Letters to the Editor

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The truthiness of inkjet printers
Your printer says its ink cartridge is empty. That's probably a lie.
By Farhad Manjoo [2007-06-20]
The letters thread is now closed.

  • This just happened to me

    with my Epson. I know those cartridges weren't empty! But my mac* won't LET me print with low ink. (*Is it the mac, or the printer software, or what?) It kills the print job. Any thoughts?

    -- Jill S
    [Read Jill S's other letters]
    Thursday, June 21, 2007 07:56 AM

  • Mac or Epson?

    It couldn't be the Mac. As everyone who has used one knows, they never have problems, never have bugs, and are so smart and capable that they can usually finish a task before you start it. If Apple made a printer, it would either never run out of ink or automatically refill or replace the cartridge in the background while you are busy downloading iTunes and iMovies to your iPod and iPhone.

    -- AJB
    [Read AJB's other letters]
    Thursday, June 21, 2007 12:01 PM

  • why printers need you to change the cartridge before ink runs out.

    You need to keep the print head wet, or it dries out. If it dries out it clogs. If it clogs it doesn't print at all, or you get intermittent lines in your print job.

    Some printers use thermal inkjet printing. Epson uses meniscus control technology in their printheads (branded Micro Piezo.) Both types dry out, if the cartridge runs dry.

    "In July 2003, A Dutch Consumer Association advised its 640,000 members to boycott Epson ink jet printers. The Netherlands-based organization alleged that Epson customers were unfairly charged for ink they could never use. Later that month however, the group retracted its call for a nationwide boycott of Epson products and issued a statement conceding that residual ink left in Epson cartridges is necessary for the printers to function properly."

    ~ wikipedia

    -- The Voice of Reason
    [Read The Voice of Reason's other letters]
    Thursday, June 21, 2007 01:58 PM

  • Just consider it a warning

    It's nice to get the low ink warning, but you can just continue to print until the machine actually stops - which is what happens when any single cartridge is empty. I always try to get the last possible page out of my cartridges. Once warned, you can then take steps to insure that you have replacement cartridges available for when you actually do run out.

    -- 1010marc
    [Read 1010marc's other letters]
    Thursday, June 21, 2007 05:02 PM

  • Great photo use!

    Just wanted to say that I loved the use of the red & purple empty newspaper boxes to stand as faux toner cartridges.

    Inspired really.

    -- IndigoSwash
    [Read IndigoSwash's other letters]
    Friday, June 22, 2007 05:09 PM

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