The company has recently revealed a 45% increase in sales for its inkjet printers and with its ad campaigns seemingly everywhere right now, Kodak appears to be the printer manufacturer of the moment.
However, the brand is still relatively new to the printer market and only launched its current inkjet range in 2007 and originally the biggest consumer complaint seems to have been that reliability was an issue with the former. Models. Now that they have production on a few models under their belt and that The Gadget Show rated the ESP 3250 highly rated last summer, combined with promises of replacement ink cost savings, it’s no wonder consumers are feeling tempted to give them up. a try.
So does Kodak really live up to its promises?
They have certainly made life easier by designing most of their current range to use the same 10 black and 10 color Kodak cartridges. The printers are also developed so that the print head is part of the printer and not the cartridge, which means you only pay once and not every time you need replacement ink. The downside to this, of course, is that the printhead will eventually wear out, although Kodak is quick to assure customers that this shouldn’t happen during the life of the printer. However, the warranty is for the first year only, so if the print head stops working after this, it must be replaced by the customer.
Admittedly, compared to original or OEM cartridges from other manufacturers, replacing ink in a Kodak printer is a much less traumatic experience, with the 10 black’s RRP at £ 6.99. There is a big but when it comes to color. With any color combo cartridge, you will need to replace it completely and you will not be able to print even if only one color has run out. So if you’re printing a lot of photos with a main color scheme, you’re throwing away a cartridge that still contains ink, which seems quite wasteful and frustrating.
With Kodak printers, the emphasis is on photo printing, which is not very surprising considering the brand’s heritage, but to get a decent result you have to pay for your special photo paper and since only the most expensive is reported as good, quickly cancel any Benefit from cheaper ink costs.
It’s fair to say that overall, your all-in-ones can handle the demands of an average family life, and for now this is likely to remain your niche.
Kodak remains optimistic for the future, forecasting a 50% increase in printer sales for 2011 and earnings from ink will double as well. Something they may need to rely on, as a trade statement revealed that digital camera sales have recently slumped.
Your recent campaigns are certainly getting people thinking about your printing costs, but if you’re considering buying any kind of new printer, it’s always a good idea to do some research. Not just independent reviews, but they also have an idea of replacement cartridge costs and if cheap compatible ones are available if you don’t want to have to rely on expensive originals.
There is a great variety and variety in the inkjet market, with a printer to suit everyone, Kodak is not the only brand, but it is certainly the first to use cartridge costs as a marketing tool, it is generally the dirty secret. manufacturers do their best to remain silent.
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