Here’s a little something to make us even more conscious about the cost of printer ink.

A recent study has shown that as much as 60% of the ink in a cartridge is thrown away when printers ask users to throw away half full cartridges.

This information comes from a study commissioned by Epson and conducted by TUV Rheinland. Their goal was to measure how much ink is used up and how much ink remains in the cartridge when the printer prompts the user to replace the cartridge. What they found was a lot of ink being wasted.

Amazingly enough, it did not matter how makes your printer half of the ink in the cartridge goes to waste. They also reported that, on average, inkjet printers have an ink usage efficiency of just 58% when used for photo printing and 47% when used for business type printing. Comparative tests were done on 8 different printers from the major manufacturers (HP, Canon, Brother, Lexmark, Epson and Kodak).

Printers made by HP and Epson were found to have an efficiency level of 80%, while the new Kodak EasyShare model was found to have an efficiency level of just 40%. Kodak has made quite a stir with their new, less expensive, ink cartridges. I guess you can afford to pay half price for a cartridge that you are only half of the ink in.

The research also showed that the printers with the worst efficiency were the ones that use the individual ink tanks, as done by Epson, Brother, and Canon. The report says that pages were printed until one of the colors ran out. At that time the “residual amount of ink that was unused was then recorded”. We are not sure if this means that the ink in all of the tanks was recorded, or just the ink in the cartridge that ran out.

Epson commissioned this study because they wanted to find out the impact of wasted printer ink on the environment. They believe that is is more environmentally friendly and less expensive to utilize the individual ink tank model than it is to use a single color cartridge. All Epson printers utilize the individual ink tank model.

As presented, it would seem that the Epson model may not be the correct one, at least in terms of waste.

There is one factor that this study is missing, and we at Pacific Ink have heard this quite often; the majority of printer users don’t replace their printer cartridge as soon as they are prompted to. Consumers, or at least those we talk to, are aware that there is still quite a bit of ink inside their cartridge when they are warned they are out of ink. They keep on printing until the actual print out comes out looking poor.

You can read a full article at PC World.

It’s new cartridge Tuesday at Pacific Ink! This week we are happy to announce the release of compatible cartridges that replace the Brother TN-04 series. These cartridges are priced at $139.99 (black) and $129.99 (color). Retail stores carry the Brother brand product at $152.99 (black) and $147.99 (color).

These 100% compatible cartridges replace the Brother TN-04BK black, TN-04C cyan, TN-04M magenta, and TN-04Y yellow. They are designed for use in the following Brother multifunction printers:

Brother HL-2700CN
Brother HL-2700
Brother MFC-9420CN
Brother MFC-9420

The black ink cartridge yields up to 10,000 pages, while each of the colors yields 6,000 pages. These pages yields are based on 5% page coverage when using A4/Letter sized paper. The black toner cartridge has a higher yield because it contains more toner powder. This is because black is the key color for monochrome (black and white) and color printing. Each of the individual colors (cyan, magenta, yellow) mix together to form all of the colors you see on your printed page.

After extensive testing our compatible TN-04 cartridges offer the same quality print as you would expect from the Brother manufactured cartridges. You can expect correct color matching that will product prints that match the color you see on your computer screen, even ink distribution that will spread the ink evenly across the page to give a better looking print, and anti smearing formulation that will prevent your pages from smearing while they are printing. Printers come with an automatic delay time between pages to also prevent a page from smearing when the next page comes out on top of it.

If you need help replacing your Brother TN-04 cartridges, visit the Brother help-site. And, if you have had a chance to use these compatible cartridges, or the Brother brand cartridges, let us know what you think.

The HP DeskJet 6980 inkjet printer offers up to 4800 dpi and print speeds of 36 pages per minute black, and 27 pages per minute color. It also offers direct photo printing without a PC (with PictBridge enable cameras) and Wi-Fi wireless capability (in addition to wired Ethernet printing and print sharing).

