Why didn't my cartridge print the full amount of pages? Why was the yield lower than what was quoted online? Customers often worry about the yield of their cartridges. They often mistakenly try to track yield by time. The amount of time it takes for a cartridge to go empty is a bad indicator of yield. The cited yield for ink and toner cartridges is given at 5% coverage. This is usually not a lot of print on a page. Typically only a short memo is at 5% coverage. If you are printing letters, using legal size paper, printing photos, web pages or doing any kind of graphics your coverage will vary greatly. This will cause the yield to drop greatly.

There are two ways to properly check for yield. First is to utilize any page count your printer has. Refer the user's manual for instructions. The other way is to count reams or boxes of paper you have used with each cartridge. Both of these methods will tell you how many pages per cartridge you are using.

Both methods give you a raw number. You should also take into account your typical print coverage. If you only do memos then you should reach the manufacturer's stated yield specifications. If you write full page letters or print graphics your yield will be considerably less. When printing text and full page graphics a 4000 page yield cartridge will run out of toner in around 800 pages.

Introduced in June 2004, the ISO/IEC 19752 standard method for testing page yield was introduced. It created a comprehensive process to test page yields. This standard method means that from now on all printer manufacturers and cartridge manufacturers will be quoting ink and toner cartridge yields using the same testing process. Below you can see the sample page that is used to test yield.  If your documents have more page coverage you will get drastically lower page yields from each inkjet or toner cartridge.

Why is my new ink cartridge not printing? This can happen to cartridges with attached print heads such as HP, Lexmark or Dell. All cartridges are weighed and tested before leaving the factory so lack of ink isn't the problem. It usually has to do with the print head of the cartridge not having any ink to feed it. This happens because cartridges are kept flat or upside down for weeks or months before being used and the ink settles away from the print head. The easiest remedy is to open the box and stand the cartridge upright for a few minutes before using. Then get a damp paper towel, fold it into quarters and sit the cartridge print head down onto it. Hold the cartridge down to the damp paper towel for three minutes. This will help pull the ink out of the print heads, priming them and getting them ready to print. Finally, install the cartridge into your printer and print a few test pages.

How can I get dried ink out of my inkjet print head so I can print again? Place the clogged cartridge in about 1/4 - 1/2 inch of warm water for a few minutes. When ink starts to slowly leak out take the cartridge out of the water and dry it using a soft cloth to "Q-tip." Then place it back in your printer and run the print head cleaning utility that comes with your printer software. You may have to run this 2-4 times before printing quality is reestablished. If your print head is destroyed, as can happen, you will have to buy a cartridges and refill that cartridge before it is fully empty.

Can I order by check? If you would like to pay by check or money order please use the online checkout process. Start by selecting the items you wish to order. When you have all the items you want press the "check out" button. Continue through the checkout process by entering your shipping address. Under the payment option you will see an option to "Pay by Check" select this option and continue. Please note your order will not be shipped until your check has been received.

Will my warranty be voided if I use refilled, recycled or remanufactured cartridges? Often customers have expressed a legitimate concern as to whether the use of compatible cartridges in their printer will void their printer's warranty. The answer is NO!

What follows is a partial quote from the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Improvement Act, which protects your rights and your warranty.

MAGNUSON-MOSS WARRANTY IMPROVEMENT ACT
United States Code Annotated
Title 15 Commerce and Trade
Chapter 50 Consumer Product Warranties
15 Section 2032

... (c) No warrantor of a consumer product may condition his written or implied warranty of such product on the consumer's using, in connection with such product, any article or service (other than article or service provided without charge under the terms of the warranty) which is identified by brand, trade or corporate name; except that the prohibition of this subsection be waived by the commission if:

1) The warrantor satisfies the Commission that the warranted product will function properly only if the article or service so identified is used in connection with the warranted product, and

2) the Commission finds that such a waiver is in the public interest.

More simply put, this means that your printer warranty cannot be voided just because you choose to use compatible products unless the manufacturer can prove that the compatible product caused direct damage to your printer. In cases such as this, the manufacturer may choose not to repair your printer but your warranty would remain in effect for all other warranty issues.

How should I handle my cartridge? Never touch the electronic print head with any abrasive material. Use care when setting your cartridges down and do not place the print head in contact with any surface besides the printer.

What is a remanufactured inkjet cartridge? These professionally remanufactured inkjet cartridges are original manufacturer's brand inkjet cartridges which have been through one cycle of service and have been recharged. Every inkjet cartridge has been thoroughly cleaned along with the print-head nozzles. Then the cartridge is filled with the same ink formulation, checked if it has the correct internal atmospheric pressure, inspected for any possible shell leakage, tested the operation of all electrical circuitry and finally ran through an actual print test. If the cartridge passes our rigid standards, it has been remanufactured!

Does the letter at the end of the HP inkjet cartridge part number matter? For example, if the cartridge is a C6656A will the C6656AN work as well. The letter at the end of HP ink cartridge numbers signifies the volume. Most HP cartridges only have one type such as the #56 which you will also see shown as the C6656, C6656A and C6656AN. HP sometimes shows the cartridge as the 56A or C6656A, but the full part number is C6656AN. All versions are the same product with the same ink volume. Only if the first letter after the numbers was different would it be the same cartridge with a different volume. Other first letters at the end such as 51645G and 51645A are the identical cartridge, but with different volumes. The G is the free starter cartridge that comes with a printer and the A is the regular high volume cartridge that is sold in stores. When our cartridges are remanufactured we always fill the cartridges completely. So, regardless of the letter at the end of part number or the letter you are used to order you will always get a high volume cartridge for us.

What is the shelf life of your compatible brand ink and toner cartridges? They have a three year shelf life.

Do you charge sales tax? We only charge sales tax on all orders inside Colorado.