There is nothing more maddening than running out of printer ink when you are in the middle of printing something vital and are running out of time. But, what is even more annoying is having to spend a small fortune to get more ink. Ink is one of the most significant expenses that you have to incur when using a printer, and so the higher the costs, the more expensive the machine will be to operate.
But, the good news is that there are lots of affordable printer inks out there that will work for all common printer brands. These budget-friendly printer inks help keep your costs per page down, making the printer more economical for your home or office.
However, you will be surprised at the number of cheap printer ink options out there. Although the numerous options can make your choice more confusing, here we give you a good starting point with a review of 10 of the best cheap in printers out there.
Contents
- List of The Best Cheap Printer Ink in 2021
- #1. Canon CL-244 Ink Cartridge
- #2. HP 61 CH561WN Ink Cartridges
- #3. Valuetoner Ink Cartridge Replacement
- #4. HP 64 N9J90AN Ink Cartridge
- #5. Epson T252XL120 Cartridge Ink
- #6. Canon PG-240 XL Ink
- #7. Epson T702XL120-S Cartridge Ink
- #8. HP 901 CC656AN Ink Cartridge
- #9. LXMATE 61 Ink Cartridges
- #10. TEINO HP 61XL 61 XL Ink Cartridge Replacement
List of The Best Cheap Printer Ink in 2021
#1. Canon CL-244 Ink Cartridge
The dye-based formulation of the Canon CL-244 ensures that it will deliver some fantastic colors for your prints. What’s more, this cheap printer ink will be ideal for use even on plain paper as it looks great. And you can be confident that the cartridges will give you an easy time when it comes to installation as they are easy to snap in place.
Besides the ease of installation, these ink cartridges have broad compatibility as they will be ideal for use on all Pixma printers and most other Canon printer models. Like many other Canon printer inks, this one also uses the FINE technology to ensure it will deliver some fantastic photo quality for those that print pictures a lot.
Pros
- Dye-based formula
- Built-in FINE technology
- Looks great on plain paper
- Easy to install cartridges
- Wide compatibility
Cons
- Misleading low ink warning
- Packaging needs improvements
#2. HP 61 CH561WN Ink Cartridges
For a two-pack ink package, the HP 61 CH561WN will give you an even better value for money. These low-cost cartridges will ensure that printing is relatively cheaper for you. What’s more, the cartridges will deliver a yield of up to 190 pages, hence lowering your cost per page further, which makes this ink very ideal for a busy office where there is a lot of printing.
Besides the exceptional value for money, the ink cartridges also offer broad compatibility as they will work for various HP printer models. Broad compatibility means that if you have more than one HP printer in the office, these cartridges will be convenient for you. The ink also dries quite fast when printing and does not smudge. Because it is available on the HP and Amazon replenishment services, you will never run out of ink.
Pros
- Great value for a pack of two
- Relatively high ink yield
- Fits most common HP printers
- Dries fast and does not smudge
- Available on replenishment service
Cons
- Quality check since to be lacking
- Ink dries quickly in the cartridge
#3. Valuetoner Ink Cartridge Replacement
With the upgraded chip on this Valuetoner cartridge, you will get better compatibility as it will ensure it can work for most modern Canon printers that have the updated chip. But what users will love most about these inks is the quality of the prints. The ink delivers bolder black texts and some vibrant colors to give you superior quality documents.
The ink cartridges will deliver a high printing yield of up to 400 pages when printing in black and least 300 pages for the color cartridge. And unlike many other cartridges out there, these will give you a more accurate ink level display to make sure you know the exact amount of ink you have remaining. When it comes to installation, things are also hassle-free, as you only need to follow three steps.
Pros
- Upgraded chip for better compatibility
- More accurate ink level display
- Easy 3-step installation
- Bold black prints
- Delivers more vibrant colors
- Higher page yield
Cons
- Some printers do not recognize these cartridges
#4. HP 64 N9J90AN Ink Cartridge
While the 200 pages per cartridge yield that you get with this printer is not the highest on our list, it is still quite decent when comparing it to other models out there. In addition to this, you will get more vibrant and bold prints as the quality and results are guaranteed. Even if you have never used a printer before, you can be sure that these cartridges will be a breeze to replace.
This ink is available on both the HP and Amazon dash replenishment services, which will ensure that you not only never run out of ink but also that you get to save more money on your ink costs. Because this ink is available in more economical multipacks, you can easily save even more money. You will not need to stress over unnecessary printer repair costs as this genuine HP ink helps prevent damages.
Pros
- Decent yield per cartridge
- Delivers more vibrant prints
- Cost-saving dash replenishment
- Helps you avoid printer damage
- Multipacks available for even better value
Cons
- Ink can dry out in the cartridge
- Printer recognition issues
#5. Epson T252XL120 Cartridge Ink
The convenient individual ink system of the Epson T252XL120 ensures that you will only need to replace the empty cartridge and not all of them, which is more cost-effective. What’s more, this is a high yield cartridge that will print hundreds of pages before you run out of ink. And the prints that you get are superior quality with more vibrant colors. This ink dries super-fast, and it will also not smudge or fade.