It utilizes HP Vivera Ink to print laser quality black text and deep range of color for your color photos. The DeskJet 6980 uses cartridges from the newer HP 90 series (HP 96, HP 97, HP 98, HP 99, HP 100). The HP brand cartridges range in price from $21.99 to $36.99. For those that want to save a few dollars, Pacific Ink also offers remanufactured (recycled) versions of the 96, 97, 98, and 99 cartridges. these cartridges that range in price from $16.99 to $28.99. We also offer the Cartridge by Mail™ cartridge recycling service.

The 6980 is an affordable printer, priced from $90-$145, that is great for your home or your office. For the photo buffs, it can create borderless prints up to 8.5 x 24 inches.

Here is what HP says about the printer:

Fast, affordable, efficient. With laser-quality black and white, direct photo printing, and networkability, the HP Deskjet 6980 Color Inkjet Printer has all office bases covered. Built-in wireless options and fast, high resolution printing make the DJ6980 a versatile option for all your varied printing tasks. Automatically detect the paper type and adjust the print quality for optimal results Do things fast with the handy print cancel, network configuration and quiet mode controls Work at peak efficiency with the two-sided printing accessory and extra 250-sheet paper tray (sold separately) Easy print sharing - Make you printer available on a small home or office wireless or wired Ethernet network that mixes PCs and notebooks Set up fast - there’s no need for additional hardware or software with the built-in Ethernet Print from your camera phone or PDA with a Bluetooth wireless print adapter (sold separately) Water and smudge-resistant prints with HP Vivera Inks and HP advanced paper Maximize your ink efficiency - get fast results and superior fade resistance while using less ink with HP’s Vivera inks Supported Operating Systems - Windows 98 SE, 2000 Professional, Me, XP Home, XP Professional; Mac OS X v 10.2.3, 10.3, 10.4 Package Contents - HP Deskjet 6980 Printer / HP 96 Black Inkjet Print Cartridge (21 ml) / HP 97 Tri-color Inkjet Print Cartridge (14 ml) / HP Photosmart Premier software / Printer drivers / User’s guide on CD-ROM / Setup poster / Reference guide / Ethernet cable / Power supply / Power cord Unit Dimensions - (W x D x H) 17.7 x 14.5 x 5.7 inches / Weight 14.04 lb Manufacturer’s One-year limited warranty.

And, what are the users of this printer telling us:

If you own this printer, let us know what you think.

Buy the HP DeskJet 6980

Buy Cartridges for the HP DeskJet 6980

You mean we don’t have to read any more?

Well, maybe not, but researchers from Mid Sweden University have created an interactive paper billboard that emits a recorded sound when touched. Parts of the page are sensitive to touch and sound is emitted from printed speakers (which are printed with conductive inks). This obviously has potentially huge ramifications for advertisers and product packaging. The projects leader, Mikael Gulliksson, said, “When you approach the billboard and put your hand on a postcard that shows a picture of a beach, you can hear a very brief description of that beach.”

The same goes for product packaging. Image picking up a box in a store and hearing about the product within. I can’t decide if that would be amazing or annoying. And, what about reading?

“Why should I buy remanufactured or compatible printer ink cartridges instead of the manufacturer brand cartridges?”

This is a question Pacific Ink operators answer just about every day. Part of our job as a provider of these types of cartridges is to educate inkjet printer, and laser printer, users about the benefits these products offer. So, we’ve compiled a list of reasons to share with you.

One of the main reasons to use remanufactured and compatible ink cartridges can be summed up in one word . . . REDUCE. When you use these products you are reducing the amount of waste that goes in to landfills. You are reducing the amount of manufacturing waste and pollution. And, you are reducing energy consumption.

Remanufactured ink cartridges are made from recycled ink cartridges. Logic follows that if we are recycling the old cartridges we are reducing what is thrown in the trash, and then what ends up in landfills. The recycling of printer cartridges is a far gentler on the environment that making new cartridges is. By making products from recycled products we end up with less air and water pollution. Finally, by recycling we reduce our energy consumption because recycling requires less energy than creating a brand new product.

The other simple word that helps explain why one should use compatible or remanufactured ink cartridges instead of brand new ink cartridges . . . IMPROVE. When you use recycled printer cartridges, you help to improve the recycling market and peoples attitudes about using recycled products. You help businesses and governments attain their recycled product procurement goals. You help improve the job market.

When our customers purchase remanufactured ink cartridges they are helping to create a demand for recycled materials collected through various cartridge recycling programs. They are setting an example for others that recycled cartridges are just as good as brand new cartridges, and far better for the environment.

Many state and government agencies have procurement guidelines that requires them to purchase a certain amount of recycled product each year. Printer cartridges are one of these products. Many businesses are now also instituting recycled product purchasing guidelines.

When printer users purchase remanufactured ink cartridges they are improving the job market. The jobs created through the collection and remanufacturing of ink cartridges are far greater, in number, than those created by throwing them in the trash. It does not take may people to throw old cartridges in an incinerators or landfills, but it does take quite a few to collect, sort, prep, remanufacture, test, and package them.

Finally, and this is usually the clincher, compatible and remanufactured ink cartridges are less expensive than brand new cartridges. Recycled printer ink cartridges are one of the few products in the world that cost less than their brand new counterparts. Most of the time we pay more for the recycled version of a product. Not the case here.

So, if you are reading this and have yet to try a compatible or remanufatured ink cartridge, give them a try. If you have been using them, good job, and go out and take a moment to let someone else know about their benefit.

(Thanks to the California Integrated Waste Management board and OSO for their inspiration)

Here’s one inspired by the folks who take your phone calls each day.

“My printer’s ink level monitor says my cartridges are full, but they won’t print. What can I do?”

This is a pretty typical question. Most folks are very quick to blame the problem on their printer cartridge, especially if they are using a non-manufacturer brand cartridge. Ah, don’t be so quick to blame the cartridge for the trouble, there is another possible cause:

Your printer nozzles might be clogged.

Ink often builds up in nozzles when the printer is not used to often. When you print the ink is wet and a small amount remains in the nozzles (nozzles direct ink on to the paper). If you do not print frequently and keep moist ink in the nozzles, the ink inside will dry. Once dried a semi-solid plug will form within the nozzle. This blocks ink from moving though the nozzle and on to the page.

Take a look at your printer’s user manual. There is often a warning in there about how often one should print. Customer feedback has shown us that unless one prints every 3-5 days they are more likely to experience clogged nozzles.

As a remedy, each manufacturer suggest that you run a cleaning utility, most commonly known as a head cleaning utility. This primes the components of the printer and should blow out any blocks in your nozzles. It is recommended that you run this utility 3-4 times if you are experiencing trouble and at least once before you print. Most printers automatically run the utility when you turn them on. Keep in mind, this does use a very small amount of ink.

So, next time you have some trouble, don’t automatically assume it is the cartridge. Check your nozzles!

Let us know what you think.

It’s Tuesday! Time to let you know about a new cartridge release at Pacific Ink. This week we are proud to announce the release of the HP 74 black and HP 75 tri color cartridges.

These Hewlett Packard manufactured ink cartridges come in both standard and XL capacities. The standard black HP 74 (CB335WN) yields 200 pages, while the HP 74XL (CB336WN) cartridge yields 750 pages. What’s the price difference for the 500 additional pages? The standard cartridge costs $16.99 while the XL cartridge costs $31.99. The difference in price per page is 8 cents (standard) as opposed to 4 cents when using the XL cartridge.

The color HP 75 (CB337WN) yields 170 pages, while its high capacity counterpart, the HP 75XL (CB338WN) yields 520 pages. These cartridges are priced slightly higer becasue they are color cartridges. The HP 75 is priced at $19.99 while the HP 75XL is priced at $36.99. Price per page is 12 cents (standard) and 7 cents (XL).

At this time there are no compatible or remanufactured versions of this cartridge, so consumers are stuck paying the higher HP brand prices.

These cartridges are made with Vivera ink, so they promise radiant colors, enhanced shadow detail, and reduced image grain for stunning color prints and exceptional black-and-white images.

These cartridges work in the following HP OfficeJet J5700 series printers:

These cartridges are one of the first to utilize HP’s new cheaper pricing structure (see previous post) for their print cartridges. Under this plan they will release different capacity cartridges. It is then up to the consumer to decide which capacity they wish to purchase based on their printing habits. It seems the bigger question is, “How much to I want to spend today?” or, “Am I thinking beyond the price tag in front of me to see that if I buy the lower priced cartridge I will be spending twice as much per page?”

If you have to buy 2 or 3 cartridges at $16.99 to make up for the one you could have bought at $31.99, then you are far worse off. You would be spending $33.98-$50.97 versus the initial $31.99. Our warning, do your math at the time you purchase.

We are also hoping this new plan, which was launched to combat Kodak, does not end up causing consumer confusion. HP used to use a variation of the same type of plan a few years ago, and still does use it a little. Ink cartridge numbers ended in a letter that signified how much ink was inside the cartridge. Customers were never really sure if they needed to buy the cartridge that ended in A or G for their printer. In an area that already has so many confusing numbers, this may just make it worse (they are adding different colored boxes as well).

If you have used these cartridges, let us know what you think.

The Epson Stylus Photo R1800 is designed for photographers. Those looking for an office style or general use printer should definitely not purchase this one. If you are a novice photographer you probably don’t want this one either, unless it is “only the best for you!” It is designed to print large archival quality glossy photos. Prices for this printer range from $424.00 - $593.00.

The printer uses an 8 color, individual ink tank system that includes both red and blue inks (in addition to the traditional magenta and cyan). Using these two additional colors gives you a wider color range, which means better looking prints. It also uses a photo black and matte black cartridges in addition to the standard black cartridge. Again, much better color range. Finally there is a gloss optimizer cartridge that provides the glossy finish to the image. Users rave about this cartridge because it makes their prints look like the came right off that expensive equipment in the photo labs.

The R1800 uses the following ink cartridges: T054020 Gloss Optimizer, T054120 Black, T054220 Cyan, T054320 Magenta, T054420 Yellow, T054720 Red, T054820 Matte Black, T054920 Blue. Epson manufactured cartridges for this printer cost around $11.00 per cartridge. There are 100% compatible versions of these same cartridges available at Pacific Ink for about $5 less per cartridge.

The print range of this printer is awesome. It can do everything from 4×6’s up to prints that are 13 inches wide, and panoramic photos that are up to 44 inches long. In addition you can print on a variety of media such as CD-ROM’s and DVD’s.

Here is how Epson describes the printer:

Epson Stylus Photo R1800 quickly creates large, archival quality glossy and matte photos worthy of display. Experience the rich, true-to-life colors and subtle detail that’s evident in every image. It’s all possible with Epson UltraChrome Hi-Gloss Inks, plus an industry leading resolution and ink droplet size - the same innovative features that made the Epson Stylus Photo R800 a resounding success. This printer’s impressive 8-color individual ink system, which incorporates red and blue inks, means you get a wider color gamut for incredibly vivid photos. Its separate matte and photo black ink cartridges are integrated into the system as well, so you get the deepest, darkest blacks on matte paper, and brilliant results on glossy paper automatically. Finally, the unique gloss optimizer makes glossy prints look like they came from a traditional photo lab. And, since the inks are pigment-based, you can be confident the color and detail will remain true for up to 200 years. The Epson Stylus Photo R1800 delivers studio quality results on a wide variety of media and in eight popular borderless sizes - up to 13-inches wide, as well as panoramics up to 44-inches long. Best of all, the Epson Stylus Photo R1800 speeds through every project - so you can quickly print stacks of high-quality photos. And, its expertise goes well beyond the art of photographic prints. This photo printer makes it easy to add that special touch to your portfolio with professional quality printing on ink jet printable CDs and DVDs. Print directly on inkjet printable CDs/DVDs Accomodates 4, 8.3 and 13 roll papers Ink Shelf Life - 2 years from production date; 6 months from first use Input paper tray - 100 Sheets(plain paper)/ 20 sheets (photo paper)/ 1 printable CD/DVD Printer Dimensions & Weight (L x W x H) - 24.2 x 12.6 x 9.1 / Weight - 33 pounds Works with Windows PC and Macintosh.

