Inkjet Ink: The Inside Story Of High Prices & Intrigue

T he Chicago Sun-Times has published a very entertaining and informative look at the price inkjet ink, and the war between third party refillers and manufacturers. The piece was penned by Zay N. Smith, and is titled "Hold on, the cheap inkis coming."

Would you believe that filling your caris gas tank with inkjet ink would cost more than US$175,000? The article says that not only is that true, inkjet ink is pricier than Dom Perignon 1985. Fortunately, the refiller-market is heating up, and that, according to the article, is bringing prices down. From the article:

"The real answer is competition," said Lester Cornelius. "And weire finally starting to make a little progress here."

Cornelius is chairman of the International Imaging Technology Council, an industry group seeking to open up the market for those who would compete against the expensive guys in the cartridge business.

And donit get Cornelius started about the expensive guys.

"Some of their inkjet cartridges have three colors--and when the ink runs out in one, the cartridge shuts down and you have to throw it out. Amazing. Theyive been banned in China, you know. China said itis too poor to throw out half its ink."

But they havenit been banned here. And the answer, Cornelius said, is coming from the "compatibles" and the "remanufactureds"--generic cartridges made from scratch and used cartridges that are refurbished, refilled and sold at a fraction of the original price.

There is literally a lot more in the full article, and we recommend it as both an amusing and informative read.