Which printers can you refill yourself?

Printing documents or images using a printer has long been a common process. When purchasing office equipment, you involuntarily think about its maintenance. Ease of refilling cartridges of multifunctional printing devices is an important criterion when choosing equipment.

Features of printers that you can refill yourself

According to the principle of operation, office equipment for printing can be:

• matrix;
• jet;
• laser

Dot matrix printers are rare today, because they print slowly, and the noise during their operation does not allow two nearby interlocutors to clearly hear each other.

REFERENCE! The ease of maintenance of such equipment came down to replacing the tape, which everyone could do on their own.

The ease of use of more modern models has led to the fact that dot matrix printers have been forced out of the consumer market.

The operating principle of inkjet printing devices is practically no different from matrix ones. Only instead of tape, replaceable cartridges are used, inside of which there is a dye and a cylindrical device for printing the required image.

Thin jets of paint are dosed when the appropriate command is received.As a result, the required image is obtained or the document is printed. Cartridges are filled with powder or liquid dyes.

Among manufacturers of printing devices, Epson, HP, Canon, Lexmark and some others are especially popular. The cartridge of these printers is refilled with ink as it is used. To do this, pull it out, find the filling window and, using a syringe, fill in the dye. At the same time, be careful and do not allow spillage on other surfaces. An unpleasant moment will be the liquid overflowing into the cartridge. After this, you will need to wipe it thoroughly so that the paint does not get on other surfaces.

ATTENTION! Self-filling of the cartridge with a special powder is carried out in a separate room. This is due to the fact that graphite dust is harmful to humans, and its spread during maintenance cannot be prevented.

There are printer models equipped with a continuous ink supply system (CISS). Such printing devices are large in size, and due to the supply of liquid to the printing area, there is no need to maintain cartridges. When working with such equipment, monitor the level of dyes in special containers. As needed, the used colors are added.

Laser printers have a more complex printing technique and an electronic control system with built-in chips. If such a device fails, replace the cartridge or contact specialists who can restore the functionality of the equipment.

REFERENCE! The service life of a laser printer is more than 10 years, and the amount of printed products it can produce is several times greater than the capabilities of inkjet equipment.

Advantages and disadvantages of refillable cartridges

Filling a printing device with liquid or powder dye has the following advantages:

• reducing printer maintenance costs;
• increasing cartridge life;
• reduction of refueling time, since there is no need to go anywhere;
• ease of removal and installation of the cartridge;
• low cost of equipment and reasonable price for dyes.

The disadvantages of gas stations include:

• the need for a special room when replacing powder dye;
• high probability of depressurization of the cartridge filling capacity;
• high cost of spare parts when equipment fails.

The cost of printing one A4 sheet for inkjet printers will be higher than for laser printers. This is due to the huge advantage in the service life of the latter and the constant need to add dyes to refillable models. For any document flow in office use, it will be more profitable to use laser devices.

Which printers with the ability to refill a cartridge are worth paying attention to?

When purchasing devices for color and black-and-white printing, one approaches the purchase of devices based on one’s own needs and the possibility of placement. For home use, an inkjet printer is best suited, but if it is equipped with a CISS, it will take up more space and will cost much more. Compactness is typical for devices that are not equipped with a continuous ink supply.

In addition, find out the type of ink used. They are:

• pigmented;
• solvent;
• oil;
• aquatic.

The most acceptable and inexpensive will be the last type of dyes for printing; the rest are more used in industry.Popular device manufacturers are Canon and Hewlett Packard. The ability to refill the cartridges of these printers allows you to quickly and inexpensively add ink at the right time. It is worth purchasing equipment from well-known manufacturers, since spare parts for equipment from less common brands will be more expensive.