Your Printer Is Out Of Ink -- Now What?

We've all been there. You're in the middle of printing out an important document and your printer suddenly stops. It's the dreaded "out of ink" message. So you pull your backup ink cartridges out of your desk drawer and replace them. Wishful thinking, right?

Most of us just don't plan ahead -- no matter how many times this has happened to us. When we buy ink cartridges, we tend to just get one set of black and color cartridges. The cost of ink is so high that buying more than one set is just too expensive for most consumers. Thankfully, there are less expensive options out there ? and you don't have to sacrifice quality.

Option 1 ? Avoid Staples, Best Buy, and other large retailers altogether. You're never going to get a good deal on ink cartridges since they only sell name brand replacements. Instead, do your homework on the internet. There are many reputable websites out there that charge up to 80% less for cartridges.

How is that possible? Rather than selling name brand replacements, online ink retailers sell compatible and remanufactured cartridges. There cartridges are technically just as good as the originals, and can be purchased for half as much money. As an added precaution, however, we recommend buying ink cartridges at sites that offer 100% guarantees. In the online world, you never know what you're getting. My advice -- run a search on Yahoo for "ink cartridges." Visit the first 5 sites. Find the web site that offers the best prices, lowest shipping costs, and a 100% guarantee.

Option 2 ? Refill your ink cartridges. It's not as bad as you might think. And best of all, this is definitely the cheapest way to go. You can fill your ink cartridges up to 10 times with a single ink refill kit. There is obviously some work to this. You basically use a syringe to inject ink back into your original cartridges. If you do this correctly, this is no spillage, and you'll be up in running in no time. It takes a bit of practice to master the art of refilling ink cartridges. Don't get discouraged if it takes a couple of tries before you get it down.

Bill Smith is a printer expert who has specialized in ink cartridges and refill solutions for over 5 years. Visit his site at http://www.buythebestbuy.com.

In The News:


pen paper and inkwell


cat break through


Computer Network Installation

Computer network installation has become an essential prerequisite for any... Read More

Inexpensive Radius Server Gives Wireless Networks The Security They Need

Many small businesses have considered connecting computers and other devices... Read More

Protecting Your Computer From Power Surges, Data Loss, Viruses, And Spyware

Protecting Against A Power Surge:Your computer is an expensive investment;... Read More

HIPPA Goes Mobile and Wireless for Hospitals and First Responders

It appears we need to further streamline health care and... Read More

What Is A Crystal? And How To Test It

Crystal are use to keep the frequency of the clock... Read More

How To Stop Junk Faxes From Wasting Your Paper and Toner

Junk faxes waste the resources of every business. It is... Read More

What is ESR Meter?

All capacitors have a certain amount of resistance to the... Read More

Surge Protector: A Simple Mechanism Description

A surge protector [AKA surge suppressor] is an electrical plug-in... Read More

Special Events Recording in DVD Players Age

The proliferation of portable DVD players has dramatically changed the... Read More

Ten Ways (plus 1) to Save on Printer Ink and Toner Cartridges

Are you getting tired of the high cost of printing?... Read More

How To Refill Your Ink Cartridge

Forget about emptying your wallets every time you see the... Read More

Trouble-shooting Hard Drive Problems - Part 1

It is extremely important not to make or write any... Read More

To Upgrade or Not?

To upgrade or not? That is the question. At least,... Read More

Expansion Cards Part 1: (of a 3 part series)

PCIThe expansion slots available on motherboards allow for a variety... Read More

Your Printer Is Out Of Ink -- Now What?

We've all been there. You're in the middle of printing... Read More

Used Laptop Computer: Your Quick Purchase Inspection Guide ? Part 4

Used laptop computers are everywhere these days. How can you... Read More

A Guide To Bar Code Reader Downloads

Bar code readers have proven themselves to be essential tools... Read More

Getting The Proper Laptop Screen Size

Are you sick of viewing everything on that small screen... Read More

Do You Have Dead Pixels?

Take a good look at your notebook computer screen. Do... Read More

What is Blu-Ray DVD

Video technology has increased significantly over the past years, and... Read More

Using System Restore to Save Yourself from Formatting Your Hard Drive

It is the most annoying thing when one day you... Read More

USB Key Drives - Useful Tool

There are many different names for these drives, just so... Read More

Digital Cameras, Media, and Card Readers

With the dropping prices on digital cameras and digital media... Read More

Computer Cooling Hardware

PC cooling systems are one of the hottest - and... Read More

What to Do Once You Are Infected with Spyware, Ad-ware or Viruses

What to do once your PC is infected with spyware,... Read More

Printers: What Really Happens When You Hit ?Print?

You just poured hours upon hours into a lengthy research... Read More

Advanced Tips on Speeding Up Your PC

Other then keeping your HDD free of viruses, spyware, and... Read More

LCD Vs. CRT

When buying a new computer, or upgrading your monitor, you... Read More

Dusting Your Computer - Keeping it Cool

My mother always told me to dust, but I never... Read More

How To Purchase A Quality Laptop Computers Case

So you finally have that new laptop you have been... Read More

Toner Cartridges - How They Work

In the past computers and their accompanying printers were huge.... Read More

Expansion Cards Part 3: PCI Express

In the first two installments of this series of Tech... Read More

Does Size Really Matter In Our Digital Age?

Well, we've all seen the advert, but that's not what... Read More