We love our 999inks Fans!

999inks is the one place for all of your printing needs. We asked why you are a fan of 999inks, and were flattered by your responses.  The winners were offered a £50 999inks credit, and now it is time for the big announcement ...

From Facebook, Nicky Russell!

Also, from Twitter, Sandy!

Continue to follow 999inks for great deals on all your printer needs.

999inks August Draw Announcement

999inks is the one place for all of your printing needs. Hopefully you know by now how great it is to find all of your ink at discount prices, so you never have to pay high street prices.  Do you go to 999inks.co.uk for the low prices? For the online convenience?  Special Deals? Fast Delivery?

Why are you a fan of 999inks? Post to 999inks Facebook page and you will be entered to win a £50 999inks voucher!

Want an additional entry? A second £50 999inks voucher will be given to a @999inks Twitter follower who tweets using #999inks!  Use #999inks during August and you will be entered to win a £50 voucher, too!

Open to UK and throughout Europe. Entries accepted until 31 August 2010.  1 winner from Facebook, and an additional winner from Twitter.  Enter now, and you could be a lucky winner!

July Giveaway Winner

We at 999inks asked for Fan Photos, and many of you shared.  We love seeing all these happy moments, and hope you are printing your photos to cherish.

We offered 2 lucky winner from 999inks Facebook Fan Page the new Polaroid CZU-10011 PoGo Mobile Photo Printer, and are so excited to announce the winners.

Missie Lizzie and Katherine Chu of London will each receive a new Polaroid Mobile Printer, to print their lovely photos when on the go.

Thanks for playing, and follow along for more fun contests!

999inks announces a Fan Contest for the month of July

How much do I love 999inks.co.uk?  Let me count the ways.  Better yet, show us in pictures!

999inks is the one place for all of your printing needs. Hopefully you know by now how great it is to find all of your ink at discount prices, so you never have to pay high street prices.

How much do you love 999inks? Show us how much you love 999inks, or how much you need 999inks, by submitting a photo in the "Fan Photos" section of our Facebook page, and you could win a Polaroid Mobile Photo Printer!

Want an additional entry? A second Polaroid Mobile Photo Printer will be given to a Twitter follower who tweets the link to their photo!

Become a Fan of 999inks on Facebook. Once you are a Fan, simply post a Fan Photo! Open to UK & throughout Europe.  Entries accepted through 30 July 2010. 

PRIZE DETAILS:

* 2 Polaroid CZU-10011 PoGo Mobile Photo Printer will be given away. 1 winner from Facebook, and an additional winner from Twitter.

* The revolutionary PoGo is portable, stylish and practical, coming with everything you need to print the most impressive, full-colour, instant digital photos without ink. Because of its small, compact size, you can slip it into your pocket and take it everywhere.

* Impressive photo prints on the spot, directly from a digital camera or mobile phone. Send photos from your camera or phone wirelessly, or connect via USB.

* Features PictBridge, Bluetooth and a Li-ion rechargebale battery

Enter now, and you could be a lucky winner!

Kodak Claim Biggest Ink Savings With ESP Office 6150

Kodak recently released the ESP Office 6150 AiO inkjet printer – the latest printer featuring the company's patented pigmented ink technology. This technology enables Kodak ink cartridges to sell at a fraction of the cost of other producers: for example, colour cartridges for the Office 6150 cost only £10.99, while costing £25.99 for the comparable Canon PIXMA MP640. Kodak in fact claims consumers can save £50 annually by switching to Kodak printers!

Before rushing out to take advantage of Kodak's discounts though, potential buyers ought consider the other features of the Office 6150, as well as the printer's weaknesses. Targeted at the crowded home office market, critics agree Kodak's printer fares badly against other models available. Chief weaknesses include an inflated purchase price and mediocre image quality. We've listed below the best reviewer comments as well as the Office 6150's features – look through and decide for yourself if Kodak's savings claims hold water!

Features
• Integrated printer, scanner copier and fax machine – perfect for the small or home office.
• Automatic document feeder (holding 30 sheets) – for effortless copying.
• Duplex printing w/ 200 sheet paper tray – for eco-friendly printing that also saves you money.
• 2.4 inch LCD colour display.
• 802.11n WiFi connectivity – meaning you can print both from notebooks and also iPhones and BlackBerries.
• In-built memory storing 100 fax messages.

