Photosmart C5140

Why we like this printer?  Because it can use a CIS, CISS, or bulk ink system.  A perfect printer for continuous inking system.  Compatible cartridges may be available for about half what HP charges, however HP has been battling to ban compatible cartridges for your HP inkjet printer – apparently, HP 02 carts are an HP invention, and they do not want cheap knock-offs from China to compete with.

These printers are incredibly confusing when trying to identify the correct cartridges required. This printer uses six (6) individual ink cartridges, and there are two choices for some of the cartridges – full of ink, and half full of ink. HP sells the 02 series of cartridges in either the standard, or XL version of the cartridge (for the primary colors). Within those classifications, there is also variance in the amounts of ink inside each of the individual cartridges. Take a look:

• HP 02 – Black – C8721WN – 660 pages* $17.99
• HP 02 – Cyan – 400 pages* $10.99
• HP 02 – Magenta – C8772WN – 370 pages* $10.99
• HP 02 – Yellow – C8773WN – 500 pages* $10.99
• HP 02 – Light Cyan – C8774WN – 240 pages* $10.99
• HP 02 – Photo Magenta – C8775WN – 240 pages* $10.99

The cartridges are all the same physical size and shape (with the exception of the black which is about double the size of the other 5 color cartridges). That said, a full set of ink cartridges is going to cost you $85.00!  That is crazy, and what is with all those differing page counts for each cartridge?

Then there is the “XL” version of just the cyan, magenta, and yellow – full of ink?

• HP 02 XL – Cyan – C8730WN – 600 pages* $14.99
• HP 02 XL – Magenta – C8731WN – 535 pages* $14.99
• HP 02 XL – Yellow – C8732WN – 750 pages* $14.99

So that is almost $100.00 for a set of ink that includes the XL series cartridges? Wow. If you are not printing photos on this printer, you might want to re-think that purchase. This printer is not designed with the office, or small office in mind.

One simple solution:

Continuous Inking System (CIS, CISS)

This printer is perfect for a CI system:

Individual ink cartridges do not move in this printer. Perfect for a CI system.

The cartridges in these printers do not move. Ink is fed from the cartridges to a print head that is buried inside the printer.  It makes these printers (ones that will use the HP 02 series inkjet cartridges) perfectly set-up to use a CI system.  Since the cartridges never move, and just feed the printer ink when it needs it, installation is simple, and no additional hardware or modifications to the printer are necessary.  Just plug and play printing for fractions of a cent.

How does it work?

With a CI system, ink is fed from a conveniently refillable external reservoir container (all one piece), to the cartridges as the printer needs ink.  When the printer tells you the cartridge is empty, simply remove and re-install to reset the page count chip.