Some manufactures of thermal inkjet printing equipment encode special firmware on their printers that only recognize ink cartridges that have their special software encoded on it. Meaning, ink cartridges purchased elsewhere (including InkCartridgesETC) will not work. Hence the name “managed ink”.
Obviously they do this in order to be able to sell their cartridges at any price they want and make huge profits for the life of the printer. And, the customer has no option, other than to purchase another printer from a manufacturer who doesn’t do this. The chips on our cartridges are blank, and we cannot encode any software on them. HP has reserved this feature for equipment manufacturers.
When considering purchasing a thermal inkjet printing system, ask the sales representative if you can buy ink cartridges from anywhere. If he is honest, and says no, than beware. Also, consider the cost of the hardware. Many manufacturers practically give away the printer because they know they will make huge profits on ink sales. Other manufacturers may charge more for their hardware, but you will save money in the end by being able to purchase ink cartridges anywhere, and at the lowest price.
We have found that the vast majority of managed inkjet systems are sold in the packaging industry, not the mailing industry. If you already have an existing printer and you notice the cost of an ink cartridge from the manufacturer is way more than us, than that is a good clue that you have a managed ink printer.
All our ink cartridges are brand new, filled with fresh ink, directly from the manufacture. We buy truck loads of ink weekly and guarantee their performance. Because of our years of partnership with ink companies like HP, we are able to offer the lowest prices of anyone else.