Ausjet Inkjet & Laser Supplies Blog
Merry Christmas and Christmas Closure Dates
Ausjet Inkjet & Laser Supplies would like to take this opportunity to wish you & your family a wonderful, safe & happy Christmas and very best wishes for the New Year.
Thank you for all of your support during 2015 and we look forward to helping you make 2016 your best year ever!
Please note our closing / opening dates are as follows:
We will close at 5pm on December 23rd
We will open again with minimal staff on Tuesday 29th December and close again on the 30th at 5pm. Due to the Australia Post holiday on December 31st we will not open on that day.
Normal working days will resume on January 4th 2016.
Technical Bulletin 22nd October 2015
22nd October 2015
Remax World Expo 2015 was located in Zhuhai China, an area which is often referred to as the world centre for printer consumables. The Pearl River delta where Zhuhai is located has over 600 factories specialising in printer consumables. This makes it a perfect location to hold an industry trade show. Not only can you visit the show but in many cases you can also organise a tour of a factory to view/verify for yourself the quality of the goods and the quality procedures that are employed.
Below is a quick summary of the latest news from our attendance at the Remax World Expo 2015.
Conference
The conference took place on two half days and this was a change to previous years as the conference was also running at the same time the expo was open. I do believe this prevented a few more people from attending the conference which was a shame as it was in my opinion one of the better industry conferences that I have attended for a long time.
It had a good balance of marketing, technical, ecommerce and information presentations.
Mergers Acquisitions and Legals
There was a lot of discussion regarding mergers and acquisitions and conglomeration of this now maturing industry. Some of the more notable was of course a major chip manufacturer from China acquiring SCC from the USA. The other news which is closer to home is that SGT which is a Chinese drum manufacturer has taken over Cartridge World Global. Cartridge World as we all know was founded in Australia and since has become a world wide success story.
Legal Eagles from the USA and Europe updated us on previous and current cases both by and against OEMs. Legal precedence and the application of Patent law in differing countries was of great interest.
New Epson CISS Style Printers Finally Hitting the Australian market
Epson has finally released their ecotank range of printers finally to the Australian market. Similar models have been available in some of the Asian countries for the last couple of years. The ECOTANK range of printers are different to the traditional style printer as you top up the ink container with ink from a bottle. These printers are essentially cartridge-less and the printers are advertised as including up to 2 years worth of printing ink. Printer models start with the Ecotank Expression ET-2500 at RRP of $449.00. Will this system gain traction in the Australian market?
Brothers new Monochrome 100 page per minute inkjet printer
While we are still marvelling at the print speeds of the Memjet and officejet pro-X series from HP. It looks like Brother has toppled them all with a new inkjet printer in their Professional High Speed Range. The printer is the HL-5700DN and while it is only a monochrome printer it is rated at up to 100 pages per minute. It uses a HC-05BK ink cartridge which contains enough ink to print approx 30,000 ISO/IEC 24711 pages. The RRP of the printer is $3499.00
New Full Page Width Printhead Inkjet Printers are Coming
True inkjet printers speeds of 50+ pages per minute in the past were just a dream. But the market is changing as more and more manufacturers are producing printers using full page width inkjet arrays. The advantage is that the printhead does not need to move across the printer during printing and therefore a tremendous improvement in printing speed can be achieved.
What's happening now and it has been for some time, is that HP is driving the market for inkjet office machines. The advantage to HP is that they own their inkjet technology while their laser printers are developed or partly developed by another manufacturer.
Epson now for a number of years has forsaken their laser technology and are concentrating directly on the inkjet market. Canon recently has offered their durable Maxify range to compete in the low end office printing market.
While inkjet printers were traditionally designed for the SOHO/Home and photographic market, more and more machines have recently been designed to replace laser printers . On the other side to this equation we have also seen that low cost colour toner machines are available for under $200 from companies such as Fuji Xerox and Brother. The old “toner vs inkjet war – which is better?” is hotting up again!
