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Inkjet Printer Consumer Info and FAQ's

Table of Contents

1. Is refilling cartridges for me?
2. What do I get in a refill kit?
3. WARNING - Special notice for Hewlett Packard cartridges
4. What does OEM mean?
5. Is My Cartridge Wearing Out? Signs and Tips
6. How come the manufacturer doesn't offer refill kits?
7. Will using refill kits or replacement cartridges "void" my printer warranty?
8. Is the quality of your inks inferior to the manufacturers?
9. Want the Truth Behind Printing Test Results? Follow the Money!
10. What is CMY?
11. When is a cartridge not refillable?
12. Why does my printer's refill supplies show another brand name?
13. Environmental Concerns and Exposing the Fraud.
14. Consumers Do Have a Choice!
15. Safe Shopping.

Is Refilling Cartridges For Me?

Refilling cartridges is not for everyone. In order to properly care for your cartridges you must be willing to set aside a small amount of your time to give your undivided attention to your cartridges. Proper care of cartridges is essential to ensure a long and useful refill life.

In addition, while the refill kits we sell are complete and easy to use, they require preparation in order to use properly. The most common misconception people have about refill kits is that they assume it is as easy as replacing their cartridges with brand new ones. There is actually some work involved but it IS simpler than you think!

Certain users simply don't use their printers enough to realize any economic benefits of refilling. Unless you are using up at least one cartridge every month or two, low volume users are better off with new OEM or remanufactuered cartridges or ready-to-use compatibles, which we also supply. Its a different matter if you have been restricting your use because of cartridge replacement costs. Refilling your cartridges will give you more freedom to use your printer with greater frequency.

In general, if you are willing to take the time to provide proper care before, during, and after refilling your cartridges then refilling IS for you.

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What do I get in a refill kit?

Everything you need to refill a standard store bought inkjet cartridge is included in our kits, except the empty cartridge from your printer! You get detailed instructions including graphics to complete the refill. Kits are tailored for your particular printer and cartridge. They really are nice and complete! Refilling is easy, good for the environment and very cost effective.

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WARNING - Special notice for Hewlett Packard cartridges.

Don't be fooled by "bargain" prices on Hewlett Packard cartridges.

Hewlett Packard has introduced a new line of inkjet cartridges which contain half the ink that their cartridges have traditionally contained. These new cartridges come in packaging which looks nearly the same as the standard packages, but they each have a Hewlett Packard part number which ends in "G" rather than "A".

UPDATE: Hewlett Packard has now introduced a new series of cartridges which end in the letter "D". These cartridges contain more ink than the "G" cartridges but still less than the "A" cartridges.

What is the difference between the HP C1823A, D, and G color cartridges?

We get this question a lot. Basically, they are all interchangeable and compatible. As with most HP models the G is a economy cartridge meaning HP puts about 1/2 as much ink in as it would a regular cartridge. The difference between the A and D is that HP disovered the "yellow ink" was always running out before the other colors in the A model. They did a slight adjustment in design and allowed for a greater capacity of yellow ink to be placed in the D model.

Calidad Refillers we sell will fill "G" "D" or "A" cartridges, but our references to product yield (# of refills) refers to the number of times you can fill the standard "A" cartridges.

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What does OEM mean?

OEM stands for "Original Equiment Manufacturer". In other words the original products that a manufacturer supplies.

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Is My Cartridge Wearing Out? Signs and Tips

If a jet (nozzle) in your cartridge is “burned out”, you will see horizontal bands or white streaks in your print. Print characters may appear incomplete and the "fill area" on graphics will show areas with no ink.

Note: These white streaks can also be caused by other problems, so don’t assume your cartridge is a "gonner" when you see them.

Some of the things that cause the white streaks are easily fixable; for example, the cartridge nozzle may have a build up of dust, and is dragging that dust through the wet ink on the page as it moves across the page.

Another sign that your cartridge may be nearing its useful life is the appearance of dramatically lighter than normal print. This can mean the heaters (resistors) are weakened and putting less ink out through the 'nozzles' and onto the paper. Again, this can be caused by other “fixable” problems. Here are some common fixes that can often resolve a print problem in an ink jet printer:

1) Run a little warm tap water over the print head. This can dissolve any ink which may have dried in the cartridge 'nozzles' (where the ink comes out). It will also remove any lint or dust which may have built up on the print head. This is especially helpful if the cartridge has been removed and exposed to the air for any length of time. (be sure to dry the cartridge with a lint-free cloth before inserting to printer)

2) Dirty "resistors" or heaters can often be cured by cleaning the contacts on the cartridge (the copper colored circuitry) and the contacts where the cartridge clips into the printer carriage. This can be done with water or alcohol. After cleaning, snap the cartridge in and out a few times to be sure you have a good connection between contacts on the cartridge and the printer.

3) "Smeared" print can be caused by a build up of ink on the wiper blade found in most HP DeskJet models. Clean the wiper blade according to your printer manual instructions.

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How come the manufacturer doesn't offer refill kits?

The manufacturer of your machine generally does not offer refill kits for one simple reason...MONEY. Because of the highly competitive nature of the printer industry, manufacturers rarely make high profits on their machines they produce. Instead they recoup much of their costs by selling the consumables (toner cartridges, ink cartridges, and paper). Therefore they have NO incentive to offer cost saving options such as refill kits. If you have paid the OEM prices, you know what we're saying!

