In an era in the development of printers, as opposed to the laser, inkjet printers are enjoying popularity for many, if not most small businesses and personal users. The two types of printer available use different scientific methods to achieve an almost identical (certainly to the layman) result on the final printed material.
Within the category of inkjet printers there are also fundamental differences between Epson and the other three big worldwide manufacturers (Canon, Hewlett-Packard and Lexmark). These differences are rather interesting to the layman, and absolutely fascinating to the scientifically inclined amongst us, not least because of the ‘space age’ technology used. If you didn’t know already, you may look at your ink cartridge and printer head with some amazement once you realise what goes on inside it.
Of the basic two types of inkjet printer Canon, Lexmark and Hewlett-Packard’s development and manufacture use the ‘thermal’ inkjet method. This involves a cartridge with a series of tiny electrically heated chambers made by a method known as photolithography. To make an image an electric current is passed through the heating elements. These produce steam and the explosion of this forms a bubble which sends a tiny drop of ink onto the paper, whilst at the same time using the escaped steam to refill the chamber from the ink tank known as the reservoir. Pretty clever stuff eh? considering all this is happening in miniscule dimensions.
For this method inks are made from water-soluble pigments or are dye based. . Most commercial and industrial and all Epson inkjet printers use what is called a ‘piezoelectric’ method, the material for which is contained in an ink filled chamber behind each nozzle rather than the other method of using a heating element. Electricity causes changes in the size or shape of the crystals (the piezoelectric material) which pushes the tiny drop of ink through the nozzle by the generated pressure pulse. The crystals are shaken around and either used in the nozzles or returned to their reservoir by positively or negatively charging each particle.
These two systems lead to an almost identical final product but the piezoelectric method does actually allow for a greater range of colours to be used, producing in general, particularly at the professional level, a better final result.
So you can see from all the above technical waffle that it’s really very important to get an Epson inkjet cartridge if you have an Epson printer. The make up of the cartridge is entirely different from those used by the other manufacturers of printers and inks using the thermal inkjet method so they are not in any way compatible with each other.
Epson inkjet cartridges come in many shapes and sizes to suite your printer, whether you just have one at home or you are a professional printer or small business person there will be a cartridge to fit your needs from the seemingly enormous range.
