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Can I Use My Old Ink In My New Printer?
Many people email me and ask if it is ok to use their old bulk ink in their new printer. Read below and see why I say YES and NO!
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Be Careful With Labels
Sheets of ink jet labels can be passed through an ink jet printer only once;
the tight paper path of an ink jet printer can cause the label to curl on multiple
passes through the printer. This could cause the label to jam or peel off inside the printer, resulting in an expensive repair bill.
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Don't Run Back-to-Back Cleaning Cycles
It can actually make things worse! Give the cartridge a chance to let some
ink flow in between cleaning cycles. After running a head cleaning cycle, you should print a "nozzle check" or "test print" between cleaning
cycles Then, wait for a few minutes. Print two or three pages of a color test pattern
or a color-balanced image (this will purge air bubbles or foamy ink that a
cleaning cycle may have missed). If the printing is still not up to par, repeat the
procedure again.
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Use the proper paper settings
Many people don't know that telling your printer what kind of paper you are
using can have a dramatic effect on the finished print. Paper settings generally
control the amount of ink that is put on the paper. Make sure you're using the
right setting for your chosen paper. The Plain Paper setting uses the most ink,
while Glossy Film and Photo Paper settings use the least. When you find a setting that works for a particular paper type, take note of the setting so
you'll be able to get the same results when you use the paper again.
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Can I Use My Old Ink In My New Printer?
by Barry Shultz
If I had a nickel for every time somebody asked me this question I wouldn't
need to play the lottery anymore. :-)
Although I've addressed this question in numerous newsletters it seems like
It's time to do it again.
The answer is...yes and no.
Whoh!
That's not an answer. Well consider this. How many printer models do you think there are out there right now? 1000? 2000? Who knows. But one thing
I do know is nobody, including me, is going to spend the time testing the wrong
inks in the wrong cartridges all day long to see if it works.
"OK wise guy", you say, "can I at least get a reasonable explanation of why
I can't use my old ink in my new printer?"
Sure, that's an easier question to answer. You see, everybody already assumes
that they can before they even ask the question, that's why they word it that way. It's because of the people who sell those "one kit fits all" refill kits.
All printer manufacturers do things a little different. Without getting technical,
and I really don't feel like doing 10 hours of research to prove a point, there
are basically three different technologies for inkjet printers. Epson uses
Piezoelectric, Canon uses Bubblejet and HP and Lexmark use thermal inkjet technology.
An ink designed for Canon, for instance, has a much lower convection rate than an ink made for HP or Lexmark. The reason is HP's cartridge print heads
fire at about 1 million degrees. The ink must be made to withstand that kind
of heat or your resulting output will be unpredictable.
Also there are basically two kinds of ink. Dye based and Pigmented. Pigmented
ink particles are much larger than dye based particles so using a pigmented
ink in a cartridge designed to use dye based ink will result in a clogged print
head every time. Also, pigmented inks are waterfast on any surface. Notice
I said waterfast and not waterproof. Pigmented inks can made waterproof if they are used with the proper media. The same goes with dye based inks.
Pay attention to this because it will apply to any ink on the market. Any dye
based ink can be used in ANY inkjet printer. The color output may not be what
you expected but it will work.
Not so with pigmented inks. Pigmented inks are used in most black inkjet cartridges today. Epson has a version of color pigmented inks they call
DuraBrite inks. They are very expensive to make and there is quite a hefty
premium on the bulk inks from any manufacturer that I have contacted.
DO NOT use pigmented inks in any cartridge that was designed to use dye based ink.
Generally speaking, HP and Lexmark inks are interchangeable because their process' are similar. Watch for color variations though.
The newer Canon cartridges, BCI-3e and BCI-6 colors are so close that I cannot tell them apart. Ironically the cartridges are physically identical except
for the BCI-3e black which is slightly larger. The BCI-3e black takes pigmented
while the BCI-6 takes dye based. Be careful here. Some of the new Canon printers take both BCI-3e and BCI-6 black cartridges. A lot of people are
scratching their heads over this one. Now you know why. You get the best of both worlds.
To wrap it up I'll say that you can use most inks in most printers with the
exceptions that I already mentioned. Color variations, if they occur, might
be compensated for in the printer driver settings. Be prepared to fiddle with
it. Physical damage to the printer is unlikely in any case, unless the cartridge
is leaking when you put it into your printer. But you wouldn't do that. Would
you?
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Till next time.
Happy printing
Barry Shultz
Atlascopy, Inc.
PO Box 1292
Dover, DE. 19904
http://atlascopy.com
You may freely distribute this article as long as you include the following at the end of the article with the URL hard linked exactly as it is on this web page.
Barry Shultz is the author of Atlascopy News, and President of Atlascopy,
Inc. Atlascopy specializes
in affordable alternatives to the high cost of printer supplies. Sign up for
the Atlascopy Newsletter and get 10% coupons every week in your email. http://atlascopy.com/signup_new.htm
Go to Atlascopy to save a bundle on your printer and refilling supplies.
http://atlascopy.com
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