Reviewers' Comments

TrustedReviews.com's Simon Fuller notes several problems with the ESP Office 6150. Chief among these is the printer's slow speed: in testing the 6150 produced around 3.5 ppm, when Kodak claim the printer can generate around 30 ppm. Moreover this is slower than Kodak's previous releases, including the Kodak EasyShare 5500. Fuller also notes that printing wirelessly slows the ESP Office 6150 even more, causing the printhead to glitch repeatedly.

Printing speed aside, Fuller comments that the ESP Office 6150's colour cartridges are not individual. This means the entire cartridge must be replaced each time one colour empties, and potentially adds to ink cartridge costs. He also notes that the LCD display is not touchscreen – a common feature in SOHO printers today.

PCPro.co.uk's Mike Jennings meanwhile finds greatest fault with the ESP Office 6150's printout quality. He notes that colours are grainy, and that this is highly disappointing given the Kodak printer's £170 retail price. Moreover Jennings notes the ESP Office 6150's ink cartridge savings are offset by the need to buy expensive paper for the printer to perform well.

Finally Jennings notes the Canon PIXMA MP640 offers comparable functions and higher quality printing at a lower retail price. The ESP Office 6150 simply doesn't compare.

Summary

The Kodak ESP Office 6150 might offer the industry's cheapest printing, but other printers offer faster and better quality images at a lower retail price.

Sources
Chris Bennan, Kodak ESP Office 6150 AiO Printer Review,' Pocket-Lint.com, 19 May 2010.
Mike Jennings, 'Kodak ESP Office 6150 Review,' PCPro.co.uk, 20 April 2010.
Sean Doherty, 'Kodak ESP Office 6150 Aio Claims Lowest Ink Cost In Industry,' Blog.Databazaar.com, 14 June 2010.
Simon Williams, 'Kodak ESP Office 6150 – Inkjet All-In-One Review,' TrustedReviews.com, 14 May 2010.

Canon Pixma MX870 Offers Great Quality Photo Printing

Canon recently released the PIXMA MX870 inkjet printer – its latest multi-function printer offering high quality photo printing for the home. Boasting Print, Scan, Copy and Fax functions in addition to 5 separate slots for ink cartridges, so you need only replace the colour you need, the printer has been received well at review sites. Below we've compiled a list of the PIXMA MX870's features for you to browse, as well as summaries of the best reviews. Enjoy!

Features:

• Print, Scan, Copy and Fax functions – so you can complete all your printing and copying on one machine.
• Wi-Fi Connectivity – meaning you can print wirelessly.
• 5 Ink Cartridge Slots – helping you save money because you only replace the colour cartridge needed.
• 33.6kbs 3G Faxing – giving you the fastest possible faxing, as well as automatic saving on the printer's memory.
• High Resolution 9600x2400dpi Printing – for incredible looking photos.
• Auto Photo Fix II Software – enabling you to optimise your images before they're even printed.

Reviews:

Jon L Jacobi and Melissa Riofrio, PCWorld.com: This review notes that the PIXMA MX870's printing speed falls slightly short of that advertised by Canon. While Canon claim the MX870 prints 9.4 plain text pages per minute (ppm) and 1.8 colour pages per minute, PCWorld.com recorded speeds of 6.2ppm plain text and only 1.8 ppm for colour pages. However, the MX870's print quality makes up for this slow speed: PCWorld.com note that colour printouts have “rich smooth colour.”

Simon Matthews, TrustedReviews.com: This review notes that the PIXMA MX870 belongs to a solidly built line of Pixma printers, and contributes to that reputation. Photo prints in particular are “bright and accurate, with smooth variations between colours.” TrustedReviews.com also notes that the MX870 offers lower prices per page than rival printers, costing only 2.4p per text printout and 7.9p per colour. On the other hand, notes that the PIXMA MX870 printout speed for both plain text and colour is slower than similar printers by rival brands.

David Bayon, PCPro.co.uk: This review notes that the MX870 benefits from in-built Windows 7 compatibility, unlike earlier models in the MX series. It also notes that the MX870 is cheap to maintain: compatible ink cartridges can be found for under £10 each. The MX870's bulk however means it isn't worthwhile purchasing if you only print occasionally, but for small offices and busy families this printer is perfect.

Summary:

• The PIXMA MX870 prints slightly more slowly than rival machines, but the printout quality is excellent.
• The PIXMA is cost-effective, offering individual colour cartridges at a low price.
• The PIXMA MX870 makes an excellent choice for families who'll make use of its multiple functions. Its sheer size however means that people who don't print frequently ought to look elsewhere.

