Anyone who has purchased an Epson or Canon printer over the last few years has learned about individual ink cartridges (tanks). Brother has been doing this a little longer than the other two, but it was Epson and Canon who really made the practice popular.

What is an individual ink cartridge? Well, in most cases your printer (see HP, Lexmark, Dell) your printer requires two cartridges. A black cartridge and a color cartridge. The color cartridge has three chambers inside of it that each contain a different color ink (cyan, magenta, yellow). Once you run out of one of the colors you must replace the entire cartridge. You could still have plenty of the other two colors, but with a single color cartridge it is essentially an all or nothing deal. This type of cartridge is the reason refill kits became as popular as they are. Individuals could now simply refill the color that was empty and put the cartridge back in their printer and continue printing. They provided a way for one to maximize their ink.

Now when you purchase a printer made by Canon, Epson, or Brother you receive at least 4 cartridges (tanks) with your printer. Each cartridge holds a specific color (black, cyan, magenta, yellow). Once of of the tanks runs out of ink you simply replace the specific tank, and nothing else. Now instead of refilling a cartridge you simply purchase a new one. Again, a way to maximize your printer ink.

With the advent of photo quality printers came more individual ink tanks. Some printers now can take up to 8 different cartridges. The standard black, cyan, magenta, yellow, and then 2-4 different photo grade ink cartridges (photo cyan, photo magenta, light cyan, light magenta). Amazingly enough we have yet to see a photo yellow cartridge (wonder why?).

We thought we would honor the individual ink tank idea using this commercial we found. It was made by Epson and perfectly captures the spirit of the individual ink tank. From the looks of it, those in the farming community might enjoy it as well. Replaceable utters, anyone? —- Check out the video!

Good question! And, as printer cartridge technology continues to advance picoliters are going to become more important. Put simply, a picoliter is a very, very, very, very, very small drop of ink. But, for those that require a more formal definition, our friends at Whatis.com give this:

A picoliter is a trillionth (one millionth of a millionth, or 10 to the -12th power) of a liter, which can be represented numerically as 0.000000000001/liter. The prefix pico denotes a trillionth part, just as the prefix nano denotes a billionth part. Measurements on the scale of nanoliters and picoliters are used in microfluidics, the branch of nanotechnology dealing with extremely low volumes of liquids. Strictly speaking, when measurements such as picoliters, picometers, and picoseconds are involved, the correct term is the less familiar picotechnology.

Among the possible applications of liquid measured to such tiny volumes is the lab-on-a-chip, a device about as big as a shirt button that performs laboratory functions on a microchip platform. One such device, the Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer, uses reagents (chemical species that change as a result of a chemical reaction) in picoliter volumes moving through microchannels etched into a glass chip. A more common use for picoliter-scale volumes is in printers; inkjet printers typically use ink droplets that measure somewhere between 2 and 25 picoliters, with smaller droplets enabling higher resolution images.

So, next time you are out and about and want to wow your friends with your knowledge of microfluidics and nanotechnology, bust this one out on them.

(Source: Whatis.com)

Epson (Seiko Epson Corp.) has announced plans to change the packaging for its large format printer ink cartridges. Starting in late December Epson began switching from white cardboard to 100% recycled brown cardboard, or kraft cardboard. They also began standardizing packaging specifications around the globe.

Epson also plans on taking an additional step and changing the color of the plastic used in its ink cartridge casings. They will switch from gray to a natural color. The color switch will help reduce the environmental impact of production by eliminating dyes and reducing fabrication processes. Using a natural color cartridge casing will improve the recycling rates of Epson cartridges as natural colored plastics can be used for a wider variety of purposes than colored casings can.

Good job Epson!

(Photo credit: Epson Japan website)

Now Available! Compatible cartridges for Epson Stylus CX5000 and Epson Stylus CX6000 inkjet printers.

On 3/7/2007 Pacific Ink released a line of 4 compatible inkjet cartridges to replace the Epson 69 black, cyan, magenta, and yellow series.

As always, the introduction of compatible cartridges opens the door for a far more cost effective alternative for those looking to save on the cost of their printer cartridges. The Epson brand cartridges retail at a price of $18.99 (black) and $13.99 (color). Compatible cartridges cost $8.99 (black) and $6.99 (color). In addition, when you purchase three or more black cartridges you will only pay $5.99 for each black cartridge. Color cartridges cost the same ($5.99) when you purchase 3 or more of each individual cartridge. All compatible cartridges are 100% guaranteed to print to your satisfaction or you can return and get your money back.

