Ausjet Inkjet & Laser Supplies Blog
New Sensient Inks
Ordering Ink Codes
C1067 : Magenta
C1068 : Yellow
All these inks have undergone extensive testing and they are outstanding.
Properties vs OEM
Optical Density = Equal to OEM
Mottle = Equal to OEM
Print Examples
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New Improved Brother Refill Tools
By increasing the length of the cartridge fitting on the refill tool a wider range of cartridges can now be filled easily.
- No need to remove the spring loaded front of the cartridge on the Lc-38/39/67 cartridges.
- Fill manually with a 50ml syringe or inside a vacuum filling chamber.
- Works with the new LC-73 / 77XL cartridges!!
- Mess free no cleaning of the cartridge required.
- No sealing required after filling.
Click here for more information on the new improved Brother Refill Tools
Photos of Refill Tool connected to OEM Brother cartridges
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New Brother LC-77XL Colours |
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New Brother LC-77XL Black |
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New Brother LC-73 Black & Colours |
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LC-37 / LC-57 Black and Colours |
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LC-38 / LC-67 / LC-39 Black and Colours |
Ausjet 25th Anniversary July Promotion
IT IS OUR 25th ANNIVERSARY
Who would have thought when chemists Sandy and Spiro Kouvaris opened
Ausjet to service the aftermarket ribbon business that Ausjet would still be
a thriving small business 25 years later!
To celebrate this milestone we have decided to slash prices down, down
Yep! It is our birthday but we are giving you pressies!!!
PROCOLOR CARTRIDGES PRICES SLASHED
REMAN INKJET CARTRIDGES SLASHED
LASER CARTRIDGES PRICES SLASHED
PLUS
We will offer you the chance of winning one of 10 Portable Digital Radio
How do you win?
Very easy, for every $100 of product bought from us in the month of July we
will allocate you one ticket.
Example, lets say you purchase $675 worth of goods on one invoice you
receive 6 tickets. Buy $125 worth of goods you will receive 1 ticket.
The more you buy in the month of July the more chances you have of
winning.
The Fine Print
Offer closes midnight 31 July 2011
Tickets are offered per value of each invoice (excluding GST)
Tickets are only issued for goods in stock and shipped
You can win more than once
The draw will take place on Tuesday 2nd August-all winners will be
informed
Directors decision is final
Good Luck!
Portable Digital Radio Specifications
This outstanding radio features both FM and DAB+ station presets and an LCD display with scrolling.
Features
Receive DAB+ and FM radio stations
DAB+ includes traditional FM and AM channels
Browse radio channels by station name
Near CD quality digital audio
Built-in high quality speaker
LCD display with scrolling text
DAB Station auto tuner
Auto time update function
Compact size
Headphone socket
Power: AC adaptor (included) or 4 x AA batteries (not included)
Dimensions: 170 (W) x 43 (D) x 97 (H) mm
What is Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB)?
Digital radio is a new, exciting and involving way for you to tune into your favourite radio stations. Traditionally radio programs were broadcast on different frequencies via FM and AM analogue signals. While AM/FM radio quality can suffer from interference caused by signals bouncing off walls, buildings, hills and other structures, it used up a comparatively large amount of spectrum for a relatively small number of stations, limiting your listening choices. DAB works by turning both sound and data into digital signals at transmission, and then decoding them at the other end using digital radio receivers. The result is close-to-CD-quality sound output and much more available programs.
Offering an exceptionally high sound and signal quality, digital radio offers a range of exciting features to enhance your listening experience.
Clearer sound and improved reception
Extra channels potentially doubles the number of commercial stations
Tuning by station name, not frequency, making it easy to find favourite stations
Package Contents
DAB10FM DAB digital radio
AC adaptor
User manual
Specifications:
PERFORMANCE
FM
RF frequency range: low end87.5MHz
RF frequency range: high end108MHz
RF sensitivity:?? 15dBu
S/N?? 50dB
Frequency Response:100Hz-12KHz +/-3dB
RMS output power:0.5W at DC=9V RL=8?? THD<=10%
Max output power:0.75W at DC=9V RL=8?? THD<=20%
HUM at MIN Volume:1.8mV
Earphone MAX output Level:?? 150mV (RL=32??)
