Whenever you own an inkjet printer, it goes without saying that you will need to replace your ink cartridges every now and then. As you may expect, how frequently you need to do so will depend on a number of different factors, including how many documents you usually print and the yield size of your ink cartridges. Some will have to replace their cartridges every few weeks whereas others will make their cartridges last much longer.
Of course, without ink in your cartridges, your printer simply won’t be able to print your documents, so it is important to ensure that you’re not caught short in this regard. If you’re new to owning an inkjet printer then you may be wondering how you know when your ink cartridges need replacing and, thankfully, there are some clear signs to look out for in this regard and below we have listed some of the most common.
The print quality is declining
One of the most obvious signs that your printer ink cartridges are starting to run low is that your print quality is getting worse. This can sometimes mean that something more serious is wrong with your printer, but nine times out of ten, it will simply be that you need new ink cartridges.
You will probably start to notice streaks on both printed text and images, these are usually horizontal, and this is because the print heads aren’t coated evenly with ink during the printing process. You may also notice smudges or parts of your document missing on the printed page.
The colours are less vivid
Another really common sign that your printer ink cartridges need replacing is that any printed colours are starting to fade. It isn’t uncommon for colours to come out incorrectly too and you may find that green colours are printed as more of a blue colour, for example.
This sign won’t necessarily mean that all of your ink cartridges need replacing though and you may find that you just need a new black cartridge or a new yellow cartridge. It is worth checking which cartridges are empty before potentially wasting your money by replacing them all.
You get a ‘low ink’ warning
The vast majority of inkjet printers, no matter how expensive they are, will inform you if you’re running low on ink and this is undeniably the most obvious sign that you need to get some replacement cartridges. You really shouldn’t ignore or overlook these warnings.
Sometimes, this warning will be on the display screen of your printer and it may even be a little indicator light that starts flashing. It isn’t uncommon for a notification to pop-up on your computer/laptop screen too whenever your ink levels get too low.
Your printer stops working
Ideally, you should have replaced your printer ink before getting to this stage, but if you have overlooked the other signs mentioned above, your printer might just stop printing. This usually happens when you need to replace more than just one of the ink cartridges you’re trying to use.
It isn’t uncommon for inkjet printers to use a combination of different ink colours to create the shade you’re trying to print. So, simply put, if the ink that the printer needs to use has run out, it won’t be able to make the colour and therefore won’t print your documents.
Replacing your printer ink cartridges
Now that you know which signs to look out for, you can ensure that you’re not letting your printer completely run out of ink and you’re replacing the cartridges as and when required. It is really easy to get hold of printer ink cartridges these days too and you can even keep some spares to hand as well, as long as you store them correctly, so you won’t ever find yourself in a situation where you desperately need to print something but you’re all out of ink.
Should you be looking for somewhere to buy printer ink cartridges, this is something we can help with here at Toner One. On our website, you will find a range of ink cartridges and toner cartridges that are all genuine OEM products. We pride ourselves on supplying our customers with high-quality printer cartridges at amazing prices and we provide quick delivery too, so you can trust that we are the best company to turn to in this regard. Should you need any assistance at all when buying compatible ink cartridges, feel free to contact us today.