Most inkjet printers in South African homes, schools and small offices run on ink cartridges: a black cartridge and either one colour cartridge or separate cyan, magenta and yellow. You can buy original (OEM) cartridges, compatible cartridges made by another maker, or have empties refilled or remanufactured. The trick is matching the exact cartridge code to the printer's make and model number and knowing what each page really costs. Tell us your printer model and how many you need, and local cartridge suppliers will send you a free, no-obligation quote.
Types of ink cartridges
Inkjet ink comes in a few forms, and the right one depends on the printer, not on preference.
- Original (OEM): made by the printer maker, with the most consistent colour and the full rated yield.
- Compatible: new cartridges made by another maker to fit the same printer, usually cheaper.
- Remanufactured or refilled: original empties cleaned, refilled and tested. Many shops near you refill cartridges while you wait or overnight.
- Ink tank bottles: refillable tank printers take bottles of ink instead of cartridges, with a much lower cost per page.
How to choose between original, compatible and refills
Start with how much you print. If you print a few school projects a month, a standard cartridge is fine; if you print daily, ask for the high yield (XL) version, which usually costs less per page. For photos and anything you sell, original ink or a good compatible with a sample print is safer. For forms, homework and drafts, compatible or refilled cartridges make sense. If you print hundreds of pages a month in colour, it may pay to move to an ink tank printer; see printers and printing machines. Laser printers take toner, not ink: see toner cartridges.
Codes, yields and common mistakes
Every cartridge has a code printed on the old one and listed in the printer manual. Send that code plus the full model number, because similar printers often take different cartridges, and region coded printers may refuse cartridges from another region. Ink yields are measured to ISO/IEC 24711, so you can compare pages per cartridge fairly. Common mistakes: buying the standard size when the XL fits, leaving a printer unused for weeks until the nozzles dry, and running a cleaning cycle over and over, which uses ink fast. Use the right printer paper for photos.
What affects the price and what to ask
Prices vary hugely by model, so ink cartridges are quoted per cartridge code. The price depends on original versus compatible or refilled, the yield, how many you buy and whether you want delivery. Ask the supplier:
- Is it original, compatible or remanufactured, and what is the rated page yield?
- What happens if the printer rejects the cartridge or it leaks?
- Do you deliver to the office or school, and do you take back empties for recycling?
- Is there a better price for a set of four or a box of ten?
If the printer keeps smearing or jamming, it may need printer repairs rather than new ink.
What to include in your request
- The printer's make and full model number
- The cartridge code from the old cartridge
- Original, compatible or refilled
- How many of each colour and black
- Delivery address or collection, and empties to return
Ink Cartridges for different clients
- Families and individuals: a black and a colour cartridge for homework, CVs, forms and the odd photo print
- Small businesses and start-ups: high yield cartridges for quotes, invoices and flyers printed in a home shop
- Companies and offices: boxes of compatible cartridges for desktop inkjets across branches and site offices
- Shops, restaurants and salons: ink for receipt sheets, price cards and specials printed at the back of the shop
- Events, conferences and clubs: spare colour cartridges for name cards and programmes printed on the morning of the event
- Schools, churches and NGOs: bulk cartridges for classroom printers before exams, reports and the school newsletter
- Government and municipalities: cartridges against an RFQ for a department's desktop printers, quoted per cartridge code
- Designers, agencies and resellers: photo ink and refills for a print shop's inkjet proofing and photo printers
Frequently asked questions
What do ink cartridges cost?
Are compatible ink cartridges safe for my printer?
Can I get ink cartridges refilled near me?
Who will quote me for ink cartridges?
Ink Cartridges by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg