I’m in the market for a new color ink-jet printer. I will even consider an mid-level laser printer because the prices have really come down on them. Why am I looking for a new printer when my current Epson Stylus C84 is still functioning to its capabilities? One simple reason….it sucks!

Disappearing Ink Trick
Epson printer software includes a dialog window box that shows current ink levels for the four ink cartridges: black, yellow, cyan, and magenta. Obviously black is the most used cartridge because 80% of my printing is in black and white. I also know that even if you print black and white pages, the color cartridges will be used if you don’t specify the “black & white” option in the printing box. However, I don’t use my printer as often anymore because I’m hardly home but yet, when I do use the printer, the ink levels have dropped significantly since the last usage!
There are only two reasons that can explained this phenomena:

1. Magical goblins enter my room when I’m away and drink the printer ink.
2. My 2 year old niece prints out manuscripts of her memoirs while I’m at work.
3. Epson is an evil corporation that wants to milk its customers out of money so they do not optimize their printers’ ink usage.

Unless I’m missing out on something, the ink is slowly evaporating by itself. It’s like the policy of those travel air miles: use it or lose it.

Conspiracy by ALL Manufacturers

Before this horrid Epson printer, I was using an HP inkjet printer. Maybe the HP printer had the evaporating issue as well but I just didn’t know because I used it on a regular basis and there wasn’t a dialogue box indicator to show me the ink levels.
I know that all manufacturers pretty much give the printer away for free and make their money with the inks/toners that they force customers to buy. That’s why the 3rd market printer ink industry has sprung up like roots in every town.
It’s like giving away free Ferraris and Lamborghinis but you have to buy their special gasoline at $4000/liter.

Seeing how they are all evil in their business practices, there’s only one thing to do: print out stuff at work!