Here’s another response to the most popular question among those that own inkjet printers?

Oh, the question, Why does printer ink cost so much?

The reply, blame the U.S. patent laws.

Why? Because companies like HP and Lexmark (two companies currently involved in patent infringement law suits) have been able to file patents on the formulas for their printer ink. These patents protect the years of time and money HP and Lexmark have put in to developing the ink that goes in their cartridges. This sounds fair, so what’s the problem?

Five years ago HP filed claims that said refilled ink cartridges for their printers violated patents. They specifically named three patents that focused on the type of ink refillers were using. Odd part about their filing was that HP made it clear that if the three they selected were not successful, they had a few thousand others to pick from (no joke!). This was clearly a case of deep pockets threatening the little guy.

Just a few weeks ago HP asked the U.S. ITC (International Trade Commission) to block the import of refilled cartridges from foreign competitors because of patent violations. Not to be outdone, Lexmark has also asked the ITC to block the import of refilled cartridges because of patent infringement.

Lexmark was one of the first printer ink makers to use the patent infringement argument against cartridge refillers. They tried to use the DCMA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) as a way to companies from making printer ink cartridges that work in their printers. Fortunately, for the refillers, the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court was abusing the DMCA for anti-competitive purposes and ruled against Lexmark. (Note: The DCMA’s true intent is to protect intellectual property not prevent competitive practices).

Now, back to the cost of printer ink. Can you see why it is so expensive? First we’ve got companies like HP and Lexmark spending billions on developing their ink. Then we have these same companies trying to play “those with the deepest pockets win” in order to eliminate refillers from the market place. They are politely pushing for a market place dominated by themselves. Kind of tells you how important the revenues from printer cartridges are.

The burden of proof is on HP and Lexmark. Prove that refillers are violating your patents. I’m all for honoring the time and money that has gone in to formulating printer ink “recipes”. That’s fair. But I don’t agree with using thousands of patents to bully refillers. The burden of proof is on HP and Lexmark.

What’s your take on this? Take a minute and let me know. Thanks!

Today we released the HP 78A CE278A Toner Cartridge. This monochrome (black) toner cartridge yields up to 2,100 pages of print and can be used in the HP LaserJet Pro P1566 and the HP LaserJet Pro P1606dn.

Owners of this printers are in love with their speed. The boast, an industry leading, a first page out speed of seven seconds. They also love how quiet the printer is. Of course, when a printer is printing it is impossible for it to be silent, but when not printing the owners say you can’t hear a thing.

These printers also feature, the much loved, duplex feature (two sided printing). Duplex printing is environmentally responsible and very convenient.

Any complaints? Not many! Just the usual difficulty when installing and the printer software is not recognized by ones computer. This is common to all printers, so I really don’t see a reason one should bash the printer because of it.

As of this post, CNET has not yet reviewed the printer. They some great testing, so we’ll wait and see what they come up with.

Do you own either of these HP printers? If you do, take a minute and let me know what you think of them. Thanks!

Here’s the follow up to yesterday’s post about printer ink blogs being useless. Truth is, they don’t have to be, but most are. I still stand by my statements from yesterday, but there are a few blogs and web sites and do a good job providing relevant information to their online readers. Others are complete garbage. Take a look, you’ll see the majority are just duplicating a story that is found on many other blogs. Boring!

That said, I am striving not to be one of those sites. I want to be original. Provide something of value to the readers. If you think I am becoming one of those junk blogs I mentioned above, let me know. Thanks!

That’s right, printer ink blogs are useless! Okay, the original goal of this blog was to write about printer ink, but really, how much is there to say? I think we’ve covered it all (OEM vs remanufactured vs. refilled, it’s expensive, law suits, etc). How much more can we talk about?

In looking for something to write about today (because it has been a while). I came across the following.

Getting a printer or scanner trustworthy to a mechanism is not a formidable task. One can simply get a singular plugged in to a system. Alternatively, someone can buy a singular multi-functional printer with scanner, fax, etc., all in a singular unit. This multi-functional copy section is easy to install, efficient, as good as user-friendly. No make a difference what printer you select as befitting for you, it will final prolonged as good as yield we with hassle-free opening usually if confirmed well.

One area of regard for people who move printers to complicated operate is an ink cartridge cost. Ink cartridges for Printers have been a necessary order as good as comment for a vital volume of handling price of a unit. This price can be cut down to a good border by correct use of ink cartridges. The cartridges have been in all opposite for opposite array of a same printer brand. Canon Printer, for instance, uses opposite toner cartridges for opposite Canon printer series. The prices of a toners change according to their peculiarity as good as an array of pages they can print.

Does this make any sense? Not to me!

Printer ink blogs have become fertile grounds for search engine spiders to crawl. By fertile I mean the post contains words that people like to search for when looking for printers and printer ink online. The author of the post uses some high frequency words – printer (used 7 times), ink cartridge (used 3 times), cartridge (used 2 times), and print (used 1 time). The combination of all the other words in this post makes absolutely no sense. It is useless!