Price:

£199.00 from Canon Europe.

Sources


David Bayon, ''Canon Pixma MX870 Review,' PCPro.co.uk, 04 March 2010.
Jon L Jacobi and Melissa Riofrio, 'Canon Pixma MX870 Review,' PCAdvisor.co.uk, 01 June 2010.
Sarah Meyer, 'Canon Pixma MX870 Review,' PrinterComparison.com, 19 February 2010.
Simon Williams, 'Canon Pixma MX870 – Inkjet All-In-One Printer Review,' TrustedReviews.com, 09 March 2010.

Enjoy The World Cup With This Printable Sweepstakes Kit

The World Cup is upon us, and here at 999inks.co.uk we couldn't be more excited. We've set up a widescreen TV at one end of the office to catch the action; we've even hired out the local pitch for a kickaround ourselves. Moreover, on Wednesday we uncovered a sweepstakes kit being offered at DailyMail.co.uk to make things even more interesting.

The concept is simple: you print out (using 999inks.co.uk cartridges naturally) the list of teams and cut them up. You then enlist 32 football-mad colleagues to pick a team at random, while charging £1-5 per entrant. Whoever's team wins the tournament gets the pot of money!

Visit DailyMail.co.uk here for the sweepstakes kit – and enjoy the tournament!

Moving To Another Country? Contact HP Customer Services First.

Planning to emigrate? Probably the last thing you're concerned about is making sure your Hewlett Packard printer works in your destination country. Yet a little known Hewlett Packard policy means this is one thing you should ensure before stowing your bags and catching that flight. HP region encode their printers to only work with ink cartridges bought in the same nation. Hence consumers who replenish their printer with cartridges bought in their new homeland will find them incompatible, and their printer useless.

HP encode their printers in order to guarantee consumers only pay locally dictated prices: an English consumer becomes unable to exploit a favourable exchange rate with the dollar to buy cheap ink, for example. This is perfectly within Hewlett Packard's rights as the manufacturer. Inadvertently however, the policy persecutes consumers who emigrate, unaware that their printers will be incomptible with locally encoded cartridges.

Fortunately, consumers in this situation need not shell out to buy a new HP printer: the region code can be easily reset over the phone. Simply call Hewlett Packard customer services, explain your situation and be persistent: HP may be initially reluctant to distribute the correct code, though ultimately should do so without charge. Calling HP will ensure your printer works once you've emigrated, and save you a major headache.

Happy moving!

Lexmark Printers To Be Sold Through UK Apple Store

The connections between printers and Steve Jobs' branding behemoth Apple may not be immediately obvious; yet the two realms are strangely entangled. Last year for example, printer manufacturers like Hewlett Packard raced to become the first company to release an iPhone application for their wireless printers. Now meanwhile, speculation is rife as to when Jobs will announce printer compatibility for the recently released iPad. Printers and Apple have proved natural partners.

Yesterday's announcement by Lexmark that they will soon begin selling wireless printers through the UK Apple Store then is less surprising than first appears. Indeed other manufacturers must be kicking themselves that they missed the cross-branding opportunity.

Initially only three Lexmark printers will be available through Apple: the Interact, Interpret and Prospect wireless printers. Each of these models includes Smartsolutions software, enabling (with the proper app) nearly instantaneous printing from your iPhone. Moreover though these printers normally cost £120-170, Apple is offering a special deal: anyone that buys a Mac alongside their Lexmark printer receives a £70 rebate.

Hewlett Packard and other ink cartridge producers will doubtless be watching closely to see how the promotion fares.

Of course those who take advantage of the offer will need to keep their Apple-friendly Lexmark printer stocked. For great quality ink cartridge and paper supplies, 999inks.co.uk remains your premier online retailer.

Epson Release World's Fastest All-In-One Office Printer

Small business owners frustrated by the glacial pace of their printing equipment may rejoice: Epson have recently released the fastest All-In-One printer in the world. The Workforce 520 prints 15ppm (pages per minute) in black and 5ppm in colour, in addition to scanning documents at 2400dpi resolution direct to your email inbox.

