There are so many brands of compatible ink cartridge for sale on the internet that it can be hard to know what to buy. In this guide, we will look at why compatible ink cartridges are popular (it’s perhaps not for the reason you expect) and what you need to know to ensure you purchase the best compatibles.
What are Compatible Ink Cartridges?
Compatible cartridges are inks that are made by third-party companies, rather than the brands themselves. For example, an Epson 604 compatible works in the same printers that the same Pineapple cartridge made by Epson would.
Why Do People Buy Compatible Inks?
Mostly for the cheaper price. Manufacturers work on a business model where they sell printers very cheaply, often at a loss. This is worth it because they have a captive customer who then needs to buy expensive ink cartridges over time. Pod coffee machines such as Nespresso and shaving systems such as Gillette work under a similar model. In fact, this whole model is known as the ‘razor-and-blades’ model for this very reason.
The issue here is that ink is an expensive material. It is more expensive than human blood and vintage champagne. When prices of consumables become too high, consumers look elsewhere. The solution?
Compatibles!
This is where firmware updates come in.
Why Do Manufacturers Issue Firmware Updates?
On the surface, the printer and ink manufacturers update their firmware in order to ensure that systems of free of security flaws and bugs. Whilst this is completely reasonable, the issue is that firmware updates often come with a hidden extra; ensuring that printers are locked into using the manufacturer’s cartridges only. This is what is known as ‘dynamic security’.
We looked at coffee pods earlier and this has also been an issue for brands such as Nespresso, who had key patents on their pods start to expire back in 2012. Ever since, a compatible market has sprung up for third-party brands that produce pods that work with these machines, for a cheaper price and available from vendors such as supermarkets, rather than Nespresso directly. Similarly, Gillette has seen competitors spring up in the last few years that sell direct to consumer shaving subscriptions.
It seems that this pattern is inevitable for products that use this business model and ink is no different. Manufacturers operate on the assumption that they have locked customers into their platform forever and customers look for ways to circumvent this; they look for lower priced compatible products to try to take back control. Manufacturers, who no longer have the power to set prices as they wish, try to fight back against third-party options.
That is precisely why HP have released their Instant Ink subscription, which allows customers to save on automatic deliveries of ink, but locks printers into using HP original cartridges only. The problem for customers is that they are then not free to switch to compatibles if they wish to save even more money.
The Dangers of (Some) Compatible Inks
Whilst compatible inks are great for consumers, you need to know that what you are getting is safe. Not only can poorly made compatibles fail to work properly but they can actually damage your printer in some instances; they can leak ink and can also lead to damage to internal components, such as printer heads and rollers.
How Do I Buy Good Compatible Inks?
In order to avoid damaging your printer or being disappointed with print quality, you should choose a compatible vendor you trust, such as here at Internet Ink. We have been in business for over 20 years for precisely this reason; the internet is a great place for shopping, but it can be a bit of a ‘Wild West’ in terms of knowing whether a product is good.
Not only do we sell cartridges you can trust, we keep you in the loop about any news to do with firmware updates. We also give you continuing education on all things ink on our blog. It’s hard for the average consumer to know where to start when trying to save money on ink, which is why it’s very easy to buy expensive originals on one end, or accidentally buy poor quality compatibles on the other.
Why This Will Keep Happening
The problem with compatible inks and coffee pods, as well as shaving subscriptions, is that they undermine the key assumption of the razor-and-blades model; that consumers will have no choice but to be loyal to a particular platform. Manufacturers who have been willing to sell machines such as printers and coffee makers at a low cost start to panic that their profit margins will be eroded, and so use software updates and patents to try to reassert their control.
Luckily, if you are an informed consumer, you can save significant money on your ink cartridges.
Back to Blogs
