Everyone who buys an inkjet printer is actually buying a combination of the printer itself and the ink cartridges that come packaged with it. The ink within each of the cartridges is known as "printer ink" and some people say that it is the most expensive liquid in the world.

If it isn't you will certainly think it is the first time you run out of ink and you need to replace your cartridges. At that point you'll have several options. You'll be able to purchase either OEM ink cartridges or comparable cartridges.

OEM stands for "original equipment manufacturer." Essentially the term means that the manufacturer who made your printer also the manufacturer of the replacement printer ink cartridges.

Comparable printer ink refers to printer inks that are manufactured by another company which can be used with another manufacturer's printer.

Most manufacturers sell their printers with either a very low profit margin or even at a loss. They do this because they know that once you've invested in a printer you will probably buy replacement OEM cartridges from them when your ink runs dry.

Compared to the cost of the printer, printer it is very expensive. For example, it is now possible to buy a pretty good printer for around fifty dollars. However, if you make such a purchase don't be surprised if it will cost you twenty five dollars or more for every OEM ink jet cartridge that you will have to replace.

In other words, by the time you've replaced the third OEM cartridge you will already have spent more money on printer inks than on the printer itself.

So, how can you save money when it's time to replace your cartridges?

The answer is rather simple. Although most printer manufacturers recommend against it, you should seriously consider buying comparable printer ink cartridges because they can sometimes cost only one third the amount of an OEM cartridge.

Where Should You Buy Your Printer Ink Cartridges?

Although you can buy printer inks cartridges at most office supply stores it is not unusual for them to be out of stock. Ironically, this always seems to happen just when you need to buy a cartridge for a really important project.

Alternatively, a very popular option is buying ink cartridges online. If you do a simple search for "printer ink" you will find numerous reputable companies that have what you want in stock. And can deliver it directly to your doorstep in a very short amount of time.

However, since it is not as quick as driving over to an office supply store to look for what you need, many people purchase several months supply of printer ink cartridges at a time when they shop online.