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)
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How is Printer Ink Made? Fascinating Video Shows You Exactly How
How is ink manufactured? Maybe it’s not as fun as learning how chocolate bars or beer is made, but there is an incredible science to the art of making 4-color, CMYK, process ink. (This would be such of a nightmare job for me, being colorblind!) Although companies have their own unique manufacturing techniques, they all have a similar process.
Printing ink is used for a wide variety of things; everything that you see with color on a paper like substance has been printed, including all of the packaging and print material that you see
Printer ink is composed of 2 primary things; the pigment (giving ink its color) and the vehicle, which is the carrier of the color
The pigment, a colored powder, is incorporated into the vehicle, which is a sticky varnish (like honey) that varies in thickness
First the vehicle is heated in order to thin it, so that the pigment can be incorporated. The pigment is then grinded in a bead mill, and then smeared in a 3-roller mill to reduce each pigment particle to its smallest size in order to maximize the color within
Quality control (QC) now becomes hugely important, ensuring that each batch of ink is the same
The ink is then subjected to a number of rigorous tests, including a grind test, and bleach test, which checks the color strength
Once approved, other ingredients are added, including waxes (for rub resistance) driers (so that the ink can dry quickly on paper)
The tack (stickiness) is tested, as it must be controlled so that the printer transfers it properly to paper
The ink is run again through another 3-roller mill, refining it further and adds more gloss and polishing
Before the ink is poured into a can and packaged, it has been through grinding mills, mixers, and a number of quality control tests.
I came across this truly fascinating video from the Printing Ink Company that illustrates the process; from the raw ingredients and mixing process, to the final ink that is sold. Seeing the video makes you feel even worse about how much ink is wasted in your printer! (Click below to view, & please share this page!)
How Ink Is Made: (Video)
Highlight of the video: Essentially, four base colors are made, from which all other colors are derived through mixing. These colors are Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black; commonly known as CMYK color.
How Ink is Made:
Did You Know: Inkjets Printers Waste 50% of the Ink You Buy?
Inkjet printers are inefficient and wasteful: We all hear those stories of government waste, and it makes us crazy. In fact, did you know we spent $2.7 million recently to encourage Chinese prostitutes to drink less. We were billed another $60,000 by the IRS for their awesome “Star Trek parody” video that was shown at their recent leadership conference. (Wow, was that directed by Scorsese?)
Anyway, we can’t do much about how the government wastes our money, so let’s look closer to home. In fact, let’s look at your inkjet printer.
We’ve already mentioned how expensive printer ink is, so at least it’s being used efficiently, right?
Wrong! According to Consumer Reports, about 50% of that printer ink never hits the page. In fact, the worst offenders only output about 30% of their ink to the pages! So, why are inkjet printers so wasteful? It seems that the culprit is the intermittent use of our printers.
Print Less Frequently, Waste More Ink
Basically what that means is that most people don’t buy an ink cartridge and use it all up in one week. More likely, people print a few pages here and there, and this is where the waste begins. The printer uses much of the ink in self-maintenance and cleaning, and ends up sitting in a reservoir inside the printer. (What a little diva!)
Printer companies are well aware of this, and on HP’s website states that, “Some ink must be used to maintain the health of the print head; some ink is residual; and some ink evaporates.”
How many pages can you get out of an inkjet cartridge?
Inkjet vs Laser Printers: Which Printer Is Best for You?
Inkjet or Laser Printer? There are a plethora of printers on the market for home-use, but which one is right for you? The easy answer is this: If you print mostly black and white text, go with a laser printer for speed and savings on the cost of ink. If you print out graphics, you’ll want an inkjet printer.
If you primarily print text, then a laser printer might be best for you. Laser printers are best for handling black and white text, (like emails, Word docs, and your taxes) and they are faster and less expensive. I know someone who prints out almost every email he gets for his records, and he must save hundreds of dollars a year by having a laser printer for this task. They can also handle address labels, which is nice around the holidays, or for bulk business mailings.
If you print a decent amount of photos, graphics, or color text, then an inkjet printer is best. I recommend not going with a color laser printer, as the costs of ink are significantly higher than black and white laser printers. Color laser printers use four toner cartridges, which can make the cost of ink even more than an inkjet
Don’t try to print photos with a laser printer. The quality will be marginal, and they aren’t meant for printing on glossy, or special photo paper. They also might not be able to print on sizes of paper other than 8.5 x 11
Having said that, here are some considerations before you finalize that all-important decision:
Should You Buy an Inkjet or Laser Printer? (Video)
When I think of a printer for home use, I instantly think of inkjet printers. They’ve become kind of the “Renaissance man” of your home office. After all, they can print out emails, address labels, stickers, t-shirt transfers, or even photo-quality prints from your digital photos.
As if that’s not enough, many of the “all in one printers” throw in scanner, printer, and fax machine capability.
Inkjet or Laser Printer?
So inkjet printer must be right for me then? Maybe; consider the following before buying: