Peacock Ink & Toner Refill Services

Q: Will using compatible or remanufactured cartridges void my printer’s warrantee?

A:Consumer law states that a manufacturer's warranty cannot be voided due to using aftermarket consumables (ink or toner). Furthermore, it’s the responsibility of the printer manufacturer to prove that an the compatible ink or toner caused the damage before refusing warranty repair.

Generally speaking, inkjet printers, laser printers, copiers and fax machines are quite reliable but regardless of the ink or toner used, a small percentage still fail while under warranty. If your printer fails and should be covered under warranty, it might be wise to consider removing the cartridges from the printer prior to sending it for repair.
Perceptions encouraged by printer manufacturers and their vendors alike, are that all third-party inks and toner are somehow inferior to OEM products. In truth, few OEM’s make their own consumables, relying instead on outside suppliers. You might also consider that several ink companies have been formulating, manufacturing and distributing inkjet inks, laser toner, fax ribbons and printer consumables for much longer than many printer manufacturers have made printers.

Q: How can I prevent inkjet printer problems?

A: The best preventive maintenance for your inkjet printer is to use it regularly.
Poor print quality, print streaks, white lines through the text, missing colours or blank pages, can all be avoided through frequent usage.
Most such printing problems are caused by ink clogs which form when ink dries inside the print head or ink nozzles. Printing black and full color documents will help to avoid this problem.

Don't ever let your printer run out of ink! When a cartridge runs out of ink in disposable printheads, the resistors in the print head can overheat and burn out. In fixed print heads, printing with an empty cartridge will purge ink from the ink nozzle, filling it with air and resulting in an air lock which can be difficult to remove.
Most printers have an ink monitor built into their driver which will warn you of a low cartridge. Always keep replacement cartridges on hand and be sure to change them before they run out.

Q: Should I turn my printer off every day or just leave it on?"

A:Use your printer's On/OFF button to turn your printer off at the end of each day and leave it off if you're not using it for extended periods. Resist the urge to use a power bar to turn off the printer. Doing so will prevent the printer from "parking" the print head in the protective pad or cap inside the printer. This helps prevent ink from drying and clogging inside the print nozzles.
Newer printer models are "Energy Star Compliant" and automatically park the print head after a sustained period of inactivity. Consult your printer documentation for instructions on how to activate this feature.

Q: What does "OEM" mean?

A:"OEM" is an abbreviation for Original Equipment Manufacturer. These manufacturers produce the replacement ink or toner for copiers or printers and normally will put the manufacturer's name on the product, such as Canon, IBM, Sharp, Lexmark, Brother, Epson, etc.

Q: What's the difference between "compatible" and "remanufactured" cartridges?

A:Compatible or "generic" cartridges are newly manufactured to meet or exceed OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) specifications and standards of quality. Containing only new components, they are an economical alternative to expensive brand name cartridges and supplies.
Remanufactured cartridges, or "remans," meet or exceed OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) specifications. The remanufacturing process involves disassembling, inspecting, cleaning, replacing worn parts, reassembling, and refilling the toner or ink. Once the remanufacturing process is complete, the cartridge is then print tested, sealed, and packaged for resale.

Q: What's  the shelf life of ink and toner cartridge?

A:Both OEM and generic inkjet and laser toner cartridges have a shelf life of 20-24 months from the date of manufacture.

Q: What's the difference between pigment and dye-based ink?

A: Dye-based ink consists of colorant that is fully dissolved and suspended in a liquid carrier, while pigmented ink consists of a very fine powder of solid colorant particles suspended in a carrier fluid.
In years past, pigment-based inks outperformed dye-based inks hands down in terms of fade resistance, while the opposite was true in relation to colour depth. While many manufacturers claim that theirs is the "best" ink for any number of reasons, in truth most ink formulations produced today are equal or superior in quality, colour depth and longevity, be they dye-based or pigment.
Avoid using dye-based inks in printers designed for pigment-based inks and vice versa. Use only cartridges containing the ink type specified in your printer documentation.

Q: My printer isn't working properly. Should I update my printer driver?

A: From time to time, Printer manufacturers release software updates for many of the inkjet printers they manufacture. These updates include bug fixes and may even enable additional features you might not be aware of.

If your printer is working well and you'd rather not update your drivers, there's probably no harm in leaving well-enough alone, but to take advantage of the latest software and printer features, download driver updates from the printer manufacturer's website.

It never hurts to save backup copies of the older driver just in case you run into incompatibility problems later or, if you've downloaded and installed the incorrect driver. If you've recently updated your driver or printer software and are experiencing problems printing, you might well try to roll back the driver or uninstall the update, then reinstall the older driver.

These driver updates are free and might unleash the full potential of your older inkjet or laser printer.