Ink cartridge test standard is established
There may soon be a way to determine how many printed pages you really get out of an inkjet printer cartridge.
Currently, each manufacturer applies its own standards for determining cartridge life, which makes it hard for consumers to comparison shop adequately when deciding on a printer or printer cartridge.
CNet reported on February 9 that major printer manufacturers like Canon, Epson, HP, Kodak, IBM and Ricoh are to get behind printer cartridge standards that will allow customers to make a more informed choice as to what cartridge produces the most pages.
The International Committee for Information Technology Standards (INCITS) is to get behind the ISO/IEC 24711:2006 and ISO/IEC 19798:2006 printer cartridge yields standards produced by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
The new standards for inkjet and color toner cartridge yields clearly define the key attributes that affect yield so all manufacturers can use the same methodology when measuring yield for their products. The standards can be applied to OEM, remanufactured and refilled cartridges.
Despite the new standard, there’s no word on when manufacturers who support the INCITS plan to implement the standard, or when consumers can expect to see an ISO rating on cartridge packaging.
Interestingly, the announcement coincides with Kodak’s release of its own inkjet printer line and an assertion that it will offer ink prices at 50 percent of its competitors. Critics contend that until Kodak, and every one else, provides how many milliliters of ink are in each cartridge, it’s hard to determine whether its claim is accurate.
Posted by Royce Bair on 02/15 at 06:01 AM
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