Buy the printer: Epson Stylus CX5000 | Epson Stylus CX6000

Buy the cartridges: T069120 | T069220 | T069320 | T069420

You’ve waited a long time for this day. You’ve purchased it and upgraded, but now your printer won’t work. This is the plight of many Windows Vista users.

Windows released its much anticipated Vista operating system a few weeks ago.

Here’s what’s happening . . . When you upgrade to a new operating system the printer drivers that used to run your old computer hardware remain the same (they are not upgraded). The new operating system then tries to use them, but they are not compatible with the new system, are not recognized, and therefore cannot be used. If you are using drivers written for an older operating system you will need to upgrade to the latest driver, making sure that it was written for the new operating system you are running. In some cases there is no such thing. In other cases there is, but you can’t always guarantee your printer will work as well as it did with the old drivers and the old operating system.

The best place to find a new driver (if it is available) is on your printer manufacturer’s web site. You can then download the drive and install it on your computer.

Windows Vista has caught a lot of heat because of people’s printers not working after installing. In addition, there have been many rumors that many printer manufacturers are not going to update printer drivers to be compatible with Vista if the printer model is more than a few years old. What does this mean? Well, it means that if you have a printer without and updated driver you have two choices:

1) Revert back to the old operating system and drivers

2) Buy a new printer that has drivers that work with Windows Vista

The driver issues do not only apply to printers, they also apply to other hardware peripherals.

Now Available! A remaunfactured cartridge for the Dell 810 All-in-One-Printer and the Dell 725 Color Inkjet Printer.

On 3/6/2007 Pacific Ink released a remanufactured cartridge for use in the newer Dell 810 and 725 printers. These remanufactured cartridges are fully factory processed, meaning they have undergone extensive cleaning and machine refilling processes. Each cartridge is guaranteed to print with the same results you would expect from a Dell brand cartridge.

The Dell version of this cartridge is known by a few different part numbers (JF333, PG324, or 310-7518). It is also a very unique cartridge in the sense that the printers that use it only take one cartridge. It is a single cartridge that contains cyan, magenta, and yellow. There is no black cartridge. The color cartridge combines colors to create the color black on your printed pages.

Users on the Dell web site have rated this cartridge 3.2 stars out of 5.

The remanufactured (or recycled) version of this cartridge is created by using empty Dell casings and putting them through an extensive remanufacturing process. Each cartridge is print tested multiple times before it is packaged for sale.

As always, using a remanufactured cartridge will save you a few dollars over using the manufacturer brand cartridge. The JF333 is for sale on the Dell web site for $21.99. Pacific Ink the remanufactured product for $19.99. Each cartridge also comes with a postage paid baggie you can use to send your empty cartridge to be recycled (please, don’t throw then in the trash!).

Buy Cartridges for: Dell 810 All-in-One-Printer | Dell 725 Color Inkjet Printer

Amazon.com is offering a $100 rebate on the Canon Color imageCLASS 8180c. The MF8180c is a laser multifunction machine (scan, copy, print, fax). List price is $1,995.00, but Amazon typically sells for $667.17. After the $100 rebate you only pay $567.17. This item is not eligible for Amazon’s free Super Saver shipping.

Technical Details:

• Comes with iC MF8180c Machine / EP-87 Drum Cartridge / EP-87 Toner Cartridges (Yellow, Magenta, Cyan, Black) / USB cable / Document feeder tray / Destination labels / AC Power cord / Telephone cable / Documentation kit / Software on CD-ROM / 3 Warranty Card (machine, drum, and toner) / Registration Card
• Print Speed (up to) Black - Up to 20 ppm and Color - Up to 4 ppm letter-size text
• Print Resolution (up to) 600 x 600 dpi; 2400 x 600 dpi quality
• Copier has reduction and enlargement mode
• Fax, Scanner and Copier has an up to 50 sheet auto document feeder

Product Description (source: Amazon.com):