DAB
DAB RF frequency range: low end174.928MHz
DAB RF frequency range: high end239.200MHz
RF sensitivity:?? -40dBu (Air test 3M)
Audio S/N:?? 55dB
RMS output power:0.5W/channel at Vcc=9V RL=4?? THD=10%
Max output power:0.75W/channel at Vcc=9V RL=4?? THD=20%
THD:0.5% at Po=0.25W
HUM at MIN Volume:1.0mV
Earphone MAX output Level:?? 150mV (RL=32??)
POWER SUPPLY
DC adapter:AC~230V ?C 6V 800mA Linear power
Standby current:?? 0.7mA
Working current(MAX vol)?? 800mA
Working current(Mute vol)?? 300mA
Power input :4.8W
Ausjet Stocktake
As I'm sure you are all aware it's that time of the year! The time of the year that everybody looks forward to! That's right the wonderful amazing stocktake time!!
We are planning to get stuck into our stocktake this Friday and we are asking politely if all orders can be placed either before Friday or on the Monday after. We would really appeciate this and happy stocktaking to everybody......
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NEW PRODUCT |
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Technical Bulletin 28th June 2011
Cleaning of inkjet printheads is a vital part of the inkjet refilling process. The following is a quick guide to the many methods available for cleaning inkjet printheads commercially. There are lots of ideas on this very important process and I expect that just about everybody out their will have their own idea what works best.
But first off let's talk a little about cleaning. When I think about cleaning its the dishwasher or washing machine or even washing the car or the dog that comes to mind. What these all have in common is the soaps suds and these are caused by surfactants. Surfactants are agents which lower the surface tension which increases 'wetting or penetration' in your clothes, dishes etc. Heating the water also lowers the surface tension and energises the water so it becomes a much more effective cleaner. Many of the ink components also solute much better in a heated solution including dyes.
Pigment inks have always been the more difficult ink type to clean and certain OEM pigment inks contain a higher than normal percentage of binders. This is great for waterfast prints on the page but not good for reusing the cartridge as the binders effectively glue to the cartridge after the ink dries.
The common rule is the longer the printhead has been unsealed the more water that has been evaporated from the ink (dried ink). The more water that has been evaporated the more work that is required to clean out the dried ink.
Inkjet cartridges in many ways are extremely robust but they are also packed with incredibly small CPU and micron size nozzles. Many of the printheads contain small gaskets between the layers or sealants and nozzle plates which vary from gold plated to polymer(plastic). There is a wide variation of designs and its beneficial to educate yourself about the inner workings of the printhead design and construction.
Commercially available Cleaning Units
Pressurized Atomizer
Pressurized water blasting against a printhead is highly effective at cleaning any external built up of dried ink. It is a quick system and only a few seconds is generally required. This system is designed as a step up from steam cleaning, it features many of the same effects without the heat.
Cons: Requires air compressor and not 100% effective internally.
Steam
Pros: Steam is highly effective at removing dried dye based inks, the high temperature of the steam can rejuvenate dried dye based solutions quickly.
Cons: Exposure to the printhead for an extended period of time may result in nozzle plate warping on polymer (plastic) based printheads. High heats on some pigment inks seems to bind the pigment even stronger to the printhead.
Ultrasonic
Pros: Very effective cleaning that uses the ultrasonic principle of imploding bubbles (cavitation). Works effectively on dye and pigment inks due to the submersion of the printhead in the liquid and the cleaning motion of the ultrasonic. Has the ability to clean inside the printhead along the channels and around corners. This system is much more effective if the solution is heated. We recommend the Ausjet High Frequency heated ultrasonic cleaners 2L and 13L. High Frequency ultrasonic cleaners create smaller cavitation implosions and are a much gentler and more effective cleaning system for delicate modern printheads.
Cons: Use only ultrasonic cleaners tested for use with inkjet printheads.
Soaking Bath
Pros: Soaking is the simplest form of cleaning and also requires the longest period of time to see the results. Best used with a dedicated cleaning solution like the Sensient head cleaning solution. Soaking is often used as a first step in many large remanufacturing facilities. In smaller shops/kiosks it seems to be one of the last methods used. Heating of the fluid will increase the effectiveness of most cleaning solutions. The Ausjet high frequency heated ultrasonic can also be used as a heated soaking bath.
