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Before You Buy Your Next Printer...
Arm Yourself with Knowledge: Printer Reviews and Ratings Sites
Got a hankerin' for a new printer? More importantly, how much is it gonna cost to "feed" it AFTER you buy it? Get the "skinny" on it so you can make an informed choice and not depend on the sales pitch. The following are some helpful Printer Reviews and Ratings Sites:
Can I see a printer's warranty before I decide to purchase?
The law requires that (printer) warranties be made available at the point of sale so that you can evaluate what your warranty options are before purchasing.
The FTC's Pre-Sale Availability Rule requires that sellers make warranties readily available to prospective buyers either by displaying them in "close proximity" to the warranted product, or by furnishing them upon request prior to sale and posting prominent signs to let customers know
that warranties can be examined upon request. Check this out the next time you're in an office supply store. This rule applies to "all" consumer products covered by warranties costing more than $15.
The Correct Way To Test a Printer Before You Buy
Once you've narrowed your choices... see 'em in action!
Go to an office supply/computer store or several and print a test page (many display models offer one) to watch the printer in action. By doing so, you can determine a lot about a printer's overall value. Some inkjets are noisy -- some are slow -- others move and shake (like one of my my Epsons) while printing -- or are prone to paper jams.
The 5 Questions Your Inkjet Salesperson Is Afraid You'll Ask
- Do I need a special photo ink to get the best results from this printer?
If the answer is yes, it means you’re getting substandard ink as regular equipment. Quality printers don’t distinguish between "good" and "regular" ink. If the cartridge is new and sold by that vendor, it should already be top quality. (ALL of our products are top quality.)
- Can I see the best quality the printer will produce on plain paper?
Laminated store samples are usually printed on the most expensive photo paper the manufacturer offers, just to show off the printer’s peak performance. But many users don’t need perfection with every print job. Often, a decent image is suitable for draft work. So, make the salesperson show you how to set the printer driver for maximum performance on cheap, plain paper. (This will also show you how user-friendly the driver software is.) Compare several models. You may be surprised at the differences you find.
- How many pages will this cartridge print?
Without a straight answer, you won’t be able to figure your cost per page to print. Also find out what percentage of page coverage the manufacturer uses to arrive at that number. (Most manufacturers use 5%, but in reality, 8-10% is closer for text printing and as much as 30-70% for color!)
- How long until these inks fade?
All inks fade. According to Epson, its standard inks will last several years before fading on high-quality paper. Properly framed and kept under the proper conditions, images may even last 50 years without detectable fading. Canon claims this too.
- Does this ink smear?
The answer will be "No, of course not." But the truth is that some printers use a cheap black ink that does smear shortly after printing. Have the salesperson do a trial print job for you, then wipe a finger across the ink as the page is exiting the printer. What do you see? (Our inks are formulated for very quick drying!)
The 5 Most Intelligent Questions To Ask When Buying a Laser or an Inkjet Printer
Here's a short list of other questions to ask about any printer, whether laser or inkjet:
Paper Handling - Can the printer handle envelopes, card stock or other odd papers you may want to use? How much paper can it hold at one time?
Duty Cycle - If you're in a high-volume environment, is the printer durable enough to keep up? What's its impressions-per-month rating?
PostScript - For heavy graphics, does the printer support the PostScript printer language?
Ink Cartridges - Are third-party cartridges or refill kits available? (You *know* the answer!)
What's the cost difference between these and manufacturer-labeled cartridges? In other words, what's it gonna cost ya to feed it? (You know we've got you covered there!)
Do your homework -- cheap printers may (and usually do) cost more in the long run. Ya gotta feed 'em!
Printer Cartridge Primer: Compatible vs. Remanufactured
Compatible Cartidges:
Compatible cartridges are brand-new, factory produced cartridges that are designed to perform in the same manner as the original brand name cartridges, yet are priced significantly less. Compatible cartridges are available for printers that have a built-in printhead such as Epson, Canon and Brother. They are designed so that they are fully compatible with these printers but do not infringe on any OEM (original printer manufacturer's) patents.
Unlike remanufactured ink cartridges, they have no recycled parts and they are not cartridges that have been refilled. Our Premium Imaging brand compatibles are produced in an ISO 9001 certified factory under strict quality controls. They are fairly easy to produce since they are nothing more than ink tanks (reservoirs).
Some new compatible cartridges do contain microchips that allow the cartridge to communicate with the printer, but other than that they are pretty simple. Because the design is simple, this means that once we manufacture ink that is identical to the kind found in the pricey name brand cartridges, then we are ready to offer a low-cost alternative.
Remanufactured Cartridges:
Print heads are complex microelectronics and as such, all designs have patent claims. HP, Lexmark, Dell and some Canon printers have an "integrated print head" which is part of the ink cartridge. The electronics that "shoot" the ink are directly attached to the cartridge.
Becuase of the OEM patents on these type cartridges, manufacturing "compatible printheads" is a hurdle the aftermarket has yet to conquer and would only offer modest cost savings. But there is a low cost solution -- remanufactured cartridges.
A remanufactured cartridge is a recycled cartridge that has been visually inspected and electronically circuit tested. Once it passes inspection it is then professionally cleaned of all residual ink. The cartridge is then refilled with inks specific for that particular cartridge. It is then print tested, properly sealed and packaged for resale. MaxPatch Ink uses only "single-use" cores, meaning that they have never been refilled before. This ensures high quality cartridges with very low failure rates. Although most cartridges can be remanufactured several times, their print quality will decrease with each successive remanufacturing experience.
Find Places To Properly Recycle Your Old Printer, Computer, Monitor or CellPhone!
The following web sites will help you find electronics recyclers in your area. It's a win-win solution. You get rid of stuff you don't need, help a good cause, and do the environment a big favor.
E-Cycling Central: Find a Recycler.
Earth 911 - To locate a recycling outlet, this Web portal lists about 80,000 agencies that recycle, dispose of and reuse items ranging from old paint to electronics.
National Recycling Coalition: Where & How to Recycle.
Rethink - Ebay's site to resell, recycle or donate your used electronics.
Staples - Take in your printer, computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse, cell phone and such... more info.
Is It Smart or Dumb To Buy a Refurbished Printer?
Smart! Not only do factory-refurbished printers cost much less, but they actually come with the printer manufacturer's full warranty!
(We're not affiliated with any of the following, we just wanted you to know about the savings!)
Check out RefurbDepot.com - Electrified.com - Overstock.com - Epson's clearance center where they offer refurbished printers - HPShopping.com (click on 'Outlet Store').
Select your printer brand from the menu on the left side and Start Saving!
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Questions? Need to Order? Having Problems?
Call us Toll-Free - 1-888-231-3426
(M-F 9a-5p Pacific Time)
E-mail: ink@maxpatch.com
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