Compatible ink jet cartidges are a great deal
Unless you use your ink jet printer for graphic design or photography, you should look into compatible ink cartridges. I have been using compatible ink cartridges for my ink jet printers for over five years now. On some models, manufacturers sell their printer slightly above cost, because they know you will buy their ink jet cartridges in the future, BUT YOU DO NOT HAVE TO!
As to the quality, I have found them to slightly inferior. They seem more likely to have banding which can be fixed by a cartridge cleaning. They also may not last as long–if you are archiving. The majority of items I print I do not need to save for three years. I printed all of our wedding invitations with compatible ink jet cartridges, so we will see how those hold up in a few years.
I don’t always buy my compatible ink jet cartridges from the same online stores. Since there only a few compatible ink manufactures, you will probably get the same cartridges. I just bought the following compatible ink cartridges from ABCink and SuperMediaStore:
Epson Color Photo R220: 12-pack (2 of each) $29
Epson Color Stylus 880: 6 black, 2 Color $35
Also, you should only buy from places that give you free shipping!
A note about the author
I love working in a field that changes every day. I am a web developer/designer with an agency background. I have empathy for the user first, then developers, then machines. I follow web standards, coding conventions, then, I do whatever it takes to make it work. Visit my contact page, even if you would just like to say hello. To stay in touch, follow me on Twitter