{"id":8600,"date":"2019-12-24T00:39:55","date_gmt":"2019-12-24T00:39:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/?p=8600"},"modified":"2023-06-06T21:54:46","modified_gmt":"2023-06-06T21:54:46","slug":"top-5-printer-cartridge-buying-mistakes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/top-5-printer-cartridge-buying-mistakes\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 5 Printer Cartridge Buying Mistakes"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Learn how to make a smart buy the next time you need ink with this simple guide.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

People usually don\u2019t give very much thought to buying printer ink but surprisingly, there are a handful of common buying mistakes that are easy to make if you aren\u2019t careful! \u00a0Here, we cover all of the common pitfalls to avoid so you can buy the best cartridge for your printing needs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

1. Buying a standard yield cartridge<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Most cartridges are sold in a standard yield or high yield cartridge size.\u00a0 The standard yield is the least expensive option of the two, so many printer users think they are making a smarter buy when they choose the standard over the high yield.\u00a0 On the surface, that cheaper price point appears to be a good decision, but more often than not, the high yield cartridge is actually the better deal in the long run because it prints more pages at a cheaper operating cost. \u00a0Let\u2019s look at the HP 63 black ink cartridge as an example.\u00a0 The HP 63 standard yield prints 190 pages and sells for $22.89* while the HP 63XL high yield prints 480 pages and sells for $54.44.\u00a0 You are paying almost twice as much for the high yield cartridge but you are getting 2.5 times the amount of ink.\u00a0 If you were to buy two standard yield cartridges instead, you would be paying about the same price as one high yield cartridge and get less ink.<\/p>\r\n

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Standard yield cartridges are okay if you don\u2019t print that often and don\u2019t want to invest a lot into your printer but for frequent printer users, the high yield cartridge is the way to go.\u00a0 Some printers even extra high yield cartridges or XXL cartridges that can help you save even more.\u00a0 Check your printer manual to see if they are available for your printer. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

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2. Buying the wrong cartridge (It\u2019s easy to do!)<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

A lot of printer cartridges look very similar.\u00a0 For instance, the HP 60, 61, 62, 63, 64 and 65 cartridges are in fact all a variation of the same exact cartridge but they aren\u2019t<\/em><\/strong> interchangeable because they are all different cartridge series.\u00a0 We get a lot of customers trying to use an HP 61 cartridge when their printer uses an HP 62, and vice versa. It\u2019s a similar story with Canon\u2019s PGI-270 and PGI-280 cartridges, Brother\u2019s TN660 and TN760 series and many others.\u00a0 If they look the same, they should work in your printer, right? Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Printer manufacturers regularly use the same cartridge design for dozens of their printers because it\u2019s far more economical for them than creating a unique cartridge for every printer series.\u00a0 Instead of using a new cartridge, cartridges are outfitted with a unique contact chip that only works with a specific set of printers.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Let\u2019s take a closer look at the HP 64 and HP 65 cartridges:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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As you can see, both cartridges look identical but because the gold contact chip on the top of the cartridge is different, they are not interchangeable.\u00a0 If you accidentally install a cartridge that is not compatible with your printer, you\u2019ll get an error message on your machine and won\u2019t be able to print.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

To make sure you have the correct cartridge, we recommend consulting your printer\u2019s user guide, which can be found on your printer manufacturer\u2019s website.\u00a0 Or if you have a set of cartridges already installed, simply open up your printer to double check the part number.\u00a0 You can also find the cartridge model number on the side of the printer box or on the printer page of LDProducts.com<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

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3. Your printer uses tri-color cartridges<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

If you bought an inexpensive printer, there is a good chance that your printer uses a tri-color cartridge to handle color prints.\u00a0 A tri-color cartridge contains all three colors (cyan, magenta and yellow) in the same cartridge and they are convenient for some printer users because you only have to worry about one color cartridge.\u00a0 However, when one of the colors in a tri-color cartridge runs out, you\u2019ll need to replace the entire cartridge instead of replacing an individual color.\u00a0 These replacement costs can add up quickly and it\u2019s often better to pay a little bit more for a printer that uses individual color ink cartridges so you can replace each color as needed.\u00a0 Individual color cartridges often have more ink than the tri-color cartridge so they will last longer too.<\/p>\r\n

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4. Your cartridge doesn\u2019t match your printing needs<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Different printers and their cartridges are built for different uses.\u00a0 Inkjet printers use ink cartridges, which are best suited for printing occasional text, photos and color images.\u00a0 Laser printers use toner cartridges, which are best for printing text and color in high volumes, but don\u2019t print photos very well.\u00a0 Check out our \u201cWhat Type of Printers Are Available?<\/a>\u201d guide to learn more about printer types and how they can influence what you print.\u00a0 If your cartridge doesn\u2019t match your printing needs, you could be spending more than you need to on replacements!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

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5. Overpaying for printer cartridges<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

It\u2019s no secret that cartridges are expensive.\u00a0 Buying high yield instead of standard yield can usually save you a little bit of money in the long term if you print regularly, but it\u2019s not the only way you can save!\u00a0 Low cost compatible cartridges from LD Products can save you a ton of money, giving you the same number of prints and amazing print quality for a fraction of the name brand price.\u00a0 Let\u2019s revisit the HP 63XL cartridge talked about earlier in the article.\u00a0 We already quoted the original HP brand price at $39.99.\u00a0 LD Products sells a compatible version for 42% less at just $20.99<\/a>. Why pay more for name brand ink when you get comparable results at a better price?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

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With similar part numbers and similar cartridge sizes, accidentally buying the cartridge is almost too easy. Now that you know what to look for, you can make sure you buy the right cartridge for your printer, every time. If you have any other cartridge buying tricks you’d like to share, let us know in the comments below!<\/p>\r\n

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*Savings based on price comparison between remanufactured\/compatible cartridge prices on www.LDProducts.com<\/a> and OEM cartridge and printer prices from the Staples. All prices effective as of May 16, 2021.\u00a0 OEM names are registered trademarks of their respective owners and are not affiliated with, and do not endorse LD Products.<\/sup><\/p>\r\n

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\ufeffCartridge Series<\/th><\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Thank you for reading this post! This article is written by a team of ink experts at LD Product<\/a>s<\/span> - a Long Beach, California-based company that specializes in compatible ink and toner<\/a><\/span>.\u00a0 With over 20 years of printing expertise, we\u2019re committed to helping you save money on printer ink without sacrificing quality.\u00a0 If you found this content helpful, we\u2019d be grateful if you supported us by visiting LDProducts.com<\/a><\/span> for all of your ink and toner needs.\u00a0 We appreciate your support!<\/td> <\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table>\n