Cons: Time
Heated Flowing Solution
Pros: All the advantages of the soaking method but with the added cleaning power of a heated solution. The movement of the liquid is controlled by a pump which has liquid entering one side of the bath and being removed from the other side. The additional movement also helps with the cleaning.
Cons: Only currently available in sizes designed for large remanufacturers.
Vacuum Boiling
Pros: This method essentially boils the cartridge. Did you know that water under a strong vacuum boils at around 50-70 degrees Celsius. There are in fact many canned foods that are cooked this way. So even though the water is boiling its still only 50-70 degrees which is unlikely to cause any heat damage to the cartridge. The main advantage of this system is that all the cartridge can be cleaned including the printhead and internal foams etc
Cons: Cartridges must be thoroughly emptied and dried after vacuum boiling. Exposed electrical componentry\chip will be exposed to the liquid and cleaned as well. Requires an additional centrifuge or priming pump to remove the cleaning solution from the cartridge.
Centrifuge and Priming Pump
Pros: Although these two items are really designed to remove ink from the cartridge, by positioning the cartridge in the centrifuge in a certain way or by priming over the printhead with the Ausjet Inkjet priming pump they are both effective in cleaning the printhead.
Cons: Additional cleaning equipment required for stubborn printheads. High RPM centrifuges have been known to loosen the nozzle plate on some cartridge models.
Pros: One of my customers has developed a new way which she guarantees is why she has such a extremely high success rate. I know this will sound weird but she actually talks to her cartridges. But maybe she is on to something: I for one will not say it has no benefit.
What to say to the cartridges? How about a joke?
An inkjet cartridge walks into a bar. The bartender asks, "Are you sure you don't need a refill?"
Cons: Not scientifically proven to have any benefit. Best to talk to your cartridges away from view of customers.
Ausjet Printhead Cleaning Equipment
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| 68khz 2L High Frequency Heated Ultrasonic Cleaner 120khz 13L High Frequency Heated Ultrasonic Cleaner (the bees knees!) |
Sensient Headcleaning Solution For use either as a soaking solution or in a ultrasonic cleaner. |
Inkjet Priming and Evacuate Pump (240 Volt and Mobile version available) |
We are always after new ideas and suggestions and are wondering what works best for you?
During the years I have seen many innovations come out of this region for this industry. What will be next?
I hope this information has been helpful to you.
Shane
Technical Bulletin 23rd June 2011
Using Sensient inks it will cost you between 20-68 cents per cartridge you fill based on per litre price and average fill volume. As you can see this is a very small percentage of your selling price for this product.
Only you would know the true cost of acquiring a new customer. You may be thinking they just walked in the door so its free. But of course this isn't true its your cost of advertising, a portion of your franchising fees, rent what ever it is I'm betting that its $25 or more per customer.
Now whats the cost of this customer over its cartridge life to you over a yearly basis. Lets say he would of been an average customer of yours and spend around $300 per year.
Recently we have heard of another brand of bulk inkjet ink causing Brother and Canon cartridge problems and many customer returns. We did a quick analysis and did realise that yes this ink is lower cost ink than Sensient. But when we worked it out per fill it was overall about +/- 10 cents per cartridge lower in price to use this flawed ink compared to using a premium bulk ink like Sensient.
In this case it cost 10 cents to lose a customer. But how much future potential sales were lost?
A little about Ink Quality
This saying can also be used when talking about 'intended for single use' printheads as well. We are all reusing a 2nd hand product and a product that does have an end life. We can't expect an ink cartridge to last forever and why should we! But by running the best available ink through the cartridge we give our customers a much better chance of getting more reuses out of that cartridge.
Their are only a handful of top quality dedicated inkjet ink manufacturers in the world developing specific refilling ink for the remanufacturing market. Cheaper inks are developed primarily for the new compatible inkjet cartridge market manufacturers which are also sold as "refilling inks". There is a huge difference in how these ink are designed!!
New compatible inks are designed for new compatible manufacturers and sadly are on sold as a cheap refilling alternative.
