Ink Cartridges - How to Choose

What ink cartridge should you choose for your printer? It's a long standing debate for many consumers offered a choice between affordable and branded ink cartridges. Some of us will consider the warning signs our printers give us when switching inks which usually inform us that we must use the correct brand ink or the guarantee will be void. Others will not worry about the guarantee and simply choose no name compatible inks for their printer. If you can choose a cheaper alternative what are the real benefits of choosing a more expensive option?
The main concern when using cheaper alternatives is how it affects your printer. Okay, so your printer won't explode if you use the wrong ink in it, but it will damage it and it won't be noticeable until your printer starts acting possessed. This is because the chip for the ink may not be as fully compatible as we are lead to believe, the printer can be trying to do one thing and getting different results back which often leads to something like "phantom ink syndrome" as we like to call it. This is where the printer thinks there's ink in the cartridge when in fact it's empty and you end up with red missing in your pictures or when it thinks it's empty and in fact it's full which means the printer will tell you to change the ink when it's full.
The type of ink itself can also cause your printer some damage especially if you're purchasing refill packs. Some ink cartridges are not designed to be refilled and can be damaged during the process so do not be tempted to pop down to your local cut price market for a quick refill. The consistency of the ink can also cause havoc with your printer nodes and they can become clogged up making marks on your print outs. They will then require regular cleaning as much as daily which wastes ink, paper and money.
Buying reliable and guaranteed ink cartridges doesn't have to cost the world and in the long run you can really save you an awful lot of money by comparing prices for the Epson Stylus Photo R285 printer Branded Ink cartridges, for example, with those from a high street store. You will often find a large price difference difference for a complete set on various sites. Add to the equation that most places offer their ink with no delivery charges, and you will certainly be getting a very good deal.