Printer ink

[lovemykiddies]

Hi all just wondered if anybody used cheeper make ink for their printer. If so where do you buy it?? Epson ink is costing me a fortune :/ x

[Rick]

Hi all just wondered if anybody used cheeper make ink for their printer. If so where do you buy it?? Epson ink is costing me a fortune :/ x

You can probably find compatible ink cartridges on Amazon for example

[cathtee]

EBay. :thumbsup: ours is hp and we get compatable ones off there really cheap.

[Jenna]

I've got a Kodak printer but I've been using tescos own brand ink and its fab you'd never tell the difference.

[bunyip]

I had an Epson for a while. The absolute cheapest way to run it was to have it converted to a continuous ink system with external ink reservoirs. They can also be converted to accept Lexmark cartridges, which (for many models) are identical apart from the copper contact plates.

[FloraDora]

A long time ago.. I was given the tip that epson inks need their special inks that also cleans the heads ... So buy cheaper inks but every third lot - buy epson which meand the heads get the proper cleaning. We have always done this and the printers have lasted longer.

I use 999 inks .. For 'lets pretend' and the real make... Found they are good value- especiially if you buy ahead 'in bulk' .

Have special offers on loads - buy 1 get 1 free etc..

[lovemykiddies]

Thankyou so much for your replies I'm going to have a look into this and save myself some pennies :)

[clairer]

Ebay you can usually get it cheaper.

[bunyip]

A long time ago.. I was given the tip that epson inks need their special inks that also cleans the heads ... So buy cheaper inks but every third lot - buy epson which meand the heads get the proper cleaning. We have always done this and the printers have lasted longer.

I use 999 inks .. For 'lets pretend' and the real make... Found they are good value- especiially if you buy ahead 'in bulk' .

Have special offers on loads - buy 1 get 1 free etc..

I'd not be the least surprised if that was a rumour started by the Epson sales department. :laughing: The other one is that they can tell if your machine had used non-branded ink and thereby negate the warranty. They can only tell if the machine jams with the cartridge somewhere that it can't be removed - mind you, that's not an unusual scenario as, IME, the drive bands on their machines are prone to fail.

In truth, most machines do an auto-clean routine each time you switch them on - which is one good reason not to keep turning them on and off so much if you can help it. The heads of most machines can be cleaned manually with a spirit mix - vodka usually works well. Epson also make a lot of money by selling you air - which is a major part of the content in their cartridges, whereas generic cartridges are often filled up to the top, giving you up to 100% more ink for less money.

[Daisy1956]

I have been buying printer cartridges for my epson from amazon for years never had any problems needing to clean heads. Epson are far too expensive for all the printing I do. I print photos as well with no problems.