Product Profiles

Printing terminology can sometimes be a little too technical or confusing. To aid you in your search for jet savings, we have assembled the following definitions and explanations for various the types of printing options that we offer. This page and our FAQ page are good starting points for the enquiring mind, though we are also available to answer questions on specific and general topics over the phone Monday through Friday, 8:30AM to 5:30PM Pacific. Call us at 800-901-4657 or email support@inksforless.com.

• jet print cartridge: In some cases, the jet print cartridge contains the jet ink and the printhead (as with most HP and Lexmark printing machines), in others, the print cartridge is simply an ink tank that delivers ink to the printing machine. With most jet print cartridges, jet ink is stored by means of an internal sponge, though there are some notable suggestions such as the HP 51645A and most newer Epson cartridges (T032, T033, T034, T042, T044 and T048 series). These print cartridges contain no internal sponge, but rather, the ink is stored in a cavity or system of cavities inside the cartridge. jet print cartridges come in a variety of color combinations: some contain only one color, while others may have three, four or even five colors in different chambers.

• Ink Tank: An ink tank is a jet print cartridge that does not contain a printhead, but simply feeds jet ink to the printing machine's printhead mechanism. Most Canon, Epson and Brother jet print cartridges fall into this category.

• ink printing machine: Jet printing technology dates from the late 1970s, however, ink printing machines did not become widely popular until the 1990s. Ink printing machines create images and text by precisely placing small droplets of jet ink on paper or other media. The dots created by the ink drops are smaller in diameter than a human hair, and different colored dots (generally cyan, magenta and yellow) can be combined in various ways to produce a wider range of color tones. Jet technology continues to evolve: monochrome printing machines were replaced long ago by 4-color printers, which are now being superseded by 6- and 7-color photo printers. Resolution and speed have been improving with each new generation of ink printing machines released on the market.

• Compatible (AKA Generic): Compatible print cartridges are, simply put, cartridges made to work with a given printing machine, but not manufactured by the OEM manufacturer. All of our brand new compatible print cartridges are brand spanking new, never been used. They arrive at your doorstep in pristine, factory-sealed condition, ready for you to open and install in your printing machine. Our JetMaster brand brand new compatible jet print cartridges are made in ISO-certified facilities with adherence to strict manufacturing specifications and quality assurance guidelines to ensure you both good quality prints and dependable output. New compatible ink tanks are available for Brother, Canon, Epson, Okidata and some Xerox printers. Legally, there are no new brand new compatible jet print cartridges available for HP or Lexmark, as their print cartridges contain a patented printhead (Be aware that some print cartridge retailers label their restored print cartridges as brand new compatibles, though they are in fact selling refilled print cartridges).

• OEM (AKA Genuine): The Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM for short) designation is reserved for jet print cartridges, laser print cartridges, ribbons and other printing options that are manufactured by the same company that made the printing machine.

• Remanufactured: Other descriptive terms for this type of cartridge are either refilled, recharged or reinked. Both jet and laser print cartridges, as well as dot-matrix ribbon cartridges can be restored, though of course the technique varies by printing technology. We offer a wide variety of restored laser print cartridges and continually add new ones to our product line. Our restored laser cartridges are refilled with toner specially formulated for the print cartridge it is used in. The internal cartridge parts are carefully cleaned and inspected for wear, and replaced as necessary. Currently the only restored print cartridges that we have are laser print cartridges. In our experience, remanufactured jet print cartridges are best suited for serving local markets; the stresses of shipping (particularly by air) can cause remanufactured jet print cartridges to leak in transit.

• jet refill kit: A set of tools, jet inks and instruction booklet for re-inking jet print cartridges. Unlike many jet refill kit retailers who sell so-called universal jet refill kits, each of our jet refill kits is designed around the needs of a particular jet print cartridge; therefore, our kits include print cartridge-specific instruction booklets, cartridge-specific jet inks and cartridge-specific jet re-inking materials. See the individual JetMaster jet refill kit details for print cartridge compatibility and yield.

