Reviewers say the following about shopping for inkjet ink:

  • Avoid ink refill kits. They are the cheapest option, but reviewers say they are too messy. The risks are not worth potential savings.
  • Stick with OEM cartridges for the best reliability. If time is more important than money or you can't afford to risk damaging your printer, OEM cartridges are safer.
  • Recycle or reuse your empty cartridges. The printer manufacturers will accept used cartridges for recycling, but you'll have to pay postage. Office supply stores have good, but often-changing policies. The chains will give you a store credit or other consideration. Stores with refilling machines will refill your empty cartridges. Some communities have regular or periodic programs for recycling cartridges.
  • Aftermarket inks make the most sense for multifunction machines and lower-end inkjets. TrustedReviews.com tested inks using multifunction machines, and aftermarket inks produced the best results. In tests using dedicated photo printers, aftermarket inks were less competitive.
  • Use manufacturer archival inks for a long print life. If you want permanence, tests show that archival inks from Epson, Canon and HP will produce much longer lasting prints than those from regular OEM inks or third-party inks.
  • Use OEM inks for the best photo quality with photo printers. While reviewers say aftermarket inks are just as good in a few cases, they are never better. Cartridge World refills of HP cartridges may be an exception. However, in nearly all cases, using the manufacturer's ink and paper will ensure the best, longest lasting photo prints.
  • If you print mainly text pages, aftermarket printer ink is fine.
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