3D Printing
At the expo there were a number of 3D printing manufacturers. Overall I can see that the quality of the machines are improving and that the number of filaments available are increasing in numbers. In the beginning only ABS or PLA plastic of various colours were available. Now various types of nylons, glow in the dark plastics, rubber type materials, materials that give the appearance of glass, materials which contain wood etc filaments are now available for the common 3D printer.
Canon released a press release stating that that they too will be producing their own machine. Although it may take up to two years to release they promise greatly improved quality and speed over what is currently available.
Industry Awards Presentations and 3D Printed Fashion Show
As we are all aware award presentations unless you expect to receive an award can be a bit long in the tooth. I could not for-see any awards coming my way – although I should have won the award for the tallest audience member! But somehow for whatever reason there was no award for this! Once in a while I would like to see some randomness in awards. But congratulations to all the award winners as I am sure sure it was well deserved and it's always good to receive recognition for your hard work!
As the awards presentation continued and with each award given I knew my chances were decreasing. I couldn't help it but my mind wandered to the 3D fashion parade which would commence immediately after the award presentations finished. I was curious to see what interesting fashion could be made from creative minds and 3D printers.
I must admit that I was a little disappointed as I was expected some futuristic or out-there styles. Instead it seemed that only the accessories were 3D printed which was what not we were expecting. Overall it was good entertainment but if I was to give out an award it would have been to the magician! He was on just before the Fashion show and I must admit I really don't know how some of his tricks were done. I kept thinking 'redirection' but alas magicians 83 – Shane 0.
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| The RT Imaging Summit (Conference) | Inside the Remax World Expo | RT Imaging Awards Presentations |
Value of Brand and Pricing
There was quite an interesting discussion on pricing with the common opinion being that the industry is shooting itself in the foot. Demands for lower prices is really hurting everybody's bottom line, but unfortunately it's also affecting the quality of the manufacturers. To compete in many cases some manufacturers are using the absolute lowest cost components in their cartridges. Of course the end result is predictable!
Whilst we here at Ausjet always deal with the highest grade manufacturers and request high grade components, overall it's a bad trend for the industry – driven down by pricing from large business models such as ebay and amazon.
One example where a good brand can make a difference is in Europe where the Pelikan brand is very well known. The RRP of these products is 80% of the OEM even though the product quality is comparable to other products selling at much lower market prices . As you can see the value of a brand such as Ausjet could be very profitable.
How to Compete against E-commerce stores such as Amazon and Ebay
Another topic that came up was how to do you compete against such low prices and the answer is to use your strengths. For example use your personality – learn about social media such as twitter and facebook and use them with your local community. Go and visit your customers and potential customers in your area. People do understand that if you have a shop front that your overheads will be higher than most ebay sellers. A personal delivery from you will surely guarantee a loyal customer
The concensus is that by using a brand, personality, social media, reputation and visiting your local area low priced online competition can be combatted.
Remember Ebay and Amazon do not have the ability to personally support their customers, you and I do!
I hope this information has been helpful to yourself
Shane
New Products 21st July 2015
The new additions to our Ausjet replacement chip range are sourced from the worlds most respected aftermarket chip manufacturers. Utilising the most advanced technology, the benefit is enhanced printer compatibility, greater firmware stability and more accurate ink level metering. These chips are designed as replacement chip for the OEM cartridges.
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PGI-1600XL NEW XL Version chip for the Canon PGI-1600XL Cartridge Range. The PGI-1600XL is the PGI-1600XL Black
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PGI-2600XL NEW XL Version chip for the Canon PGI-2600XL Cartridge Range. The PGI-2600XL is the PGI-2600XL Black
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970XL Bk / 971XL C M Y NEW XL version chip for the HP 970/971 Cartridge Range. The 970/971 XL is the |
Ausjet Promotion : FREE GIFT with every order placed online!
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New Product : Ausjet Professional Colour 786XLs are here!
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786XL Yellow |
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Technical Bulletin 9th January 2015
9th January 2015
New Canon MAXIFY Series Printer
Canon has released the following new printer series 'MAXIFY' which is intended for the SOHO and small business market. These printers we assume are designed as direct competitors to the HP Officejet range. Canon has developed specifically for this range a new ink called Dual Resistant High Density (DRHD).
