how printer inkjet cartridges made

How Do Inkjet Cartridges Work? No Tiny Elves Involved; Fascinating!

HP Video Explaining How Inkjet Cartridges Work: So, you thought that an ink cartridge was basically just a little plastic box that holds ink until it’s magically transferred onto paper by tiny elves? (Well, that’s what I always assumed)

Turns out that those little things are complex mechanical systems with mind-blowing accuracy. Did you know that each of the hundreds of nozzles on a typical cartridge is only about 1/3 the width of a human hair?

In this informative video, a hipster scientist (I think he’s from an 80’s British rock band?) from Hewlett Packard walks you through an inkjet cartridge works: (I’m wondering if a possible theme park is in the works?)

How Ink Cartridges Are Made (Video)

For those of you who have been raised on soda and video games, you may not have the attention span to sit through a video that lasts almost two minutes, so here are some highlights:

  • An inkjet cartridge contains about 500 tiny nozzles, each of which is only 1/3 the width of a human hair
  • When you hit, “print,” instructions are sent to these tiny nozzles
  • Pulses of energy create a super-heated vapor bubble that forces ink droplets through the nozzles and onto the page at up to 31 miles per hour!
  • This process can occur over 35,000 times in one second
  • The accuracy of this ink delivery is like standing on top of a 30 story building, and dropping a nickel into a bucket on the sidewalk. (Can’t imagine that? An easier analogy would be like trying to use a medieval trebuchet to launch a kilogram of Landjäger sausages 300 cubits into a medium-sized harvest jug)
  • It can take 1000 prototypes before a new inkjet cartridge is perfected

HP Ink Scientists Are Cooler Than You

speed of ink

As you can see, the ink scientists over at HP are not only cooler than you, but they know a lot of interesting things too. It almost makes you forget how expensive ink is per ounce!

If you are looking to save money on ink, consider buying generic instead of OEM ink; it still exceeds ISO 9001 quality standards for ink and costs a lot less. (Plus, you can use a coupon) Find this magical cheap ink at online stores like 123inkjets.com and 4inkjets.com! (click for coupons)

More deals: get 100 free business cards from Vistaprint here!