Possible problems associated with poor quality refilling inks or non dedicated inks:
Ink starvation
The viscosity and surface tension of the ink affects the flow through the cartridge. An incorrectly formulated ink may result in 'ink starvation', when all of a sudden white appears on the page instead of the print. This is because the ink is not flowing to and through the printhead at the correct rate. While the cartridge is not printing ink the heaters/resistors are still firing which is overheating the area and could possibly be causing a weakness to the heaters/resistors.
Purity of the ink
Recent documented evidence has proven that damage to the resistors/heaters over time can be caused by using lower grade dyes and pigments. Of course when selecting dyes and pigments you have various grades you can choose from, this is purely a cost decision. OEMS use high grade pure pigments and dyes and so should you.
Drying of the ink
When the cartridge inside the printer is not used, it is capped. The capping system is designed to prevent the ink from drying inside the cartridge, but its not a perfect system. The longer the printhead is not used, the more likely the ink in the printhead will clog. Its critical to have the right percentage of glycols(humectants) in the ink. Lower percentages of humectants will increase the chance of the ink drying and blocking the nozzles. Higher grade refilling inks will reduce this possibility. Depending on the severity of the blocked nozzle, the built in cleaning systems of the printer may not be able to recover it. These blocked nozzles will obviously then cause printing flaws and the heater/resistor will continue to fire without any cooling caused by the ink running through the nozzle.
PH
The correct PH range of the ink is also critical. Over time an incorrect PH may result in de-lamination and damage of the inner printhead seals.
Kogation
Kogation is the term used to describe a phenomenon whereby residues are deposited over time on a heater/resistor element. Kogation effects the volume, shape and velocity of the ejected ink drop. Kogation results in inaccurate placement of the drop and therefore affects print quality. Higher grade inks will often contain additives that are designed to remove kogation or prevent kogation as the ink runs through the printhead. The potentially for additional reuses per cartridge is greatly increased when kogation is eliminated or reduced.
Colours
Sensient is one of the few manufacturers that make their own dyes and pigments. They have total control over the purity, hue and lightfastness of their colorants. Accurate colour match to the OEM inks is of the highest importance for photographic printing. Customers expect the same high quality as OEM!
Why Sensient Ink?
Sensient are a billion dollar US company that specialises in premium inks and have made ink for the printer OEM's. This indicates why they are held in such high regard by their peers. We have been supplying Sensient ink for over 15 years and in that period of time can honestly say that we have yet to be disappointed. In any industry you will find products that cover the complete spectrum from rubbish to premium. When it comes to premium inkjet inks, S
Sensient are way ahead of the pack with premium quality and higher reliability. Our new H4WL4 black pigment is an excellent example for HP Pigment cartridges. We recommend H4WL4 as it has a higher optical density than the OEM equivalent and once you try it you will never go back to an inferior product. Our H5WL5 is even better and knocks the socks off any ink available on the market today.
Why would you risk losing a customer for 10 cents!
There is an old saying that buying cheap and you will end up buying twice - very true when it comes to refilling inks. What's more you will lose a valuable customer.
I hope this information is useful to you.
Shane
Technical Bulletin 30th May 2011
The great news is that the USB Pgi-525\Cli-526 resetter will be available soon. We have in our hands a pre production sample resetter and the testing results have been positive. Although it's physically impossible for us to test all combinations of printer models and firmware versions. Between the manufacturer and ourselves we have tested them on a number of printer models with great results.
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| Red LED is on indicating the Cli-526 cyan cartridges has been succesfully reset |
We are now accepting pre-orders for this resetter with pricing of $32.45. Please call or email your account manager for further information or to pre-order.
New Products 4th May 2011
Available now - stock is in our warehouse!
