EmailBest Reviewed
Printer Ink
- Best printer ink for quality and reliability Canon, Epson, HP and Lexmark printer ink *Est. $0
- Best retail alternative ink Cartridge World *Est. $0
- Best online alternative ink CarrotInk.com *Est. $0
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Best printer ink for quality and reliability
- Results in best-quality photos
- Consistent quality
- More expensive than third-party ink
The overwhelming majority of experts say that if quality and reliability matter to you most, you should stick with your printer manufacturer's recommended ink cartridges and ink (even though you can save money by buying aftermarket cartridges online). For example, the combination of a Canon, Epson, HP or Lexmark printer and the recommended ink and paper most often results in photos that look the best and last the longest without fading, reviewers say. However, if you're mainly printing text pages or non-critical graphics, you can save some money by buying printer ink from Cartridge World (Cartridge World stores only, see http://www.cartridgeworldusa.com/ for store locator) or CarrotInk.com (http://www.carrotink.com/).
We found the best reviews of ink cartridges from Canon, Epson, HP and Lexmark at Consumer Reports, which compares manufacturer's OEM cartridges with aftermarket ink. Wilhelm Imaging Research also provides useful data about the relative reliability of printer inks.
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Our Sources
1. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe
Consumer Reports tests hundreds of store brand, third-party and generic ink cartridges, using popular photo printers from the three major brands. The editors find that seven of 19 off-brand cartridges are unusable; manufacturers' own inks produce better output, except for a couple of cases in which aftermarket ink was just as good for both images and text.
Review: Printer Inks, Editors of Consumer Reports, July 2006
According to this site, Wilhelm Imaging Research "conducts accelerated light exposure and dark aging tests to determine the comparative life expectancy of inkjet and other digitally printed photographs, as well as that of traditional black-and-white and color photographs." Tests here show differences in permanence between aftermarket cartridges and OEM cartridges from Canon, Epson, HP and Lexmark.
Review: Test Results from Wilhelm Imaging Research, Henry Wilhelm and Editors