In addition, the warranties being offered on most new machines now extend for 1 -2 years or longer. Because refill kits are do-it-yourself by design, the manufacturer has no control over how the refill kit is used.

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Will using refill kits or replacement cartridges "void" my warranty?

The short, simple answer is NO! Thanks to the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Improvement Act. United States Code Annotated - Title 15 Commerce And Trade - Chapter 50 - 2302 Consumer Product Warranties, etc.

What the heck does it mean for us printer users? It means that the manufacturer of your printer CAN NOT legally void the warranty on your printer because you use a third-party manufactured item or service.

This is the law, and all printer manufacturers know about this law, although underpaid technicians and sales persons will often ignore this law and still try to threaten or mislead you.

Let me put it another way. It's like Ford Motor Co. telling you that you must use x-brand of gasoline or they will void your warranty!

You can use a refill kit or a compatible cartridge in your new, under warranty printer without fear of voiding the warranty as long as the ink kit or cartridge was designed to be used in your printer. Know who you buy from. All of our products are of the highest quality and designed specifically for your printer model.

Note: Manufacturers are not required to repair in warranty products free if damage is done by a part that was defective and not from the manufacturer. However, the burden of proof is on the manufacturer!

It boils down to one thing folks, choice. It's your money, it's your right!

More On Warranties:

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 products, 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. The two I recently visited were not in compliance! This rule applies to "all" consumer products coverd by warranties costing more than $15.00

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Is the quality of your inks inferior to the printer manufacturer's?

No. Our inks are meticulously formulated to perform flawlessly. Each printer model requires ink that is 'specifically' formulated for that printer model. Our inks are produced accordingly. There is NO such thing as "Universal" ink!

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Want the Truth Behind the Printing Test Results? Follow the Money!

Question: Which of these three recent imaging article titles is practically criminally misleading?

- "WIR Testing Finds Aftermarket Inks are Inferior to OEM"
- "Third-Party Inkjet Inks Dealt Major Blow by Latest Wilhelm Tests"
- "Aftermarket Inks Fading Fast?"

The Answer: All three!

Click here to read this very interesting and informative report (It's a PDF document).

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What does CMYK mean?

Cyan is denoted by the capital letter "C", Magenta by the capital letter "M", Yellow by the captial letter "Y", and Black which is well, Black! (some "black" is denoted as K).

Beyond 4- color process, special lighter shades of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black can be used to produce greater color range and detail. The most common of these is "6-Color Process" which uses the 4 primary colors (CMYK) and two lighter colors; light cyan and light magenta. The lighter colors are denoted by a lower case letter in the same way as the original 4 colors. Thus the colors used in 6 color process printing are abbreviated in the following format: "CcMmYK".

**You really don't have to remember all this as all you'll have to know is your printer model (ie: Canon, HP, Epson) and more specifically, the cartridge number. Our cross reference will make it easy to pinpoint the supplies you need.

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When is a cartridge not refillable?

There are limits to the refillability of inkjet cartridges. The following guidelines are recommended for most inkjet cartridges:

Inkjet cartridges which have been empty longer than a day or two are usually more difficult to refill. This is primarily due to ink drying and clogging the 'nozzles'. For best results cartridges should be refilled immediately and stored. **(place the cartridge in a moist paper towel and seal tightly in a plastic bag to help retard drying and clogging of the nozzles). Cartridges which have been subject to intense heat or exposure to direct sunlight or cartridges which show physical damage should not be refilled. NEVER put a leaking cartridge into your printer!

Inkjet cartridges have a general refill life of between 4 and 10 refills with the actual life dependent on the brand, model, and use time.

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Why does my printer's refill supplies show another brand name?

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Environmental Concerns

Thousands of tons of plastic and metals are dumped into landfills each year. Using refill ink kits and remanufactured cartridges, both laser and inkjet, reduces solid waste in our landfills. Which in turn saves tax dollars.

Please read these eye-opening and very informative articles: "Remanufacturing Is A Superior Choice" and "Exposing the Fraud: High-Tech Trash Ends Up in Asia".

Expsoing the Fraud... 18 Months Later: by Tricia Judge

Do you know where those empty cartridges really go that you mail back in the prepaid box to Lexmark, HP or other OEM's? A good portion are destined for Guiyu, China - a toxic wasteland. Read more here.

Toner Cartridge and Ink jet users, you do have options!

Don't be fooled by misleading information and propaganda. Many consumers are unaware of the environmental impact their purchase may have or are misinformed about the remanufacturing industry. Visit Consumer Choice and get the true facts about cartridge remanufacturing and its benefits.

There's lots of good info there and they will be adding to it quite regularly. That's where you folks come in... just go to the site and browse around. Then, click on the "Contact" link on the left side navigation. Leave your comments and any suggestions for any additional content you'd like to see. It's YOUR site so please leave your suggestions and Do tell others about it! - Phil

Safe Shopping

Our site strictly adheres to "safe shopping" practices and ordering is Secure. For more information on this subject we offer you this informative link: Safeshopping.org - This informational site, created by the American Bar Association, will help you order safely when shopping online. Much of what you'll read on this web site is common sense. You'll find cyber-shopping is fast, convenient, and opens up a whole new world of merchandise and services for you and your family.

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