Significance

• Photo ink cartridges have additional tones or variations of the typical colors used in standard printers. They often consist of two or more colors that can be combined to form a variety of hues to create more vibrant and realistic pictures.
  
  

Function

• Photo ink cartridges are a replaceable element of a printer. They often also have the print head built in. The ink contained in the cartridge is transferred onto paper during the printing process.
  
  

Types

• Various photo printers offer different types of photo ink cartridges. Some cartridges contain several colors, while others have each individual color in a separate ink cartridge. Some of the photo cartridges can be refilled with photo ink by using refill kits. However, the ones with built in print heads normally have to be replaced.
  
  

Considerations

• Prior to purchasing a photo printer, consider the photo ink replacement cost, as this type of ink is generally more expensive. Photo cartridges can be purchased from suppliers other than the printer makers, and tend to be less expensive than the photo cartridges supplied by printer manufacturers. There are links to websites with specifications, reviews and pricing for hundreds of photo ink cartridges in the Resources section below.
  
  

Effects

• Photo cartridges can make all the difference in the world as to how your printed image turns out. A graphic printed with regular ink will produce photos of lower quality. If this same graphic is printed using photo cartridges, the quality is much better. Photo ink combined with specially created photo paper creates photographs of remarkable quality.