What’s the point? The point is that blog posts like these are trying to show up in search results. Hopefully in the top 1 to 3 spots.  If they can do that, they can be pretty sure your eyeballs will see them. If they can attract eyeballs they will certainly get a few clicks. Eyeballs plus clicks means advertising revenues for the blog owner. For you, it means a dead end search.

Bottom line, it’s frustrating to see posts like these at the top of the search results. You, and I, are looking for something informative and relevant. Unfortunately, we end up with a set of words that don’t make any sense and some heavy use of our browser’s back button.

Take a minute and let me know what you think about this. Thanks!

This month’s coupon codes correspond with events that have happened in world history, no matter how trivial, on the same day the code is released. How many were you able to guess? Answers are below.

ENERGY: August 4, 1977 – US President Jimmy Carter signs legislation creating the United States Department of Energy.

MISSOURI: August 10, 1821 – Missouri is admitted as the 24th U.S. state.

STEAMBOAT: August 17, 1807 – Robert Fulton’s first American steamboat leaves New York City for Albany, New York on the Hudson River, inaugurating the first commercial steamboat service in the world.

EARHART: August 24, 1932 – Amelia Earhart is the first woman to fly across the United States non-stop (from Los Angeles to Newark, New Jersey).

Tired of paying so much for printer ink? Well, here’s a list of ingredients that are used to make printer ink. If you are of the mind set, you can set up your own micro (ink) brew.

Water
Glycol
Pigments or dyes
Alcohols
Oils
Resins
Polymers

Most of these items make up the base of the liquid. The dye or pigment is what gives your printer ink its color. Mix all your ink ingredients together in a pot, with some heat, making sure to mix completely. Mixing will filter out the large particles and your ink will be ready to put in your printer cartridge. Make sure you test your colors before printing. You’ll want to make sure your cyans, magentas, and yellows are up to your specifications.

Okay, this is a pretty basic version of how to create printer ink, but it is actually how you would go about doing it. If your are HP or Canon, you’ll spend billions on machinery, formulations, and production. If you are you, you might not be so picky.

So, give it a try! Brew up a batch of ink, but make sure you let me know how it goes. Thanks!

If you live in select areas of Wisconsin (Merrill, Manitowoc, and La Crosse) you can now get your inkjet printer cartridges refilled at ACE Hardware stores. ACE has struck a deal with inkjet cartridge refill machine company INK-O-DEM to put the refill machines in their stores.

This is an interesting move for ACE, who seems to be putting franchises in within shopping centers located with in suburban communities. The smaller stores fit nicely in to the small scale retail shops in neighborhood strip malls. ACE has also taken to trying to be that all-in-one source for all things hardware related. Granted their prices are considerably higher than a Home Depot or Lowes, but I can be at ACE within 1-2 minutes. It will take me 10-15 to get to Home Depot. For small purchases, ACE is the place!

Okay, back to printer cartridges. The partnership with INK-O-DEM would be an example of their move to offer another service to keep those living around the strip mall coming in. Most neighborhood strip malls don’t have any kind of office supply store or electronics store. If I need printer cartridges I need to make the 10-15 minute drive to Staples or Best Buy, or wait 3-5 days if I order online. Now I make my 1-2 minute drive to ACE and get my cartridges refilled, maybe even get my knives sharpened while  am there!

Convenience is king, so this seems to be a smart move by ACE. But wait, maybe we should ask Walgreens or CostCo how they feel? They’ve used INK-O-DEM’s refill machines.

Refill services are sold as a “cash cow”. When you look at the plan on paper it seems to be a no branier. The big expense is the refill machine. Not sure what types of deals, leases, etc large companies like Walgreens, CostCo, or ACE get, but after you pay for that machine your only cost is to keep it filled with ink. When you are charging $9.99 – $14.99 to refill a cartridge that cost you pennies in ink, you are making some great margins. Maybe the corporate executives are not the best to ask. Let’s talk about what the customers are saying.

First, there are those that swear by these refill machines. They love the financial and environmental savings. The print quality works for them.

Second, there are those that think these machines are the scourge of the earth. Why?

1. The ink used by the refill machines is the not same ink that comes in the original cartridge. Some notice the difference and approve of the print quality.
2. Cartridges are designed to wear out. You can’t continually refill a cartridge. Because of the heating and cooling elements that make it function the cartridge will not print forever. You need to be prepared for this day.
3. Cartridges clog, especially when they run out of ink, but even when they are full. If you cartridge runs empty, you better get it filled right away. The longer you wait, the more likely it becomes that the print head will clog. When that happens you will need to buy a new cartridge.
4. Refill services are only available for HP, Lexmark, and Dell cartridges. If you have Epson, Canon, Brother, or any other cartridge brands you are out of luck.

If you are willing to take a chance, refill machines might just be the thing for  you. If you’ve got a low tolerance for risk (with your printer cartridges), stay away. What are your thoughts? Let me know. Thanks!