The Canon Color imageCLASS MF8180c will generate impressive, cost-effective color documents that will elevate your company’s professional appearance. Your color copies and prints will be made at 4 pages-per-minute, and black and white documents will print and copy at 20 pages-per-minute. With a 375-sheet total paper capacity and the 50-sheet Automatic Document Feeder, copying, printing and faxing are done with ease. Your scanned image color will be true to the original. You will achieve remarkable tone-on-tone clarity with up to 1200 x 2400 dpi 48-bit CCD technology. Scanning text is also simple and accurate with the included OCR (optical character recognition) software. When your office needs a single business machine that produces documents with beautiful color and speed, meeting the demands of today’s fast-paced environment, choose the Color imageCLASS MF8180c. It provides outstanding Color Copying, Color Printing, Faxing, Color Scanning and Network Capabilities for printing and faxing. It is the essential color laser solution for every small office that demands professional results. High-res CCD Flatbed Scanner - Maximum Resolutions of Up to 1200 x 2400 dpi (optical via platen); Up to 9600 x 9600 dpi (enhanced) // Color Depth 48-bit (internal) / 24-bit (output) // Platen - Up to 8.5 x 11.7 Fax Resolution - Up to 406 x 391 dpi / Memory Capacity Up to 256 pages / Memory Backup - Standard, Up to 40 minutes / Speed Dialing - 19 one-touch speed dials / 100 coded dials OS Compatibility - Windows XP, 2000, Me, 98, Server 2003 Standard Interface - USB 2.0 Hi-Speed / Internal (10/100 Base T) Unit Dimension (W x D x H) - 20.1(W) x 20.2(D) x 25.2(H) / Weight 79.4 lbs. Canon USA 1 year limited warranty with on-site service.

Buy this printer: Canon Color imageCLASS 8180c

Late last week Staples introduced a new and exclusive color inkjet printer - the HP Officejet Pro K5400dn Color Printer. While this is an inkjet printer, Staples is touting it as printing color with laser quality and providing a 25% lower cost per page. The printer is priced at $199.98.

The HP K5400dn prints 36 pages per minute (black) and 35 pages per minute (color). If you are printing a page that contains both black and color you can expect to print at the 35ppm rate. This is a great rate for an inkjet printer. Print resolution is rated at 1200 x 1200 dpi (black) and 4800 x 1200 dpi (color). The paper tray holds 250 pages while the “after print” tray holds 150 pages. The machine holds all sizes of paper up to 8.5″ x 14″ and can handle printing up to 7,500 pages per month, making it a very versatile machine for use in your office. The printer is network ready and boasts 32MB of memory. It offers Ethernet or USB connectivity to your computer. The K5400dn offers automatic duplex printing (something very rare for inkjet printers) which allows automatic 2 sided printing, something Staples claims will reduce your paper consumption by 50%.

As for reducing your per pages costs by 25%, Staples states the following:

Cost-per-page (CPP) laser supplies comparisons based on published manufacturer specifications of the highest-capacity cartridges available for color laser printers under $500 and mono laser printers under $250 as reported by Current Analysis,Inc. as of July 2006. HP Officejet K5400 series CPP based on HP 88 XL cartridges (Black XL cartridge included, color XL cartridges not included - sold separately) estimated street price and published yield. Results may vary.

As with most printers, the K5400dn does not come with a USB Cable. You will need to purchase that separately.

Now, lets talk about the ink cartridges. This printer uses the HP 88 series, which is part of HP’s Vivera Ink family. The color cartridges each contain 9ml of ink while the black contains 25ml. It is important to note that the HP web sites reports page yields that are much lower than what Staples shows (820 for black, 620 for each of the colors). The series is made up of the following cartridges:

	HP 88 (C9396AN) Black Ink Cartridge, Large - Price $34.99 Yields up to 2,580 pages
	HP 88 (C9391AN) Cyan Ink Cartridge, Large - Price $24.99 Yields up to 1,840 pages
	HP 88 (C9392AN) Magenta Ink Cartridge, Large - Price $24.99 Yields up to 2,190 pages
	HP 88 (C9393AN) Yellow Ink Cartridge, Large - Price $24.99 Yields up to 1,650 pages

As far as cartridge pricing goes, these cartridges are priced in line with other HP manufactured cartridges of the same ink capacity and page yield. As with other OEM cartridges the cost per ml of ink is quite high, and unfortunately there are no alternative products at this time.

Only the “official” printer stats are available at this time. This printer is so exclusive it is not even available on the HP shopping site. The printer cartridges are though. As soon as we can find some professional and user reviews of this printer we will be sure to post them here. In the mean time, if you have this printer or know someone who does we would appreciate you letting us know (or having them let us know) what your review is.