The prints are waterproof for increased durability and to prevent damages for your documents in case they come into contact with water. Users will love that this ink will be ideal for almost any printing paper, as it will look fantastic on both plain and glossy printing papers.
Pros
- Convenient individual cartridge design
- Smudge and fade-free
- Water-resistant prints
- Relatively larger capacity
- Instant-drying ink
- Works great on both glossy and plain paper
Cons
- Still not OEM quality
- A few rejection recognition issues
#6. Canon PG-240 XL Ink
Canon PG-240 is the ink to turn to when you want to print some high-quality documents on plain paper. This top-quality ink will deliver some sharp black texts and ensure that you will get more vibrant images and photos. What’s more, this is an extra-large capacity as it will print hundreds of pages before it runs out. The high yield helps save you money and also ensures longer intervals between cartridge changes.
These Canon cartridges will use unique technology, the ChromaLife100 system, that will not only help improve the quality of the texts but will also ensure your photos will not fade quickly. And because this ink will dry relatively faster when printing, you can be sure of no smears and smudging. Better yet, there are no skips when printing.
Pros
- Delivers sharp black text
- Prints vibrant images/photos
- Extra-large cartridge saves money
- ChromaLife100 system prevents photo fading
- No smears or skips
Cons
- Hard to find the value bundle locally
#7. Epson T702XL120-S Cartridge Ink
The OEM-quality Epson T702XL120-S is an inexpensive ink that will ensure you get prints that are as good as what the original printer ink delivers, if not better. And because the ink comes in individual cartridges, you will have an easy time with the replacements as you will only need to change the empty one and not all the cartridges at once.
Because this is top quality ink, you can be sure that it will not smudge when printing, and it will also dry instantly to prevent sloppy prints. The high-quality ink will not fade and hence keeping your documents in good shape for long, and the ink is also water-resistant. This ink is easy to replace, and it is also available in bundles to save you even more money.
Pros
- High enough yield capacity
- Easy to change individual cartridges
- Does not smudge when printing
- Fade-free prints
- Water-resistant texts
Cons
- Limited printer compatibility
#8. HP 901 CC656AN Ink Cartridge
With the HP 901 CC656AN, you get the perfect printer ink for your heavy printing, and so if you have a busy office that does a lot of printing and copying, you can rely on this ink to work well for you. Besides the high volume, this cartridge will give you some rich and bold colors to deliver high-quality documents.
This ink is a genuine HP product, and you can be sure of this as it has the genuine HP security label. Besides delivering high yields consistently, this ink will help save you money from the fact it will also be available in more economical multipacks. Other great traits of the ink include the fact that the ink dries much faster than others, and it is also easy to install.
Pros
- Great for heavy printing
- Genuine HP ink
- Multipacks available
- Consistent page yields
- Dries super-fast
- Easy to install
Cons
- There are many counterfeits of this ink
- Prone to leakages
#9. LXMATE 61 Ink Cartridges
Sometimes you might not be sure which cartridge will work well for your printer, and so something with a universal fit like this one will do you good. This cartridge works for different brands and models and will be very convenient in many offices. This cartridge has a smart chip that will help ensure easy printer recognition and more accurate ink level tracking.
This ink will resist fading and smudging to ensure you get some more long-lasting prints. What’s more, the documents that you get will have the original image color to ensure what you see is what you get. And this is a super high yield ink cartridge that can print up to 600 pages before it runs out. You can also be sure of easy installation as the manufacturer also provides clear directions.
Pros
- Universal printer compatibility
- Accurate ink volume display
- Resists fading and smudging
- Prints original color of the image
- Supper high yields
- Easy installation with clear directions
Cons
- A little tedious to align cartridge on some printers
- Black could still be a little bolder
#10. TEINO HP 61XL 61 XL Ink Cartridge Replacement
Many elements will make this ink cartridge a fantastic choice, but most people will love that it will deliver fade-resisting prints and not smudge or smear. Bette yet, the text is crisp and clear, and for those that print photos and images a lot, you will love this ink as it will ensure they are true-to-life.
The package includes both black and tri-color cartridges, which not only gives you great value for money but also allows you to replace both at the same time to maintain optimal print quality. Overall, these ink cartridges are also quick and easy to install.
Pros
- Fade-resistant color
- Crisp and clear texts
- Brilliant and true-to-life images
- Includes both back and color inks
- Quite simple installation
- Zero smudging
Cons
- Could have a wider compatibility
- Hard to bypass the printer error
Conclusion
With cheap printer ink, you will have an easy but effective way of reducing your overall printing costs as ink accounts for a massive chunk of your printing cost per page. But, because not just any cheap ink will give you the best print quality, you need to choose a good one from our list above.
From this list, the Canon CL-244 Ink Cartridge is a perfect pick for those that use canon printers, and if you have an HP model, the HP 61 CH561WN Ink Cartridges will be a good buy.
