Thanks to technology, customers now have a wider variety of printing options to choose from
when looking for a printer of their choice. When buying inkjet printers, in particular, one has to
decide whether they would prefer an inkjet printer that uses an ink tank versus one that uses ink cartridges.
Until very recently, manufacturers sold home printers at a relatively low price because they
would rely on branded ink cartridges that were expensive to make profits. However, nowadays,
brands such as Epson manufacture printers that have refillable ink tanks instead. According to
tech experts, printers with refillable ink tanks can last for nearly two years in a typical household.
So what are the notable differences between ink tanks and ink cartridges?
Ink cartridges
Ink cartridges refer to ink containers that have an inbuilt print head. These small boxes of ink
(cartridges) are filled with liquid ink, which is then used by the printer to print out your
documents or the images that you need from your device. Most printers that can print color come with one black cartridge and a color cartridge that combines 3 primary colors to come up with a variety of color combinations. Whenever a cartridge runs out, it can either be replaced or refilled; it is typically significantly cheaper to refill a cartridge rather than purchase an entirely new one.
Ink tanks
Unlike cartridges, ink tanks do not contain an inbuilt print head. Ink tanks have individual color
tanks made up of cyan, yellow and magenta, as well as a black tank that can easily be refilled
with ink bottles. Compared to inkjet printers that use cartridges, refillable ink tank models tend
to be more expensive initially. However, you end up saving money in the long run as a result of
low print costs and the availability of inexpensive refill bottles.
Which is better? Ink tank vs. ink cartridge
In terms of performance, there are no known attributable differences in print quality between
print cartridges and ink tanks. Nonetheless, without a doubt, the print costs that you typically
experience with regular printers that use cartridges are significantly higher compared to ink tank printers.
However, as a printer that has a refillable ink tank typically costs more than twice the price of an
average inkjet model (which uses cartridges), it may take some time before the customer actually starts to make savings. Replacing cartridges can also be an expensive affair because print heads must be replaced every time the ink in a cartridge runs out.
The bottom line
Consequently, household or businesses that are relatively heavy users of cartridges can make
considerable savings in the end by switching their printer for one with a tank.