photo and printer ink

[island guy]

In surfing the net I found generic ink for my epson that was MUCH cheaper than the epson ink I've been buying. Is it worth it to shop around or is one better off sticking with the brand of ink that's sold by your printer?

[Steve Foss]

Stick with the ink from Epson.

My former Epson printer bit the big one after I used two batches of "bargain" ink. It got all clogged, and the head couldn't be cleared. I saved a few dollars for a few weeks and then was out the $200 I needed to spend for a new fine art quality Epson.

The other thing is, even if you're lucky in your bargain brand ink and it doesn't hurt the printer, it will give you slightly different colors than the ones you're used to. If you just casually make a few prints now and then it's no big deal, but since I sell prints off the Web site and have my monitor calibrated to my printer so each print looks exactly like it does on the Web site — and I mean EVERY TIME — it was a big deal to me to have minor differences in color.

I have heard many, many other similar stories. Not that every bargain brand ink is bad, but why fool around and take the chance? Epson inks also are specifically designed for long life, as are Canon inks for Canon printers and HP inks for HP printers, et cetera. If you have a printer that requires at least four cartridges (cyan, magenta, yellow, black), you've likely got a pretty good one. More refined printers will have six (cyan, light cyan, magenta, light magenta, yellow, black), and even more refined printers will have a couple different grades of black, as well.

[Tom Wilson]

Island Guy--Flat out honest to gosh truth--no matter what you've read, no matter what you've been told, there is no generic ink that will work as good as the ink from the printers manufacturer. I have tried 4 or 5 seperate brands and they are all dump. Don't believe it--buy the epson ink.

Tom W

Sorry to be so blunt with that, but believe me when I tell you I have been there done that.

[island guy]

Thanks guys!!!!!!!!!

I was ready to order some too. I want to add how much I appreciate this site. I've learned a lot. It's great to have a resourse like this available.