Printer playing up

[MasterBlaster76]

One ink cartridge was more expensive than a whole multifunction printer that comes with ink.

Yes, I've noticed that about Lexmark printers - the cartridges are very expensive. Something like Epsom are a fraction of the price, even if you don't go with one of the 'compatible but unofficial' types. I reckon I'm going to just get a new printer, I've had this one for ages anyway.

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I think that quite often the cartridges that come with new printers aren't full

Quite often, they don't even provide the damn cables you need to operate the thing (namely a USB printer cable), which is ridiculous.

 

[Dutch]

I think that quite often the cartridges that come with new printers aren't full

You all know how to trick the cartridge right? The cartridges Always have more ink in them than the printer sensor detects. if you place a small piece of paper over the ink sensor place on the cartridge it goes for quite a while before it is really empty.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

You all know how to trick the cartridge right? The cartridges Always have more ink in them than the printer sensor detects. if you place a small piece of paper over the ink sensor place on the cartridge it goes for quite a while before it is really empty.

What - you stick a piece of paper on the cartridge? Whereabouts on the cartridge does that go? Must say I've never heard of that one before, but if it works it'll save a fair amount of money.

 

[Dutch]

What - you stick a piece of paper on the cartridge? Whereabouts on the cartridge does that go? Must say I've never heard of that one before, but if it works it'll save a fair amount of money.

I dont exactly what your cartridge looks like Steve but on my Brother cartridges there is a little film just above where the ink slots into the printer. I just cover that with a piece of white paper and the printer thinks its still full....have a look on your cartridge at something that might be an ink detection "window"........

 

[MasterBlaster76]

I dont exactly what your cartridge looks like Steve but on my Brother cartridges there is a little film just above where the ink slots into the printer. I just cover that with a piece of white paper and the printer thinks its still full....have a look on your cartridge at something that might be an ink detection "window"........

I tried covering the small film, but it didn't work. After some research, it appears that it's a common practice that when your colour cartridge is dry, the printer won't allow you to print properly in black and white, even though there's still ample in in there, which is a downright con! I hardly ever print in colour.

So I probably have to buy a new colour cartridge just to print in black and white, and that's not going to happen. I'm going to add on the extra ?30 or so and get a new printer - I've seen plenty out there with cartridges much cheaper than mine.

Now into the 'choose a new printer' minefield.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

I reckon I might go for this:

Epson Bx305F Inkjet Printer Multifunction A4 Colour 38ppm 5760x1440dpi / C11CA79301

Ticks all the boxes (all in one, stylish, works properly with Win 7, cheaper cartridges).

 

[Dutch]

Yep, looks good. And lets be honest printers are relatively cheap these days. Its not worth the hassle and time to sort an old one out. Same with laptops: it is going to cost me about 200 euros to get a new battery for a three year old laptop. I might as well spend another few hundred on a new one?.

*raids mothers "secret" draw*
*sells granddads wooden leg*
*offers himself on the street*
*spends 14 hours in the cold and rain before deciding he wasn't made out for that kind of caper*

 

[MasterBlaster76]

Also it appears that with Epson, you only change the colour that you need to - which means if I just want to stick with a black cartridge, then I can - I'm not forced to fork out almost ?20 for a colour cartridge that barely gets used in order to print in black and white! A black cartridge for my Lexmark costs almost ?20. A black one for an Epson costs ?8.99.

I'd really like a printer that loads paper in the same way as a laser does - you load paper into the internal draw and replace when empty - but I don't think any inkjet printers come with that sort of arrangement and if they did, they'd probably be really expensive.

 

[Chewie]

Yea I have a printer that does that and I think it was quite expensive when we got it. I just use a black and white laser printer now though.