Following up on our first article about Fstoppers’ video, we continue unraveling the ink cartridge scam saga in Part 2. The world of printers and their ink cartridges is more than just about printing documents; it’s a complex maze of myths, costs, and frustrations. This recent deep dive into printer ink scams has shed light on some startling facts about the industry. Let’s delve deeper into these secrets and discover what’s really happening behind the scenes with these ink cartridges.
The Startling Discovery:
It began with a simple need to print labels for a hot sauce business. A $48 Canon printer from Walmart seemed like a deal, but it wasn’t long before the ink started running out every few weeks. A closer look revealed almost empty cartridges, leading to a rabbit hole of conspiracies about printer ink.
Test 1: Page Yield of a Cartridge:
The first test was straightforward: how many pages does a standard black ink cartridge print? The answer was a mere 35 pages. At $16 per cartridge from Amazon, that’s 45 cents per page, an expensive affair for just printing text.
Test 2: Printing Pure Black Ink:
What happens with pure black ink printing? Shockingly, the cartridge emptied after just two and a half pages.
Test 3: Usable Ink in a Cartridge:
Measuring the actual usable ink was even more revealing. A new cartridge weighed 35 milliliters and, when empty, 32. That’s just 3 milliliters of usable ink costing $22, an eye-opener when visualized as three milliliters of water.
Color Ink Usage for Black and White Prints:
Many printers, including the tested model, use color ink even for black and white prints. Testing this showed no difference in quality between prints with and without color ink, questioning the need for using color ink in the first place.
The Cost of Cleaning Cycles:
Printers often run cleaning cycles, using more ink than the printing itself. Covering the print head revealed significant ink wastage during these cycles.
Myth Busting: Page Count vs. Ink Sensor:
The experiment debunked the myth that cartridges count pages to determine remaining ink. Even after hundreds of blank prints, the cartridge correctly indicated low ink after printing just a few full-black pages.
Refilling Cartridges:
Refilling an empty cartridge with aftermarket ink showed that printers do not recognize refilled ink levels. However, a simple reset allowed the printer to use the refilled cartridge without error, significantly reducing the cost per page.
Conclusion:
Here is a graphical chart illustrating the ink consumption difference between cartridge ink printers (HP) and tank-filled ink printers (Epson EcoTank). The chart compares the number of pages that can be printed by each type
The investigation into printer ink scams reveals a troubling picture of the printer industry. From the high cost per page to unnecessary color ink usage and wastage during cleaning cycles, consumers face hidden costs. However, refilling cartridges emerged as a viable, cost-effective solution. While ink tank printers or laser jets are good alternatives, understanding and manipulating your current printer’s ink usage can lead to substantial savings.
Here is the full new YouTube video:
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