Big 3 back ISO ink standard
09/02/2007 11:45

Internationally renowned printer manufacturers have given their backing to a new printer cartridge standard, it has been revealed.

Kodak, Canon and Hewlett-Packard have all stated that they back the ISO/IEC 24711:2006 standard, which was recently published by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO).

ISO/IEC 24711:2006 outlines how ink and toner cartridges for inkjet printers and all-in-one printers must be tested, although it still needs to be adopted across the industry.

It also requires manufacturers to produce packaging that clearly displays the ink yield for each printer cartridge, as well as providing contact details for consumers looking to gather information.

Moreover, resellers will also need to be retrained to ensure that they can give consumers the best advice relating to their printer cartridge needs.

Steve Foster, head of the printer manufacturer group at Intellect, the UK's IT, telecoms and electronics trade association, said: "Page yield is one of a number of important factors to consider when selecting a printing system. These standards will help consumers have consistent and easy to understand cartridge yield information for the printers they are buying."

Currently, each manufacturer applies their own testing to printer cartridges, meaning that consumers can often find that the ink yield for similar sized printer cartridges will vary from model to model.

The new standard should help clear up the market and make it more transparent for consumers, according to ISO.

At Paperstone, we can supply you with printer cartridges for most makes and models.