• jet ink: Jet ink (or Bubblejet ink as it was originally termed by Canon) is a complex emulsion of either pigments or dyes (for color), stabilizers to maintain the integrity of the emulsion, solvents and glycol. As of 2004, we offer over 200 different types of jet inks, each specially formulated to match the original inks of the jet print cartridge for which it is designed. We offer bulk jet ink in 2.35oz bottles, 4.35oz bottles and pint bottles online. If you are interested in larger quantities, please call for pricing and availability of your desired ink in gallons or larger containers.

• cleaning kit: This kit is similar to the regular jet refill kit, however, its purpose is to clean the print cartridge and/or printhead to optimize print quality and output. Our cleaning kits include specialized jet ink solvents in one of two basic formulations: one is optimized for print cartridges that use pigmented inks, while the other is meant for dye-based jet print cartridges.

• Cleaner jet print cartridges: cleaner jet print cartridges are simply print cartridges or tanks that have been filled with an jet ink cleaning solution instead of ink. Their application is simple: install the cleaner jet print cartridge in place of the regular jet tank and either run a cleaning cycle or print a test page (or both). These two actions will drawn the cleaning solution from the cartridge and through the printhead, dissolving dried ink and any other blockages in the printhead along the way. These cleaner jet print cartridges are most effective when used as part of the printing machine's regular maintenance. We have cleaner jet print cartridges available for the following jet print cartridge models: Epson S020110, Epson S020118, Epson S020122, Epson S020126, Epson S020130, Epson S020187, Epson S020189, Epson S020191, Epson S020193, Epson T001, Epson T003, Epson T005, Epson T019, Epson T020, Canon BCI-21BK and Canon BCI-21C. As only a little cleaning solution is used each cycle, a set of cleaner jet print cartridges should last you a while if properly stored.

• Printhead: This is the mechanism that sprays the tiny ink drops onto the paper in a certain pattern. printheads contain tiny jets or nozzles that are finer than a human hair. Canon, Epson and Brother ink printing machines tend to have printheads are part of the printing machine, whereas with HP and Lexmark ink printing machines, the printhead is part of the print cartridge.

• Laser Print cartridge (AKA Toner Cartridge): Laser print cartridges are made up of several components that each take part in preparing, regulating, charging and transferring the toner to the paper in a prescribed pattern, as well as some that do the clean up afterwards. Unlike jet print cartridges, laser cartridges contain a solid powdered substance (toner) which is used to form the printed image and then fused on the page. In general, laser cartridges rely on the magnetic propensities of the toner particles to be attracted to the properly-charged areas of the OPC drum.

• Toner: The great majority of toners contain particles of carbon and iron, as well as anti-caking and other agents. Toner can be of varying grain and fineness, depending on the print cartridge model and resolution. The iron is an important toner ingredient, as it is magnetic -- an important feature for the technology of laser printing. Laser printing was formerly a strictly monochromatic technology, however, in the past few years, color laser machines and their technology have advanced to a point where they are becoming viable options for many businesses. For your convenience, we sell our toner in pre-measured bottles; one bottle is equivalent to one remanufacture. New toners are continually under development, so if you need toner for a laser print cartridge or printing machine not listed on our website, please call or email.

• Internal cartridge parts: There are several internal components that come into play inside a laser cartridge. These include, but are not limited to: the OPC drum, the wiper blade (cleans any remaining toner off the drum at the end of the print cycle), the doctor blade ("doctors" the amount of toner that is allowed out of the toner hopper and onto the drum), the recovery blade (guides waste toner from the wiper blade into the waster hopper), the toner hopper (container for the toner), the magnetic roller (charges the toner with the correct polarity and delivers it to the drum), the primary charge roller (PCR for short, it magnetizes the drum so it can attract the toner).

• Paper and Media: Three of the main ink printing machine manufacturers have developed their own specialty jet papers and specialty media, which they have coated and optimized for various printing applications. We are able to offer brand name specialty media and photographic papers from Epson, Canon and HP.

Still have questions? Call us at 800-901-4657 or email support@inksforless.com.