Inkjet Cartridges - How to Choose

There are millions of inkjet cartridges available from a variety of manufacturers and it's not just about choosing the right colours, make sure you know what your printer make and model is. You will find this usually on the front of your printer or on the accompanying box. Without this you may get ink cartridges that are not only the wrong size but also can't communicate properly with your printer and are unusable. Your first step is to check out what type of Inkjet cartridges the box or manual describes if they are refillable it will clearly state so. If it does not then do not try refilling them as this will damage them and your printer.
The next step is to find out what colours you need. Not all colours of ink will run out at the same time. You will usually find that black ink runs out the most as it's the most frequently used of all of them. Thankfully it's also the cheapest ink. You can buy full colour replacement packs or single colours one at a time. If one of your inks has run out and the rest are very low you should probably invest in a full pack as it's cheaper than buying them individually. However, if an inkjet cartridge runs out and the rest are very high on ink you may want to buy just the one ink cartridge for now. This is most likely to happen with your black ink however the other colours are also sold individually in case you use one colour more than the rest.
Inkjet cartridges are quite expensive compared to the printer you are purchasing. Before buying a printer have a quick look at the Inkjet cartridges they use which will usually be on display close to the printer. The prices of cartridges can vary depending on the printer you choose. If you get a standard printer, your ink will be cheaper than if you get a photo quality printer for example. If you aren't sure what printer you need don't be afraid to ask for help, an assistant will be able to talk you through what the different printers are best used for and help you decide which one suits your needs. Before you pick out a printer though, ask to see the inkjet cartridges that go with it. This allows you to easily recognise the cartridges you will need in future as well as check out the price of them. Special offers on printers do not mean much when the ink is too expensive. Often manufacturers will sell the ink for just under the cost of the printer making it only just worthwhile to buy the ink rather than buy a whole new printer!