Cheap printer ink can’t match up to original in tests

Munich (dpa) – New tests show that cheap third-party ink for printers does not perform as well as the expensive original cartridges offered by the printer makers. That was the primary finding of a recent study by Munich-based computer magazine Macwelt, which tested some some 132 ink cartridges for the study.

The magazine found that the cheaper cartridges could indeed sometimes save significant money. Yet their tests showed that not a single third party ink cartridge was able to produce better printing quality than the original inks.

The printouts from cheaper inks were also more light sensitive than inks from the printer manufacturer. This means that colorful photos from a summer vacation lose their brilliancy more quickly when the cheaper inks are used.

Printer manufacturers generally warn users against employing third-party in cartridges in their printers, and many printer makers will not honour warranties if third-party inks have been used in a printer that is experiencing trouble.