Things You Can Do When Your Printer Ink Cartridge Runs Dry

Okay - you're at home or in your office and you're printing out an important document and all of a sudden your computer indicates that you're running out of printer ink. It's an important job, so you want to get the highest quality results. So what do you do?

Essentially you have three options available to you. You can either throw out or recycle your printer ink cartridge and buy an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) cartridge, you can buy a compatible cartridge, or you can refill the cartridge yourself. This article takes a look at your options so that you can make the best choice based on your circumstances.

Buy an OEM Replacement Printer Ink Cartridge

If you want the least hassle you should buy a replacement cartridge that was manufactured by the same company that manufactured your printer. Just make sure to buy the cartridge that was designed for your specific printer. Although this is the easiest thing to do, and you know that you can be assured of the results, the major drawback is that this will be your most expensive option.

Buy a Compatible Cartridge

There are plenty of companies that manufacture replacement printer ink cartridges for just about any ink jet printer that is on the market. These cartridges cost substantially less than an OEM cartridge.

Many people have read that using a non-OEM cartridge can damage their printer and void their warranty. This is not necessarily the case.

Your warranty should not be voided as long as you use a cartridge designed for that printer. And often the quality of the printing is on par with what you would get using an original equipment manufacturer inkjet cartridge.

Refill Your Empty Ink Cartridge

Your third alternative is to either have your empty cartridge refilled by an ink refilling station or to refill it yourself. Refilling it yourself will give you the biggest bang for your buck. However, there is one major drawback and that is it can be a very messy proposition.

If you do decide to get a printer ink refill kit make sure to spread plenty of newspapers around the area you will be working in because printer inks are very difficult to clean up after. Also, most cartridges should not be refilled more than once or twice.

Whether you buy an OEM cartridge, a compatible cartridge, or have refilled your own cartridge several times, it is important that you recycle your non-useable cartridges. Not only can you receive money back when you recycle your empty cartridges, you will be helping the environment as well.

Choosing the Best Printer to for Your Print Needs

Digital communications has certainly limited the amount of paper we consume - but most individuals and businesses still need a reliable printer at home or at work. The type of machine you need will depend on what you want to print and how often you intend to do so.

If you're looking to purchase a new printer for your study or home office, ask yourself some questions:

- What do I want my machine to do? - are you looking just for a printer or will you be using the machine to scan documents as well? You can replace other pieces of equipment, like a fax machine, with a single multi-function unit.

- What do I want my machine to print? - will you just be printing documents or are you hoping to make some prints of your family photos?

- How much printing will I do? - if you intend to do a lot of printing, you'll be looking for a machine that prints lots of pages quickly. Find a printer with high output speeds that doesn't sacrifice the quality of your prints.

- What other functions can I have? - want to instantly share the photos you print with your friends? There are a number of photo printers that let you edit your photos so you can share them with friends and family. You might also be interested in a machine with capabilities such as double sided printing.

Canon has a great range of quality printers for home and office use. Consider these exclusive ranges - what kind of printer do you need?

- PIXMA - these all-in-one machines include a fax machine and scanner. They're exceptionally affordable, compact and stylish - the perfect combination of function and form. The PIXMA range is perfect for printing high quality colour documents and images as well as photos.

- Selphy - these photo printing solutions are fun and easy to use. Make lab quality prints at home or unleash your creative streak - make calendars or add fun borders and effects.

- LaserShot - with models that print in monochrome or colour, these machines are super fast and affordable for the home or office. They're an ideal solution for individuals who print large documents and small businesses with a just a few staff members.

- imageClass - these advanced multi-function units are great options for small businesses to save space and boost productivity. They offer advanced printing features and are a great quality all-in-one unit, perfect for handling faxing and scanning jobs at work.

Find out more about Canon's extensive range of printers for personal, business and professional use, including large format printers, production printing and specialist equipment.