Buy this printer: HP Officejet Pro K5400dn Color Printer
Buy ink for this printer: HP 88 Black | HP 88 Cyan | HP 88 Magenta | HP 88 Yellow

Every day our customer service team fields a variety of questions from customers. They say that no question is a bad question, and I am inclined to agree with that, but I would have to say that some questions are far more interesting than others. With that in mind let’s cover some of the most basic questions we receive.

Should I buy an inkjet or a laser printer?
A great question, and a lot really depends on what type and how much of that type of printing you plan on doing. Inkjet printers are much cheaper than laser printers, and are great for printing color photos. The vast majority of home users end up purchasing an inkjet printer. Mostly because of the cost of the machine and the versatility it provides. With an inkjet you can print documents, photos, fabric transfers, etc. Most people will warn though that what you spend on inkjet cartridges will rapidly add up. They are very small (in comparison to laser toner cartridges) and thus don’t hold much ink.

Laser printers will cost you more up front but they do print a lot faster than inkjet printers. Their cartridges hold a lot of toner powder, so you will get a lot more pages of print. Typically 1,000+ pages with a laser toner cartridge as compared to 300-400 for an inkjet cartridge. Toners do text printing very well, and this is still where their strength is. The last few years have seen the introduction of the color laser printers. Printer manufacturers have realized the importance of the use of color in documents, but they have not put much in to creating a color laser printer that can do photos very well. It seems that their research and development is going in to creating high quality photo inks for inkjet printers.

Our opinion: Take a look at your needs. If you just need a good general use printer for around the home or office then go with an inkjet. You’ll be very pleased. If you are printing close to 1,000 or more a month, and these are mostly in black and white then go for the laser. The initial cost will be offset by the lesser cost of the toner cartridges, they number of pages they provide, and the speed at which you will be able to print. Can’t decide? Do like a lot of our customers have - get one of each!

Can I get a fax and copier with my printer?
You certainly can! The new generation of multifunction machines are amazing. I’ve got an HP OfficeJet 5610 All-in-One sitting to my left. Love it! These machines provide printing, scanning, copying, and faxing in to one machine. You’ll pay more for a multifunction that would would for just a standard inkjet printer, but your office will be less cluttered with equipment.

Our opinion: If you need a versatile machine and are not overly worried about producing photo lab quality pictures then go with a multifunction.

Where can I get printer cables?
A very common question. There are very few printers these days that come with all of the cables you need to complete the set up process. On the flip side, the stores are very good at making sure the customer is reminded of their need for a cable. All new printers now take USB cables. It makes the set up a lot easier. There are still a few out there (we have one of those too - HP LaserJet 2100) that still uses the parallel cable (anyone remember those?). The new push in printer connectivity is wireless (WI-FI) and Bluetooth. Both eliminate the need for any cables at all.

Our opinion: For now stick with the USB. WI-FI and Bluetooth connections are rapidly improving but there is still a lot that goes in to setting up and maintaining their connections.

If you have questions you would like answered. Take a second and post them here. We’ll be sure to post an answer back.

What is HP Vivera Ink? Good question!

We visited the HP website and found the following definition. This is the text as we found it on the Hewlett Packard web site (source: hpshopping.com).

“HP’s proprietary ink, which has been engineered and tested to ensure delivery of a broad range of vivid, lifelike colors and crisp black text. Vivera ink formulations blend with advanced precision for consistent, realistic-color prints. Vivera ink is also exceptionally pure, so it dramatically reduces print head clogging. This purity, combined with HP-exclusive protectants, guards photos and graphics against airborne pollutants, allowing them to resist fading for decades (based on light fade testing under glass using HP Vivera Inks on HP Premium Plus Photo Paper and HP Premium Photo Paper, according to Wilhelm Imaging Research, Inc.).”

In short, about a 2-3 years ago HP released a new formulation of their printer cartridge ink. Instead of changing the ink that was in all of their cartridges they released a new line of printer cartridges that contained the Vivera ink. This ink is a premium grade ink as compared to the non-Vivera branded cartridges. With this new line of ink HP claimed that printouts could last up to 110 years. This is an increase of 37 years over their current estimate of 73 years.

The introduction of the Vivera inks also brought the introduction of the Smart printing technology. This allows customers to monitor individual ink color levels and permit them to take part in an automated cartridge purchasing program.

We’ve heard a lot of good things about Vivera ink. Customers have reported a definite difference in the colors printed with Vivera ink versus those with HP’s standard grade inks.

If you are using Vivera ink let us know what you think.