You never know how long the printer ink will last.

With every manufacturer having a different cartridge system, it is always difficult to determine how long the ink will go on. Although a printer ink cartridge declares its printer ink yield on the box pack, it actually refers to the estimated number of pages which can be printed from a single ink cartridge. This too can differ between the cartridges of various brands as they could use different test settings.

Manufacturers also use various ink cartridge systems. Some use a separate ink tank system, which means inkjet cartridges do not have the embedded computer chip to calculate a preset number of pages printed. In this case, the printing does not stop prematurely. The tri-color cartridge system has different ink tanks for various colors. If a particular color runs out, you can change it rather than the all three.

In some printers, the whole cartridge has to be replaced even when a single color runs out of stock. In Inkjet printers which typically use just one black and a color ink cartridge, you need to replace the single cartridge even when an individual color cartridge runs out. Some printers produce black by mixing different colors which is costly and inefficient really. When one color runs out or the cartridge becomes blocked in that section, not only that color becomes unavailable but the printer ceases printing the black color too.

Some printers refuse to print more, once the low ink warning appears. However, some printers will continue printing even after the warning though the quality might suffer. To maintain the quality, you would be required to replace the cartridge.

Today, when the inkjet cartridges are becoming increasingly expensive, it becomes important to purchase cartridges which last long and are affordable too. You could go for compatible or remanufactured cartridges produced by well reputed suppliers. Today, one can easily purchase these cartridges online, saving you the trouble of even visiting the shop.