What is the difference?
Tri-color ink cartridges and individual ink cartridges differ in a very basic way. Unlike individual ink cartridges, which only contain one color of printer ink, tri-color cartridges are a single unit that hold all three ink colors (cyan, magenta, and yellow). While individual ink cartridges, such as those from Canon and Epson, slide into the print head within the printer, tri-color ink cartridges often include an integrated print head (as do those from HP and Lexmark). Page yields from tri-color ink cartridges are often lower than those from single-color cartridges.
Which type of cartridge is best?
For printing photos, most tri-color cartridges can’t offer the same depth of tone and shade that systems using individual color cartridges can. Stick with individual color cartridge systems if you want images that appear professional. Tri-color cartridges are likewise not recommended if you plan to do a lot of color printing. You’ll need to replace the cartridge more frequently because there is less ink in it. If you primarily print in black and white and only occasionally need to print in color, tri-color cartridges can be handy.
Are tri-color ink cartridges more cost effective?
Tri-color ink cartridges could seem more cost-effective because only one ink cartridge needs to be changed. The opposite is not always true. When one color runs out, you’ll need to buy new ones in every color. This implies that you might be discarding a color printer cartridge with two fully charged color tanks. For their less expensive printer models, the majority of printer manufacturers produce tri-color cartridges. As a general rule, replacing printer cartridges will cost more the less expensive the printer is. Individual ink cartridges are more cost-effective in the long term because you can choose to simply replace the color that has to be replaced.