New Compatible Epson 133 and 138 Series
Including new chip
T1331 Black (15mls)
T1332 Cyan (12mls)
T1332 Magenta (12mls)
T1334 Yellow (12mls)
Printers : N11, NX125, NX420, Workforce 320, Workforce 325
T1381 Black (18mls)
T1382 Cyan (15mls)
T1383 Magenta (15mls)
T1384 Yellow (15mls)
Printers :Workforce NX420, Workforce 320, Workforce 325 , Workforce 525, Workforce 630, Workforce 633
New Compatible Canon Pgi-525, Cli-526
Including new chip
Pgi-525 Bk (21mls)
Cli-526C (10.5mls)
Cli-526M (10.5mls)
Cli-526Y (10.5mls)
Cli-526PBk (10.5mls)
Cli-526Gy (10.5mls)
Printers : IP4850, IX6550, MG5150, MG5250, MG6150, MG8150, MX885
New Koala Photo Inkjet Papers
A3 260gsm resin coated Glossy Photo
A3+ 260gsm resin coated Glossy Photo
A2 260gsm resin coated Glossy Photo
Features
1) Designed for high end graphics art images with extended colour gamut
2) High contrast image reproduction in brilliant high resolution colours
3) Photo realistic print-out with exellent edge definition and soft gradients.
4) Resin-coated and micro-porous coated paper
5) Water resistance
6) Instantly dries
7) Superb photographic image quality and consistency
8) Heavyweight look and feel of real photograph
9) Excellent compatibility with all good quality pigment and dye inks.
Easter Closing Days
Ausjet Easter Trading Hours:
Closed on
Friday 22/04/2011 ? Tuesday 26/04/2011
&
Monday 02/05/2011 ( Labor day )
Technical Bulletin 14th April 2011
Choice magazine review of compatible cartridge, refill service, refill kits and CISS
Choice magazine Australia which is the 'peoples watchdog' has released a new article titled 'Inkjet refill alternatives. Can you save money by using cheaper ink alternatives, and are they as good as the manufacturer's own inks?'. It's an interesting three page article and well worth the read. Click here to view the article
HP Develops ePrint Technology
ePrint is a service from HP that allows you to print direct to select HP printers by sending an email to your printer's email address. If you can use email, you can use ePrint. ePrint lets you print from any email enabled mobile phone, tablet, ipad, computer etc without installing any special drivers or software. You can use ePrint sitting on the couch in front of your printer or from a coffee shop on the other side of the country. As long as you can send an email to your ePrint-enabled printer, you can print. Any email sent with any of the following attachment types can be printed (Word, Powerpoint, excel, html, txt, PDF, bmp, jpg, png, gif and tiff). Which means all the common office documents and photos can be printed through ePrint. Click on the following link to learn more http://h30495.www3.hp.com/about/eprint
Investigating Wide Format Cartridges!
We have been looking to expand our wide format compatible inkjet cartridge series for quite a while now. Our reluctance has been concerns about quality of the inks. The wide format industry are printing professionals and the quality of the ink has to be up to a very high standard in light-fastness, colour vibrancy and reliability. We have recently found a manufacturer of high quality wide format cartridges that use a US formulated pigment or UV dye ink. They offer colour profiles for their inks and have the runs on the board with over 10 years in the wide format market and over 15 years manufacturing premium quality inkjet ink. We will continue to investigate the market place and all going well we hope to release a new range of wide format cartridges soon. Many of the OEM cartridges can sell for up to $400.00 per cartridge and the printers can have up to 12 different cartridges per printer!
If you have had any enquiries or know customers who use wide format supplies. Can you please return the following information to us and we will investigate further for you.
Printer Make and Model(s) :
Ink Type : (Pigment or Dye)
Cartridge Models:
Current cartridge wholesale price $:
Current Cartridge retail price $:
This is an opportunity to increase your product range and target a new market segment!
April Fools
Thank you to the 150 odd people who clicked through on my April Fools Jokes! If you hadn't worked it our two of the articles on the last technical bulletin were designed to 'fool' as is the tradition on April Fools day. The first was the light oil in the inkjet cartridge and the second was the new range of left handed filling machines designed and manufactured by lefties. The 'oil in the ink cartridge' also made its way to China and caused a few giggles I am told.
I hope this information has been helpful to you.
Shane
Technical Bulletin 1st April 2011
Update to Procolor Pgi-520 / Cli-521 USB Resetter
This resetter has now been updated and includes code for resetting the Procolor and also the original cartridges. This resetter has become very popular due to its low cost for a powered resetter and its very quick resetting time. Procolor and original cartridges will both show a static red flash after resetting which indicates the cartridge is reset correctly. The resetter also has very good error detection for faulty chips and this is indicated by a constant flash from the cartridge.
