Because most of the ink recommended by printer companies are often expensive, the better alternative would be to buy cheaper ink cartridges from third-party ink manufacturers. Usually high-end printers are fitted with tiny nozzles that easily get clogged when generic, cheaper ink is used. However, if you have a mid-range printer or are using the printer that came with your computer, you can still get decent results even if you use discount printer cartridges.
Pros of buying discount printer cartridges
The main advantage when buying discount printer cartridges is the price. They typically cost about 1/5 of the price of original printer ink. You may suffer a bit in quality, but for ordinary printing of text documents, discount ink usually does the job fine.
Cons of buying discount printer cartridges
Discount printer cartridges are cheaper mainly because they offer lesser quality prints. When buying discount ink, you may need to fill up your printer with the ink yourself. This can be a bit messy especially if you do not know how to refill your printer. You also run the risk of voiding your warranty if you use cheaper ink. This causes your printer to break down.
If you are looking for affordable ink for your home printer, discount printer cartridges can do the job for you, especially if you are not too particular about the quality of the prints. However, for very expensive and high end printers, it would be best to stick to manufacturer-recommended ink in order to avoid mechanical problems or voiding the warranty.