Epson Claria (T078920) Ink Cartridge

Ink is typically the most expensive aspect of using inkjet printer (of any manufacturers). For the price of a complete refill you can often already get a whole new (consumer grade) printer. So why refill, if you could just throw away? Well, reasons include not only environmental concerns but also the hassle to calibrate a new printer every time (assuming you buy a different model). Yet, pricing politics of printer manufacturers make any relief on ink replacements a welcome change.

I am currently printing lots of picture from our New Zealand trip and while minimizing ink consumption by printing on coated paper like Epson's Premium Luster, the toll is still roughly $1.50 - $2.00 per letter sized photo in ink alone. The six individual cartridges in the - Epson Stylus Photo R260 allow to replace only the needed colors, but buying them individually at roughly $15.50 is expensive. Epson offers a MultiPack and with the five color cartridges included, you get everything you'll eventually need -- with exception of the Black cartridge. (This fact can be easily overlooked.)

Other than cost, the reason to stick with Epson's original ink is that results are much more predictable when using the ink that's designed to match both printer and paper technology. It's not uncommon that no-name refills yield good or at least reasonable results, but the printer would also be more prone to clogging the permanent nozzles. Choosing the official brand may be more expensive, but there is no alternative if it has to be right. This is also true for different ink types from the same manufacturer, as each may require different settings and typically only works (or is available) with associated printers (i.e. fits the R260 but not the R200).

Epson's latest ink is called Claria and it's still new enough to not be found in every office supply store. Yet, Claria's new characteristics are not easily replaced by no-name refills either. Not only that, it's also more difficult to find the "high-capacity" version which sports 50% more ink for 30% more money. So the MultiPack offers savings by virtue of bundling cartridges together. The capacity is standard size and true savings come from discounts found at online retailers. For instance, the MultiPack costs currently roughly $60 (best offer) while five individual cartridges at normal retail price sum up to roughly $80 (with tax). So it's 25% savings, which is roughly the same as the high-capacity refills offer. (To my knowledge there is no MultiPack with high-capacity cartridges.) Yet, unless you order online, neither option may be available at your local store.

REMEMBER: Empty ink cartridges can be recycled an should be returned to the store instead of being thrown in the trash. (I.e. Best Buy typically has containers set up in the store for old cartridges and batteries.)

2007, theuerkorn


- Epson Stylus Photo R260 inkjet printer
- Espon Premium Luster photo paper