Buying refurbished goods is an alternative that may offer considerable savings on office supplies. Many people are looking for bargains on products including those that may have been returned to the manufacturer. Companies that deal in refurbished ink cartridges often refill previously used cartridges in order to save waste and then offer them to consumers. If you would like to save some money by learning how to buy refurbished ink cartridges for your printer, check out the information this page. There are some potential issues you should be aware of before buying third party inks but the upside can be huge savings.

• In a world where waste management is essential, recycling things like ink cartridges can save money and space in garbage dumps. Many companies and business encourage you to return your used ink cartridges to them, so they can be recycled. These companies then refill cartridges with new ink and resell them at a cheaper price than brand new cartridges. Companies that deal in refurbished ink cartridges often refill previously used cartridges in order to off them to consumers.

First you should realize if you choose to use off brand ink cartridges, refilled cartridges, or off-brand ink you may void your warranty on your printer. That being said, it is not uncommon for the replacement ink to cost more than the printer itself so this may be a calculated risk especially for cheap printers. There is also the issue of off-brand ink producing colors that may not correspond to the correct color. This varies among different ink providers and is an important consideration if you are printing things that need have true color such as photographs. One last important issue you run into when you are using off-brand ink is longevity. Cheaper ink may have a tendency to fade faster than more expensive ink and this is also a very important consideration for photographs or when you intend to preserve printings for a long time.

• One of the first places to look for refurbished ink cartridges is the original manufacturer. Check their website for information on buying refurbished cartridges, or even refill packages that allow you to refill your old cartridges yourself. There are many independent ink companies that offer their own formulations of printer ink at much lower prices. Manufacturers may also have ink cartridges that were returned to the company because of minor cosmetic damage or overstock.

• A number of office supply stores will offer their customers discounts if they return their old cartridges for recycling. They may also have overstock and refurbished cartridges they will sell at a discount to consumers.

• Major online retailers will often offer refurbished ink cartridges, and there are a number of small online companies who deal in refurbished electronics and accessories. Do your research before you buy from one of these companies.

1. Find out where they receive their refurbished goods from.
2. Ask about their return policies.
3. Review customer feedback, if available.
4. Research the company to find out if anyone has had positive and negative dealings with them.

• There are a number of places where you can buy kits that allow you to refill your ink cartridges right at home, from office supply stores to grocery stores. These kits are a fairly inexpensive alternative to new cartridges. This process can be messy, especially for your first attempt, but it can offer significant saving opportunities.

Macworld.com reviewed the third party ink Silo using an Epson NX400 as the printer. The test used a black, cyan, magent and yellow refillable cartridges. Doing the math from the number of pages they were able to print showed that the third party ink was approximately 4 times less expensive than the official Epson ink. The third party ink started off with some issues including being less sharp and some banding but it improved with more printing and soon looked similar to the Epson brand ink. Although the Silo inks were not perfect, the review found that the sacrifice in quality would be worth it for the majority of people printing. The full review can be found here.

• You have to be careful when you buy refurbished goods. Do your research both about to goods you want to buy and the companies you're considering buying from. There may be variations in quality of refurbished cartridges and third party ink suppliers so it may be a good idea to check out some reviews beforehand. Because you are getting a major discount, some companies may skimp on quality, so you want to be sure you're getting a good deal, and not just a financial break.

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• Introduction
• Step 1: Manufacturer Sales
• Step 2: Office Supply Stores
• Step 3: Online Shopping
• Step 4: Refill Your Own Cartridges
• Conclusion