DRHD ink is water, friction and marker resistance. It sounds like a pigment ink series but we are yet to confirm this, maybe it's something new?. The new design is individual and looks more like a foamless design something along the lines of the HP 932/933 series rather than what we have seen from Canon recently. The chip is of a new design and doesn't feature the LED light of the previous cartridges. We know the cartridges will continue to work after they register empty although the ink levels will be 'greyed out'. Development of an aftermarket chip is in progress.
The cartridge design is individual with the cartridge numbers being PGI-1600 and PGI-2600XL. Retail pricing currently at a major retailer is :
PGI-1600 Bk - $34.99 (400pgs)
PGI-1600 C - $21.99 (300pgs)
PGI-1600 M - $21.99 (300pgs)
PGI-1600 Y - $21.99 (300pgs)
PGI-2600XL Bk - $57.99 (2500pgs)
PGI-2600XL C - $44.99 (1500pgs)
PGI-2600XL M - $44.99 (1500pgs)
PGI-2600XL Y - $44.99 (1500pgs)
Information on remanufacturing of these cartridges and which Sensient Ink to use will be available shortly once all the pieces come together.
The new Canon MAXIFY printer range will be available at Officeworks and Bing Lee stores until February and then available nationwide from February 2015.
More information on these printers can be found by clicking here.
New Ausjet LC-133 Chips Compatible With Latest Firmware Now Available
In the technical bulletin 10th December 2014 we mentioned that Brother had released a new firmware version in their latest printer releases which the existing aftermarket chips were not compatible with. We are pleased to announce that we have available a new chip which is compatible with all firmware versions and fixes this issue.
More information on the chips can be found by clicking here.
The $30 Printer
With so many printers models available these days I tend to keep an eye out for what is currently selling. Today faster than any other time in history new printer models are arriving. The majority of these changes are only cosmetic, but I find it beneficial to physically see the printers, their selling points, changes from previous models, which older models are still selling and how they are advertising new terms like mobile printing, cloud printing etc.
I couldn't help but notice the sale price on the following printers at a major department store. You could purchase a Brother HL-1110 laser printer (TN-1070 cartridge) for $37, Canon MP230 (PG510&CL511 cartridges) for $28.88 or a HP Deskjet 1510 for $29.00 (61Bk & 61 Colour cartridges). It makes you wonder if this is going to be the base selling prices for printers or is this a one off?
These printers are designed for the home user and I understand they often include a starter cartridge or low yield cartridge. They aren't designed for a large duty cycle but I'm sure they will do nicely for most home users. One thing for sure is that they will probably be looking for new ink or toner in the next few months. Will they be surprised by the cost of the cartridges, most likely they will. Will they purchase another printer or look for cheaper cartridges? That's the $50 million dollar question but when they are looking for options how do they find you? Maybe a promotion for these cartridges in a few months won't be such a bad idea.
I hope this information has been helpful to you!
Shane
Technical Bulletin 5th November 2014
Important : New Firmware for Brother Inkjet Multifunction Printers
The printer manufacturer Brother has released a new firmware version in their latest printers. At this moment in time we can only confirm that the NEW MFC-J470DW printers contains this firmware. It is highly probable that other new models will also feature this update.
The Ausjet LC-131/LC-133/LC-135/LC-137/
We recommend that you do not sell these cartridges to customers who have purchased a MFC-J470DW printer in the last few months. As more information comes to hand we will update you asap.
Progress on a new chip that supports this new firmware version has already begun.
Ausjet HP932/933 Chips Now Easier to Install
We now have a slim version of the HP932/933 chip. This slim chip is easier to install than the previous version chip. All that is required is to remove the sticky backing and place the chip on top of the OEM chip. No modifications to the cartridge or removal of the old chip is required.
For those who haven't remanufactured these cartridges before the ink to use is the H7WL7 Black, H940C, H940M and H940Y Sensient Pigment Inks.
On a lighter note
Queensland has no daylight saving time and it's often a good talking point as to whether we should have it or not. Click here to view one of the most compelling reasons on why daylight saving time is not for everybody!
Shane
Happy Halloween and Sensient Quality
Happy Halloween to all!
