12-04-2012, 08:23 PM
My HP Photosmart that I'd had for a few years till it died on me about four months ago used five colour cartridges - magenta, light magenta, cyan, light cyan, yellow plus black. My Epson uses three - magenta, cyan, yellow plus black. I suppose it's tempting to assume that fewer cartridges makes for great economy, but I doubt that it does because to create an image I dare say it takes a certain quantity of ink, whether that ink comes from three or five cartridges. More colours gives a broader palette but uses less of each of the five colours than would just three colours.
According to Which Reports (not that I give them much credance), Kodak printers have the least cost per page and cheapest cartridges, but I take that with a big pinch of salt. Their cartridges can't be individually replaced - you have to replace one cartridge unit with all the colours, and given that some colours will run out much sooner than others, that seems to be wasteful. In my old HP printer, the yellow cartridges seem to last for ages, whereas cyan ran out fairly often.
There's such a plethora of printers, even within each brand, that it's well nigh impossible to make an informed decision as to what to buy, and most seem to offer similar features and benefits. All I wanted was a wi-fi enabled printer/copier/scanner, but if you look at HP, Epson, Kodak - whoever, they each have scores of printers that have those facilties. All it does is to confuse the customers. Furthermore, I can see no logical reason at all why there has to be so many cartridges within each firm's range of printers.
All printers seem to plummit in price within months, then six months later, they're obsolete, then with the passage of time, the cartridges become more expensive and less available.
All in all, it's a real pigs' breakfast.
According to Which Reports (not that I give them much credance), Kodak printers have the least cost per page and cheapest cartridges, but I take that with a big pinch of salt. Their cartridges can't be individually replaced - you have to replace one cartridge unit with all the colours, and given that some colours will run out much sooner than others, that seems to be wasteful. In my old HP printer, the yellow cartridges seem to last for ages, whereas cyan ran out fairly often.
There's such a plethora of printers, even within each brand, that it's well nigh impossible to make an informed decision as to what to buy, and most seem to offer similar features and benefits. All I wanted was a wi-fi enabled printer/copier/scanner, but if you look at HP, Epson, Kodak - whoever, they each have scores of printers that have those facilties. All it does is to confuse the customers. Furthermore, I can see no logical reason at all why there has to be so many cartridges within each firm's range of printers.
All printers seem to plummit in price within months, then six months later, they're obsolete, then with the passage of time, the cartridges become more expensive and less available.
All in all, it's a real pigs' breakfast.
Regards, David.
BVWS Member.
G-QRP Club Member 1339.
'I'm in my own little world, but I'm happy, and they know me here'
BVWS Member.
G-QRP Club Member 1339.
'I'm in my own little world, but I'm happy, and they know me here'