Oil found inside inkjet Cartridge!
We have read a report that one manufacturer of printer cartridges has adjusted their ink formulation to include a very light oil. The oil in question floats above the ink and as the cartridge prints the ink level lowers and oil passes through the cartridge. For that cartridge to be reused the oil would have to be thoroughly cleaned out and we believe it would be a mammoth process. Even the smallest amount of oil remaining in the cartridge would cause printing problems. I believe a new type of cleaning flush would be required and would require changes to everybody's filling process and is potentially another problem for our industry. We have a new member of our team here, Allan, who is currently investigating this issue and is available for any questions you may have regarding this matter.
Improvements to Vacuum Filling Machine
It's long been recognised that left handed people who are the minority find it a little more inconvenient to use many machines which are primarily designed by right handed users. When you think about it it seems everything is made for right handed people and you would be surprised how hard it is to find switches and dials designed for left handed users. When designing for left handed users its a complete rethink in useability as left handed people use mainly their right side of the brain as opposed to right handed people whos brain usage is typically somewhere else. As part of Ausjet's continual effort to offer the best solutions for our customers we have decided to offer these machines for sale. A prototype has been developed and diagrams and machine specifications are available here to view. We are now taking orders for these new models but customer please be aware there will be a small delay in the manufacturing time as we are struggling to find left handed manufacturers to assist us. We have also approached Procolor to produce a new series of cartridges for left handed end users.
Technical Bulletin - 30th March 2011
Latest Aftermarket Inkjet Chip News
HP 564/920/940 - Latest news is a release date of around August 2011.
Canon Pgi-525/Cli-526 - An aftermarket chip has been released for these cartridges and we are waiting for our stock.
Epson - In the last technical bulletin we mentioned that the new 7 pin chips would be available soon. We will have compatible 133s / 138s very soon.
Lexmark - As you have probably heard there was a firmware update in the UK that was causing the Lexmark 100 aftermarket chips to not function. A version 2 of this wireless aftermarket chip has now been released and is compatible with all current OEM firmware updates.
Canon Resetter available soon!
I wish I had a $1000 dollars every time we have been asked for a Pgi-525/Cli-526 resetter! The good news is that a resetter for the original cartridges will be available within the next two months.
Filling Procolor Cartridges
We always have promoted the Procolor compatibles as a high quality range of cartridges and for good reason. The design of these cartridges allow many of these to be used as a reliable refilling option to the original cartridges.
The following procolor cartridges are a dream to fill.
Procolor LC-38-67
Procolor LC-37-57
Procolor LC-39
Procolor 73N
Procolor 81N
Procolor 103N
Design Advantages
- A valve system which opens when the cartridge is inserted in the printer and closes when it is removed.(like OEM)
- Cartridges can be filled by the removal of just one plug.
- Chamber design allows reliable filling in a vacuum machine or manually.
- Procolor fill plugs and vent plugs are now available as replacement options.
- Chip resetter is now available for Procolor 73N, 81N and 103N series.
Speedbrite Parts
Once upon a time, in a galaxy far far away Ausjet use to sell the USA made speedbrite range of vacuum filling machines. Even though it has been many years since we last sold a speedbrite we continue to support the machines. We have just received delivery of our latest range of spare parts. By the way we still have some of the ultra reliable ex rental 'speedies' in stock. Give us a shout if your interested!
Thoughts about compatible inkjet cartridges
Recently I had a good discussion with a very large manufacturer of compatible inkjet cartridges. One of the most interesting things I learnt was that they offer four grades of compatible inkjet cartridges - from an economy range to a high quality range.
Economy grade cartridge use lower grade inks, no valves, no filters and a lower grade chip which is less compatible with firmware changes. Because of its 'no frills' design it is also the lowest cost cartridge.
It is important to remember Procolor is built as a premium product and is 4 steps above this 'economy' quality cartridge. The next time your customers question pricing or quality be sure they are comparing 'apples to apples'.
I hope this information has been helpful to you.
Shane