I came across the following customer question today.  It was prompted by something that the individual read online.

Does putting printer ink in the refrigerator give more ink?

The quick answer . . . NO!

The long answer . . . NO! Printer ink is supposed to stored at room temperature (check the packaging). Storing it in your refrigerator will have an adverse effect on the ink within the cartridge. Printer cartridges manufacturers formulate their ink to be stored at a certain temperature. Anything outside the manufacturers range will damage the ink. It’s not worth it for the price you paid for the cartridge.

Want to get more out of your ink cartridge? Store it at room temperature and an in upright position and make sure  you use it fairly soon after you buy it. They are not designed to be stored for long periods of time.

Where’s the strangest place you’ve heard you can store your ink cartridge? Let me know. Thanks!

In a world of having to get the latest and greatest electronic gadgets, one such gadget has failed to get the attention that iPads, iPhones, digital cameras, computers, and video cameras have received. It’s none other that the printer.

Huh? Take a minute and think about it. How often do we run out to buy the latest version of a new piece of technology, even though the one we have is still working just fine? You iPhone 3 worked perfectly, but you had to get the iPhone 4 because of its cool new features. There are not many of us that do this with our printers. Why not? Printer manufacturers are constantly releasing printers with more features than the previous generation had. I don’t hear many stories of folks dumping their printer to run out and get one that is Internet enabled and scans at a higher resolution. Why not? Here’s why not, because printers are a pain in the butt. The guys from the 1999 movie “Office Space” hit the nail on the head (or the printer with the bat) when they did what a lot of us feel like doing to our printer.

So what’s the deal? Why does something so central to our every day life get so little respect?

Printers are frustrating. They jam, run out of ink, frequently drop their connection to your computer, melt stickers and labels, and cause the edges of your pages to wrinkle and bend.

Ask the printer manufacturers and they are quick to say that the problem is not really the printer. It is the people using the printer. They blame rough handling, mistreatment, and improper maintenance for the problems. They also say people are far more likely to try to fix a printer problem by themselves than they are to try to fix any other type of technology. Because they don’t know what they are doing they can cause further damage.

No way! How can you mistreat and be to rough on a piece of machinery that once placed really does not get moved again. They only time the printer really gets touched is when paper needs to be replaced or you are fixing an issue that came about from out of the blue. Cameras, phones, and computers get a lot more “abuse”. They stand up to the wear and tear. Of course we are going to try to fix our own printer problems. What do the manufacturer’s customer service representatives tell us to do when we call them about a problem? They want us to handle the printer. Are we just supposed to call the $90 per hour technician without trying? I’ve had a few that end up on the phone with the manufacturer. Yikes!

So what’s the real deal? Are printers designed to break? Are they the ultimate example of throw away electronics? HP has claimed that its inkjet printers failed 25% less in 2009 than in 2006, and that laser printers have improved by 20%. Unfortunately, they won’t say how often these machines are still a source of troubles. Lexmark fields about 10,000 electronic feedback forms per month, but won’t say now many of these focus on printer problems. My guess i a pretty large number. Lexmark does not do much else in the way of electronics.

Why do we put up with printers? We can buy them for less than $100.00, but then continually have to feed them printer ink and paper. If your $100 printer breaks, you are easily going to spend what you paid for it in repair costs. Given these expenses, its no wonder we just head to the store an buy a new one at the first sign of any problem.

Do you think your printer was made to be thrown away. Let me know. Thanks!

I am compelled to do a follow up on yesterday’s post (HP And Yahoo Want To Use Your Printer). After I finished writing a few more thoughts popped in to my head.

For the purpose of this post, we are going to call all advertising SPAM. It is all the same, they only difference is if you want it or not. Most of the time you don’t want it, but you do tolerate it.

In what ways do we receive SPAM?

1. By mail (to our residential or business addresses)

2. Fax

3. Telephone

4. Email

5. Mobile device

6. Television

7. Inkjet or laser printer (coming soon)

Despite any laws that have ever been enacted, SPAM is still a huge part of our lives. A law is either circumvented or a new way to deliver SPAM is created. The original SPAM receptacle is our mail box. Think of how much junk mail you get each day. Look at the other items listed above, how much SPAM do you get via those mediums each day?

Now comes the ePrintenabled printer. The latest and greatest SPAM delivery source. Think the laws that govern fax SPAMMING apply. Don’t be so sure. It scares me to think what I might see on my printer’s paper tray one day.

That aside, let’s assume HP has great intentions and wants to use this technology in the best possible way. They want to be able to deliver the information you want, directly to you. Think of it like a newspaper subscription (except who wants to print their own newspaper each day). Advertising creates a lot of revenue for these companies. Targeted advertising creates a ton of revenue for these companies. Think of the revenues Yahoo! and HP will generate by putting a page, with targeted advertising, on your printer’s paper tray every day. Millions? Billions?

Think of the revenues HP will generate while you print out these advertisements. You are providing the printer ink and the paper.

Let me know what you think about this. Thanks!