Why replacing ink cartridges never has to be an issue again

We buy printers to make our lives easier, so many of us resent the hassle of replacing ink cartridges. First there’s the issue of running out of ink at the worst possible time; second, the slightly less rational quandary over what type of replacement cartridge to buy.

Why genuine ink?

Let’s start with replacement cartridges – is it better to go for a third-party manufactured, refilled or a genuine manufacturer’s original?

The truth is that not all cartridges are created equally. A tour of Epson’s high-tech ink factory is a good illustration. Every one of our cartridges is manufactured in a clean room to limit contamination by air-born particles.

Simply gaining entry into the clean room is no mean feat. All staff and visitors must wear a clean room suit, hair net, face mask and gloves. Once dressed, entry is via an air shower which removes all traces of possible contamination from the body.

At every stage in the manufacturing process, every batch of ink is tested in the on-site laboratory. The ink goes into the cartridge housing that’s moulded on-site in the clean room. An automated process is used to assemble and fill the cartridges with Epson robotics and highly skilled staff. Once assembled, each cartridge is sealed in a vacuum pack to ensure it reaches the customer in the perfect condition. Quality is built in at every stage of the process.

Why does Epson go to this much trouble over an ink cartridge? A modern printer is a piece of precision technology and Epson goes to great lengths to ensure that every print is as good as the last. For consumers who are concerned about the reliability of their printer, receiving good quality prints and getting value for money thanks to consistent yields, third-party cartridges represent an unnecessary risk.

One of the chief problems with buying non-genuine cartridges is unreliable quality. Non-genuine ink cartridges can clog print heads, leak or cause other damage to the print mechanism, and can invalidate your warranty. And let’s face it – we all have better things to do than clear up after leaky cartridges.

Staying topped up

So once you’ve made your decision on what ink to put in your printer, making sure you keep topped up on ink is your next priority. We rely on our home printers so much these days, that it simply isn’t feasible to run out of ink minutes before a child’s homework is due to be handed in, or a boarding pass is needed for a flight. When you press print, the results should be immediate.

While keeping your printer topped up with ink is probably not high on your agenda, it’s easy to see how it can quickly present a problem if you run out of ink. That's where we’re here to help - we've developed EcoTank and ReadyInk to provide a continuous supply of genuine ink. With either of these in place, you won't have to remember to order ink or plan shopping trips. These convenient solutions let you forget about your printer and concentrate on the important things in life.

ReadyInk, a new pay-as-you-go print service available from retailers and resellers, is designed to take the hassle out of cartridge replacement. Epson’s ReadyInk technology monitors customers’ ink usage so that it can intelligently predict when more ink is needed and automatically issues a new cartridge. The thing that makes this particularly special is that there are no monthly subscription fees.

Alternatively, our EcoTank printers come bundled with high volume ink bottles containing genuine ink^₁, meaning you can save 90% on ink costs on average. Letting you print thousands of pages, it has an ultra-high-capacity ink tank that is filled with the included ink bottles, instead of using cartridges.

Both options ensure that you won’t run out of ink, in a very simple and practical way with high-quality and reliable genuine ink.

But even if you don’t choose to opt for an EcoTank or ReadyInk, you can still stay on top of your ink replacements simply by using genuine ink cartridges. With these in place the printer driver can monitor and display the ink level, allowing you to plan purchases accordingly. And if you opt for an XL cartridge, you can go even longer between refills and minimise the cost-per-page. It’s just one more benefit of choosing a genuine ink cartridge.