Most people today have personal printers in their homes and offices that they use for work, school, and even entertainment such as printing family photos or printing out articles they prefer not to read on a screen.  However, not many really know how printers work and what types of printers there are to choose from.  The most commonly used and affordable printer type is what is termed an inkjet printer. Just as the name suggests, these printers use small bursts of black and colored ink to create the images and words on the sheet. So, what is an inkjet cartridge and why is it important to know?

In order to make sure to get a high quality, clear print every time, it is important to consider how inkjet cartridges put the ink on the page.  The most common type of inkjet cartridge is what is called a thermal inkjet.  Ink sits in a reservoir inside the cartridge and is dispensed through a small nozzle at one end of the inkjet cartridge.  Thermal inkjet cartridges contain a small coil inside the reservoir that heats up on command from the printer and forces a small, vaporized bubble of ink through the nozzle and onto the sheet of paper.  When the ink in the reservoir begins to run low, the heating element can easily burn out, damaging the cartridge.

This is important to keep in mind for consumers who like to fill ink cartridges themselves.  It is a good idea to fill them before they run completely out of ink.  Sheets printed using inkjet cartridges should also be given time to dry before being handled. Depending upon the saturation, or amount of ink on the page, this time may vary but it vital to ensuring printouts do not smudge or blur.