A printer ink cartridge usually contains a print head and circuitry. At the bottom of an inkjet cartridge are nozzles or what is commonly referred to as “jets”. There can be from 50 to several hundred of these nozzles. Each of these nozzles is smaller in diameter than a human hair. They are connected to a resistor that heats (or allows to cool) the printer ink within the ink cartridge. When ink is heated it forms a bubble. When it cools, the bubble shoots dots of ink through these nozzles onto your printer paper. Because this heating/cooling process is so rapid, your inkjet cartridge can produce thousands of ink droplets per second.

The heaters and nozzles of an ink cartridge will continue to work, even when your printer ink runs out. Testing suggests that the heating unit of an average inkjet cartridge will continue to work for as many as three to five refills.

When your ink cartridge runs out of ink, you have a couple of options. First, you can purchase a printer ink refill kit and fill the cartridge yourself. This will extend the life of your inkjet cartridge and significantly reduce cost. Second, you could purchase a compatible printer inkjet cartridge. These cartridges are manufactured to the same standards as the original cartridge and will not ruin your printer. Remember, the print head and circuitry are normally in the ink cartridge, not in the printer itself.

Your ink cartridge will eventually wear out. When you start seeing streaks or areas where the ink fails to print, it’s time for another inkjet cartridge. You may still have ink in the cartridge. At this point you still have the option of buying a compatible printer inkjet cartridge as mentioned above. This will cost you less than a brand name cartridge. In addition, you can still replace the printer ink in your compatible inkjet cartridge until it to wears out. Now that you know a little about how an ink cartridge works, you can save money two ways: purchase compatible cartridges and refill them up to ten times.