Overall this printer provides very high quality color photos with good print speed. But, the printer’s nozzles quite a bit more maintenance than most other printers. Users have reported quite a few instances of the nozzles drying out if the cartridges sit without use for a few days.

Here is what users of this printer are saying:

If you own this printer, let us know what you think of it.

Buy the Epson Stylus Photo R1800 Printer

Buy Cartridges for your Epson Stylus Photo 1800

This is an example of the power of the consumer.

We found a report today that in the first three months of this year more than $320 million dollars was spent on new printers. That’s more than $100 million a month!

Printer sales in China were up 4.1% from the same time last year, and these numbers do not include consumables such as ink, toner, and paper. It is reported that consumables provide up to two-thirds of printer market revenues. If that is the case, you can tack another $200 million plus on to that $320 million.

So, with all this buying going on, who was the big winner? Hewlett Packard. Just about 33% of the printers sold were manufactured by HP. Twenty-one percent of the market went to Epson and about 14% went to Canon. These percentages add up to 21 million printers being shipped in China in January, February, and March.

Amazingly enough, the Chinese really have no presence in the printer manufacturing business. They do, however, have a large presence in the consumables market, selling remanufactured and compatible inkjet cartridges.

Let’s end with one more staggering number. By 2010 it is expected that the money spent on laser printers alone will exceed $5 billion.

If you have any thoughts, let Pacific Ink know what you think.

(Thanks to Infomatics.com for the story)

Here is some help for a question we get quite often – “My printer won’t work, what can I do?”

This happens more than one would think. It us usually pretty easy to get your printer back up and running, if you know a few of these tricks. Okay, they aren’t really that tricky, but they will do the trick. We find it amazing how many help guides there are out there with these same suggestions and how many times this topic has been discussed online. But, the bottom line is that people are still having trouble finding the information when they need it. So, we’ll take our turn and put it out there one more time.

So, you’ve created your wonderful document, or prepared that wonderful picture and you are ready to print. You click the print button and . . . nothing! What do you do now?

First, do the obvious. Check your printer cartridges. They may be out of ink. If they are you will need to buy more. If you do still have ink in your printer cartridges (your ink level monitor should keep you informed of the amount of printer ink you have) then move on and check the cables (USB or Parallel) that connect your printer to your computer. For that matter, you should check to make sure the printer is still plugged in and is receiving power – Don’t laugh, you’d be surprised how often the solution to the problem is making sure the printer is powered on.

If none of this works you are on to step 2, checking your print queue. There may be other documents that are clogging up your print queue and preventing your current document from reaching its destination, your inkjet printer. To check your print queue simply do the following

Click on START
Click CONTROL PANEL
Click PRINTERS AND OTHER HARDWARE
Click Printers AND FAXES
Double click on the icon with your printer’s name

This will open the documents window for your printer and you can clear any documents in your print queue by selecting CANCEL ALL DOCUMENTS from the PRINTER drop down menu.

If you get to your inkjet printer’s print queue and it is empty, or you clear it and it still does not work you should try to print a test page directly from your printer. This will give you a better idea of where the problem lies. If you can print a test page directly from your printer then the problem is in the communication (connection) between your computer and your printer or within the printer software (drivers) on your computer. If you can’t print a test page, then the problem is with your printer.

Most printers now have a button, or a sequence of buttons you can push to print a test page. As it is different for each printer model, you will need to consult your printer’s user manual for directions.

You can also try to print something from a different program. We would suggest you use a simple word processing, or even better, Wordpad or Notepad. If you can print from one of these two programs then the problem is within the program you are trying to print from.

Hopefully this is helpful, and can prevent some hardships on your part. We’re happy to help, so if you get to a point in your tests, or find out what the problem is and don’t know what to do next, give us a call.

And, if you have any suggestions to add to these, please feel free.

You can also try to print something from a different program. We would suggest you use a simple word processing, or even better, Wordpad or Notepad. If you can print from one of these two programs then the problem is within the program you are trying to print from.

Hopefully this is helpful, and can prevent some hardships on your part. We’re happy to help, so if you get to a point in your tests, or find out what the problem is and don’t know what to do next, give us a call.

And, if you have any suggestions to add to these, please feel free.