Most printers come with free ink, however frequently these are not full size. For most consumers, the issues begin when they run out of printer ink and discover the exaggerated price of the cartridges. The printer market is following the business model initiated by King Gillette. The razor manufacturer has been selling low cost handles and premium cost blades for over one hundred years, and now has a eminent placement in the market place. Increasingly customers are moving to compatible inks.
Market research conducted by the consultancy company IDC has found big changes in the market for ink. The recession has seen sales drop 24% of OEM printer ink products. These drops have not been repeated by the compatibles market, which has seen a five percent growth in the same period. Compatible inks and refills now answer for for 37 percent of the world wide market. The former Soviet Bloc nations have shown the biggest growth, where the market far exceeds manufacturers own brand sales. The total global market for compatibles is estimated to account for 37% of sales.Ink prices in Western Europe have continued to rise and consumers have not switched to compatibles at the same rate as their Eastern European cousins. Prices of own brand inks are still rising, so many analysts expect further growth in the compatibles market.
There are many factors that stifle competition in the printer ink industry. Today s printer ink cartridges often have built-in data chips. These read the amount of ink that is used by the printer. A chip needs to be present in order for the printer to work. Data chips present an additional layer of complexity for manufacturers needing to make copy cartridges. There are still companies that can make copy cartridges with chips. If your printer has a chip reader you must make sure that the cartridges you purchase will work with it.
Not all manufacturers of compatible ink cartridges are the same. There a very large numbers of firms developing compatible inks running from very small firms to massive multinationals. Quality alters greatly between different compatible cartridges. It s often a good idea to ask around on forums to find advice on what ink to choose. There are good economies to be made by changing to compatible ink. Just as there are great price differences between compatible and original ink cartridges there are also big price differences between compatible brands.
Compatible inks are available for scores of brands including Dell, Olivetti and Samsung. These compatibles are made by a range of companies including Jet Tec.
There are some very superb low price ink retailers in the market, if you have the time to look. As well as looking at the major merchants there are also internet sites that do ink price comparison. These websites can often help you to save money on your printer ink.