I thought I would take this opportunity to discuss the merits of Sensient Pigment Black ink during the day before the Inky Black Night falls upon us. For tonight is All Hallows Eve, the night where all those that normally lurk in the darkness come out to party. Be careful my kind hearted pure souls as they will try to tempt you into all kinds of mischief tonight on their night of nights! Hide the brooms, think about Sensient ink and you may just make it through the night in one piece.
I know its very geeky but when I think of Halloween I think of Sensient and their Jet Black pigment inks. Okay you can stop laughing now! Sensient inks are well recognised for their advanced pigment technology with some of the highest optical density (darkest) of any inks in the market place.
Below you will see some of the features of the H6WL6 Pigment ink which is used inside the HP60, HP61, HP564, HP920, HP901 and HP702 black cartridges.
H6WL6 Black Pigment Based Ink for Deskjet Inkjet Applications
- Designed to be used in a variety of inkjet cartridges to consolidate supply
- Page yield equal to OEM
- Formulated for long term shelf life and reliability
- Demonstrates equal performance across a wide range of paper types
- Optimised to meet key consumer demand requirements
- Evaluated through demanding reliability testing protocol
- Stable images with no black to colour bleed
- Excellent image with no visible mottle
- Better than OEM highlighter smear test results
- Optical density of equal or higher level on a wide range of papers and print settings against OEM
As you can see Sensient Pigment black inks are at the leading edge of ink technology. The cost of filling cartridges with Sensient black pigment ink could be only cents per fill. In our opinion it's a no-brainer to use Sensient Inks!
H6WL6 is just one of our many Premium Quality Sensient Inks we offer. To view our complete list of Sensient inks click here
Thank you for your time, be very careful and please do your best to keep your 'brain' as tonight is All Hallows Eve.
Shane
New Product Release 3rd November 2014
New Toner Cartridges
Just arrived in our warehouse are our latest additions to our aftermarket toner cartridge range. These cartridges are manufactured/remanufactured using premium grade components. Produced by a ISO9001, IS14001 and STMC certified company you can be assured that these toner cartridges will meet or exceed the high expectation of your customers.
For Brother Printers
A new range of compatible cartridges designed as a quality replacement for the OEM TN-346 Series Cartridges
Sku : 60-BR346KHY
Page Yield : 4000
Sku : 60-BR346CHY
Page Yield : 3500
Sku : 60-BR346MHY
Page Yield : 3500
Sku : 60-BR346YHY
Page Yield : 3500
For use with the following printers :
HL-L8250CDN, HL-L8350CDW, MFC-L8600CDW, MFC-L8850CDW, MFC-L9550CDW
For HP Printers
A new range of remanufactured cartridges designed as a quality replacement for the OEM CF380 Series Cartridges
Sku : 60-HE380XCF
Page Yield : 4400
Sku : 60-HE381ACF
Page Yield : 2700
Sku : 60-HE382ACF
Page Yield : 2700
Sku : 60-HE383ACF
Page Yield : 2700
For use with the following printers :
Laserjet Pro M476D, Laserjet Pro M476DW Laserjet Pro M476NW
For Kyocera Printers
A new compatible cartridges designed as a quality replacement for the OEM TK-3104 Cartridge.
Sku: 60-KYK3104
Page Yield : 12500
For use with the following printers :
FS-2100DN, FS-2100D, M-3540IDN, M-3040IDN, M-3540DN, M-3040DN
For Lexmark Printers
A new range of compatible cartridges designed as a quality replacement for the OEM C930 Series Cartridges.
Sku: 60-LEX935B
Page Yield : 25000
Sku: 60-LEX935C
Page Yield : 16000
Sku: 60-LEX935M
Page Yield : 16000
Sku: 60-LEX935Y
Page Yield : 16000
For use with the following printers :
C935
For Xerox Printers
A new compatible cartridge designed as a quality replacement for the CWAA0716 P3428 Cartridge.
Sku: 60-XE3428
Page Yield : 25000
For use with the following printers :
Phaser 3428
New Product Release : Ausjet Professional Colour 254XL
