Typewriters, with all of their ribbons and hassles, were often the only means of professional looking documentation in print. But as technology became less expensive, so too did printing. In the 1980’s, printers designs began to shrink and reached a status of relative affordability, which meant that more people began to realize the sheer usefulness of these amazing machines. As an increasing number of home printer offerings became inkjets in the early nineties, the need for inkjet cartridges by the thousands became readily apparent as well.

The Inkjet Cartridge

The inkjet cartridge was designed to make it easy for consumers to reach professional quality results while keeping the price fairly minimal. Unlike many of their predecessors, these offered clearer quality and smooth details that just weren’t an option in the past. It was this excellent performance that convinced many exactly how special these products were. Finally, individuals were able to print whatever they liked with aesthetically-pleasing results. What’s more, though, is that inkjet cartridges quickly became preferred over other types of toner cartridges because they have the ability to be refilled, which can save the consumer a good amount of money.

In many cases, we load these cartridges into our Epsons, Lexmarks, and other brand name products without even realizing how they work. What happens is actually very simple and very smart. If you have a fairly powerful magnifying glass, you’ll even be able to see exactly what happens when you print something simply by looking at the item. When you hit the “print” button, a message is sent from your computer to the printer. It then reads the document, website or other file and translates that into thousands of little dots. The inkjet cartridge is then pushed across the paper, usually from one side to another, and delivers small droplets through tiny nozzles on the bottom of the cartridge.

If you are printing a word document, the equipment generally only uses black and white (unless, of course, you’ve chosen to put color on your document). If, however, you are printing in color, your inkjet cartridge will mix the correct amount of each color that is in the cartridge to create the look you’ve requested, providing for a rainbow of color in one small package.

What You Can Print

These days, you can get virtually anything from your ink. You no longer have to content yourself with just printing out documents, but now can print out anything from labels to posters to stickers to edible cake decorations. It’s even possible to print on fabric, allowing for a huge amount of creativity thanks to a revolution in the world of printing.

You can find inkjet cartridges for many different printers on the market, and while manufacturers do make their own some of their own cartridge selections, often remanufactured choices are just as good or better than the name brands.