All-Ink Versus Epson

[Duane Thomas]

Has anyone had any experience with the All-Ink computer printer cartridges? Supposedly manufactured to OEM standards. Any comparisons in quality and performance to Epson?

[BrianH]

Don't know about that but I ruined my first Epson Stylus buying an off-brand cart from Office Max. Screwed up the print head and repairing it was going to cost almost as much as a new printer.

[EricW]

Duane,

Seriously consider a color laser. If you're burning through cartridges at a rate to consider going reman, you're probably at a level where the laser will pay off. I bought a pair of Brother HL-4070CDW's and they've been good machines. On the mac it's really easy to create printer profiles, and it's a simple matter to print B&W or color at my whim. I can print B&W for a small bit more than what it costs on a straight B&W laser - which is still about 1/5 of what it costs via inkjet.

FWIW,

E

[Jeff686]

Duane,

Seriously consider a color laser. If you're burning through cartridges at a rate to consider going reman, you're probably at a level where the laser will pay off. I bought a pair of Brother HL-4070CDW's and they've been good machines. On the mac it's really easy to create printer profiles, and it's a simple matter to print B&W or color at my whim. I can print B&W for a small bit more than what it costs on a straight B&W laser - which is still about 1/5 of what it costs via inkjet.

FWIW,

E

Actually, color inkjet Total Cost of Ownership is much less than color laserjet. Just don't buy one of those super cheap inkjets. They artifically limit you to buy the most expensive ink supplies. If you pay a little more for an 'office grade' inkjet printer, you can get the XL supplies that have more ink/dollar.

ISO is working on a page yield specification that will soon standardize the testing that determines the number of pages you can print with an ink or toner cartridge. It will be more readily aparent that the cost of ink is less than toner once the testing is standardized.

[Duane Thomas]

I think I'll go with the real Epson cartridge. Thanks for the info, guys.

[AzShooter]

Go with the real thing Duane. I tried the replacements and the heads on mhy printer wnet out real fast. Now I stick with OEM and I'm happy.

[EricW]

Duane,

Seriously consider a color laser. If you're burning through cartridges at a rate to consider going reman, you're probably at a level where the laser will pay off. I bought a pair of Brother HL-4070CDW's and they've been good machines. On the mac it's really easy to create printer profiles, and it's a simple matter to print B&W or color at my whim. I can print B&W for a small bit more than what it costs on a straight B&W laser - which is still about 1/5 of what it costs via inkjet.

FWIW,

E

Actually, color inkjet Total Cost of Ownership is much less than color laserjet. Just don't buy one of those super cheap inkjets. They artifically limit you to buy the most expensive ink supplies. If you pay a little more for an 'office grade' inkjet printer, you can get the XL supplies that have more ink/dollar.

ISO is working on a page yield specification that will soon standardize the testing that determines the number of pages you can print with an ink or toner cartridge. It will be more readily aparent that the cost of ink is less than toner once the testing is standardized.

I'm not trying to turn DT's thread into a 9/45 debate, but I have to disagree. By the time I factor in the # of OEM cartridges that dry out and go TU after 5 or 10% of their lifespan, plus all the fussing around cleaning, aligning, and all that other garbage, laser is cheaper on a practical level. If you don't print much and make $5/hr, ink may be cheaper. If you need to get crap done *now*, my calculator says laser is cheaper.

[Nik Habicht]

After my last Epson printer went TU about five years ago, I bought the same HP laser printer my parents owned. I then became the rare photographer who couldn't print color in his house....

I could see running two printers in the future --- one laser and one inkjet; but I'm not giving up my laser until you pry it out of my cold dead hands....

This year alone --- 14,000 pages of notes and another 3000-4000 pages of note cards, for myself and my study partners --- all on the same toner cartridge. I shudder at the ink costs.....

That said --- given that my personal experience is five years old, but that I still talk to printing photographers --- Epson original ink appears to still be the way to go...