Editing Inkjet printing (section)

== Disadvantages ==

Many "intelligent" ink cartridges contain a [[integrated circuit|microchip]] that communicates the estimated ink level to the printer; this may cause the printer to display an error message, or incorrectly inform the user that the ink cartridge is empty. In some cases, these messages can be ignored, but some inkjet printers will refuse to print with a cartridge that declares itself empty, to prevent consumers from refilling cartridges. For example, [[Epson]] embeds a chip which prevents printing when the chip claims the cartridge is empty, although a researcher who over-rode the system found that in one case he could print up to 38% more good quality pages, even though the chip stated that the cartridge was empty.<ref name="BBC" /> Third-party ink suppliers sell ink cartridges at significant discounts (at least 10–30% off OEM cartridge prices, sometimes up to 95%, typically averaging around 50%),{{citation needed|date=February 2020}} and also bulk ink and cartridge [[inkjet refill kit|self-refill kits]] at even lower prices. Many vendors' "intelligent" ink cartridges have been [[reverse-engineer]]ed. It is now possible to buy inexpensive devices to reliably reset such cartridges to report themselves as full, so that they may be refilled many times.

The very narrow inkjet nozzles are prone to clogging. The ink consumed in cleaning them—either during cleaning invoked by the user, or in many cases, performed automatically by the printer on a routine schedule—can account for a significant proportion of the ink used in the machine. Inkjet printing head nozzles can be cleaned using specialized solvents, or by soaking in warm distilled water for short periods of time (for water-soluble inks.)

The high cost of OEM ink cartridges and the intentional obstacles to refilling them have been addressed by the growth of third-party ink suppliers. Many printer manufacturers discourage customers from using third-party inks, stating that they can damage the print heads due to not being the same formulation as the OEM inks, cause leaks, and produce inferior-quality output (e.g., of incorrect color gamut). ''[[Consumer Reports]]'' has noted that some third-party cartridges may contain less ink than OEM cartridges, and thus yield no cost savings,<ref name="Auto5I-6">{{cite web |url=http://www.mysimon.com/Consumer-Reports-Printers/4002-9375-6311140.html |title=Consumer Reports |publisher=Mysimon.com |access-date=12 September 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304041838/http://www.mysimon.com/Consumer-Reports-Printers/4002-9375-6311140.html |archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref> while [[Wilhelm Imaging Research]] claims that with third-party inks the lifetime of prints may be considerably reduced.<ref>{{cite web|title=WIR Testing Finds Aftermarket Inks Are Inferior to OEM|url=http://wilhelm-research.com/hardcopy/WIR_AftermarketTests2006_05.pdf|work=The Hard Copy Supplies Journal|access-date=30 May 2013}}</ref> However, an April 2007 review showed that, in a [[double-blind]] test, reviewers generally ''preferred'' the output produced using third-party ink over OEM ink. In general, OEM inks have undergone significant system reliability testing with the cartridge and print-head materials, whereas R&D efforts on third-party ink material compatibility are likely to be significantly less. Some inkjet manufacturers have tried to prevent cartridges being refilled using various schemes including fitting chips to the cartridges that log how much the cartridge has printed and prevent the operation of a refilled cartridge.

The warranty on a printer may not apply if the printer is damaged by the use of non-approved supplies. In the US the [[Magnuson–Moss Warranty Act]] is a federal law which states that warrantors cannot require that only brand name parts and supplies be used with their products, as some printer manufacturers imply. However, this would not apply if non-approved items cause damage.