The Art of Ink and Toner Selection

Buying ink and toner seems like a simple process for companies that have their own in-house label printers. However, ink buying has the potential to slow down an otherwise-efficient labeling process. Individuals in charge of departments owning printers should make sure they know their devices’ specifications and needs, and find a third-party partner that will help them with their ink and toner needs. The flexibility and agility that come with in-house printing fade when the right supplies aren’t present.

The Printer Selection Process and Ink Cartridges

The whole workflow for toner is set the moment a leader orders a new printer.

The process of buying ink differs from one company to the next based on the type of label printer the organization uses. This means that the whole workflow for toner is set the moment a leader signs off on ordering a new printer.

Some printers possess one or two ink cartridges covering the whole range of colors. Others are more granular, with single ink cartridges for yellow, magenta, cyan and black. There is a variation on this style employing two black cartridges and one each for the other colors.

Models with more separate ink colors can be more economical to refill, as when one cartridge runs low, that is the only container that needs to be replaced. A cartridge containing magenta, cyan and yellow ink must be replaced when any one of the three compartments is empty, representing slight waste. If users expect to print high volumes of labels on their printers, they may find value in going with a more-cartridges model, even if there is a premium to pay up-front.

Finding a Retail Partner

Of course, not every company gets to pick a new printer and set its preferred ink consumption method. Some small businesses simply won’t have the capital in the budget to buy a printer this year. Fortunately, the same companies that sell new printers and ink cartridges can come through with toner for existing printers.

Durafast Label offers a huge variety of ink types, even for hardware that is older, discontinued or otherwise out of date. This variety of offerings doesn’t come at the cost of quality, either. Some vendors may sell third-party ink cartridges meant to work with various printer models. Durafast, by contrast, only sells the genuine articles, from the original equipment manufacturers.

Finding a company to work with on ink refills is an essential item to check off when setting up an internal label printing workflow. No printer is worthwhile without a steady supply of ink, however effective that asset may be. Check out Durafast’s U.S. site or Canadian page to learn more.