Epson Print Cartridges: Are Discount Ink Cartridges Worth It?

Epson printers are most distinguishable in the marketplace for their color printing quality and photo printing capabilities.  If your everyday use of a printer consists primarily of text documents and low detail graphics, you may be better suited with a more mainstream quality or possibly a laser printer.  For your most important documents, presentations and especially photographs Epson has a quite a few printers they are especially proud of.  However, beauty does come at a price.  Epson printer cartridges, like most ink jet printer cartridges, can be a little expensive and may leave you missing the dot matrix printer you had back in 1990.

There is something to be said for purchasing printer cartridges from the manufacturer of your printer.  Epson makes their cartridges specifically for each printer, so you know that the ones you are purchasing will do what they are made for.  It’s also fairly simple to buy the right one because you can search through a list of Epson printers and find the ink cartridges designed for yours.  Most office supply companies have an extensive supply of all different brands of printers and the ink cartridges to match them, so finding the right one really shouldn’t ever be a problem.  Being able to afford a new set of ink cartridges, however, may be a different story entirely.

You can end up spending a small fortune on your printer ink cartridges depending on where and for what reason you are purchasing them.  Epson sells cartridges directly to the public via their website and also distributes to retailers.  A simple black or single color ink cartridge for one of Epson’s remedial printers ranges from $12-$15 from the manufacturer and most retailers.  If you are purchasing for an Epson though, chances are slim that you are going to get by with spending that small of an amount.  Photo printers and high graphic color ink jets will usually require cartridges that retail for $50 or more and often require as few as three or as many as seven.

If you are searching for more economical ways of getting Epson print cartridges, your options are limited but still out there.  Along with a few other print companies, Epson has made news recently by pursuing retailers selling “Epson compatible print cartridges” and other brands as well arguing that this is patent infringement.  This doesn’t mean they are not available, but off-brand cartridges may be a little more difficult to find.  Anyone who decides to go this route should beware that malfunction of cartridges that are not made by the manufacturer for their printer could cause damage that will void the warranty.

Some brave souls may decide to buy print cartridge refill kits.  These are usually much less expensive than purchasing new cartridges and can be effective if used correctly.  If you need someone to show you where the ink cartridges are in the printer, you probably have no business attempting to refill them.  It can be very messy and can even leak and damage the printer if not done properly.  Whether you buy new name brand, recycled, off brand or refills, you will often get what you pay for.  Epson print cartridges are not cheap, but neither are their printers.  If you have gone to the time and expense of getting a high quality, professional grade printer, be discriminating about the ink cartridges you put in it.

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