Hewett-Packard is the leading manufacturer of not just printers, but even print supplies across the globe. HP produces an array of cartridges for both kinds of printer inkjet and laser. The different types of ink cartridges you can buy on the Need More Ink portal are mentioned below.
- Black – All HP printers need a black cartridge. Generally, black ink or toner cartridges are less costly than the colored ones for the same printer. However, their use to print text makes it more possible for quick consumption. HP offers a combo and multi-pack black cartridges at discount rates making it easy to buy ink or toner in bulk.
- Photo black & gray – These cartridges are used specifically for printing photo-quality prints. They offer extra gradient and detail options allowing the printer to print high-quality images.
- Tri-color – Old offices and home-grade inkjet printers use tri-color cartridges. They contain three colors – yellow, cyan, and magenta tanks in a single cartridge. It is relatively inexpensive when compared to the individual color units. The only disadvantage is that you will have to replace the entire cartridge when a single tank goes empty or bare.
- Individual color – In this type, you can replace the empty cartridge from the group of three or twelve colors. High-grade inkjet printers make use of 12 individual cartridges.
- High capacity cartridges – for high volume printing or full coverage printing needs there will be a need for high capacity ink cartridges as you will frequently run out of ink. You can save a little on ink cost per print. Home-based printers use standard capacity cartridges but office printers and photographers need high-capacity cartridges.
Available cartridge sizes
In general, you can buy replacement ink cartridges in two sizes – standard & high yield [XL]. High yield means more ink and more prints. They are expensive but money is saved over time. For example, for HP 962 standard yield the price is $32.99 and page yield is 1,000, while HP 962XL high yield costs $44.00 and page yield is 2,000. The cost per page for standard yield is 3.2 cents, while for XL is 2.2 cents.
Type of ink HP makes use in the cartridge
The printing world makes use of two inks – pigment-based and dye-based. The former is a blend of dry pigment and water or oil [liquid]. The pigment is not dissolvable in liquid but stays suspended. The latter ink blends well with water and completely dissolves.
The pigment-based inks, when used in printing do not get absorbed in the paper but stay on the surface. Pressure and heat can cause the liquid to evaporate, while the color particles bond with the paper surface. In the dye-based printing process, the inks are absorbed in the paper when heat and pressure are applied.
Dye-based ink cartridges offer vibrant and brighter results but are water-soluble, so can fade away. Pigment-based ink cartridges are more water-resistant and costly. Large-format inkjet printers use dye-based inks, while devices designed for photo and heavy graphic printing use pigment-based ink cartridges.
