"Enjoyed our article on using cheap ink and thought I'd share some of my experiences with non HP cartridges. I've been refilling HP 56 & 57 cartridges for my HP 1300 all in one for a number of years until they physically wear out. The printer shows no ill effects. I tried "compatible" cartridges which printed OK but didn't provide sufficient print production.
Two years ago I bought a HP 3210 all in one and have had nothing but trouble with the paper handling mechanism starting a year after the purchase (due to bad rollers which HP would do absolutely nothing about). I have managed to make my own repairs and it works fairly well.
The printer is an "ink hog" and I bought refillable ink cartridges with auto resetting chips from bestEZbuy.com (one of many sources online) with 100 ml of each ink color for less than $30 and they work just fine. While the ink levels don't show on the printer or computer display the cartridges are transparent and I get a much more accurate reading by lifting the lid and looking at the cartridges. I still use HP Advanced photo paper and can tell no difference in the print quality. I can't vouch for the ink's resistance to fading since I've only been using it a couple months. I've done professional photography for for more than 50 years and I am "picky" about quality. I print hundreds of 4 X 6 and other size photos plus about 1,000 greeting cards and note cards annually.
And, for what its worth, I don't think much of HP's Vivera ink and supposed archive quality even on their HP Advanced papers. They fade much too soon unless you keep them out of the light.
Keep up the good work." - Clarence
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