Currently retailing in the US for $129.99, the Workforce 520 features ink cartridges great for reducing costs too: the colour cartridges are sold separately, meaning you need only replace individual colours as they run out. The Workforce 520 therefore saves not only time but money too. Of course, as soon as the printer becomes available in the UK, look forward to quality discount cartridges from 999inks.co.uk.

Switch Your Font To Century Gothic And Save Money

It’s too easy to tally your printing expenditure at the end of six months and find it rivals the national debt. There’s the cost of stocking the paper tray, replenishing the ink cartridges, and maintaining the machine itself. The occasional minor outlay contributes to (what is before long) a shockingly large total!

Of course, there are several means to bring down the cost of printing. Perhaps the most important is switching from official to remanufactured ink cartridges. These remanufactured cartridges (available at 999inks.co.uk now) offer comparable printing to OEM cartridges at a much lower price. They’re an incredible way to create savings!

In addition, printer owners can further reduce their printing costs by making one change to their word processing habits. This change? Switch the standard font to Century Gothic. According to recent findings from the University of Wisconsin, Century Gothic is the world’s most economical font – using 30% less ink to generate letters than Arial. Over the course of several documents, that creates a massive saving – so go Gothic!

Come back soon to the 999inks Blog for more money saving tips!

999inks Anounces an Ink Giveaway!

999inks is the one place for all of your printing needs. Hopefully you know by now where to find all of your ink at discount prices, so you never have to pay high street prices.

For the month of April, 999inks is giving you TWO chances to win £50 in ink, that gives you alot of ink at 999inks!

You must be on Facebook by now.  If you have not already done so, Become a Fan of 999inks on Facebook.  Once you are a Fan, simply post to our Facebook wall why you want to win £50 in ink from 999inks and you will be entered to win!

Are you on Twitter?  Twitter is a great way to share, too.  Follow @999inks on Twitter and Tweet "@999inks is giving away £50 in ink! Follow and RT to enter!" to be entered to win the 2nd giveaway of £50 in ink from 999inks.co.uk! 

Enter now, and you could be a lucky winner!

Can You Recycle Ink Cartridges Through Local Government?

In the UK most local councils run recycling programs. However, they differ depending on where you live, leaving many people uncertain what they can recycle. For example, can you recycle ink cartridges through your council?


Fortunately help is available. Visit RecycleNow.com and enter your postcode, and the website tells you what items can be recycled in your area. No more uncertainty about whether to recycle ink cartridges!

You may discover that your council does not recycle ink cartridges. If so, contact your cartridge manufacturer: brands like Lexmark run recycling programs, free to their customers. Alternately these charities run recycling programs:

CashForCartridges.co.uk

Cartridges4Charity.co.uk

EmptyCartridge.co.uk

Recycool.org

RecycleInkCartridges.co.uk

999inks March Prize Giveaway

Throughout March, 999inks.co.uk is giving you the chance to win a Tom Tom Navigation unit, simply by showing us you are a fan of 999inks!

Become a fan of Facebook.com/999inks page, and for an additional entry follow us on Twitter.com/999inks!

Copy a screen shot of your updated page showing that you have become a fan of 999inks.

Email your print screen and you may win a Tom Tom GPS!

Asian Heartthrob Sponsors Ink

The Asian singer and actor Christian Bautista has a signed a contract with Malayan ink cartridge brand Ink All-You-Can to provide sponsorship. From Valentine’s Day, customers who stop by Ink All-You-Can in Metro Manili will receive the limited edition CD: Bautista’s ‘Romance Revisited.’

CEO and President of Ink All-You-Can Jerry Ilao said of the endorsement: "Mr. Bautista is one of the most multi-faceted artists in the country today. His versatility as a singer, actor and entrepreneur is very much consistent with Ink All-You-Can’s campaign of offering unlimited printing solutions to Filipino consumers.”

Right.

Sand Printer Provides Seagulls With Reading Material

Ever wanted to print a document viewable from space? Without petitioning HP to make a 100ft tall printer with ink cartridges to match, you couldn’t have found much luck.

Until now that is – because the sand printer by conceptual designers Zanadesign produces letters several feet tall. The only things to worry about are the tide, and that the Spanish wheel only prints the words ‘Cadiz 2012.’

The brainchild of Tomás Silva Alonso, a graduate of London’s Royal College of Art, the sand printer is powered by positioning small children inside the circumference, and convincing them to push.

Though the words ‘Cadiz 2012’ commemorate 200 years of the Spanish constitution, meaning that the wheel was created in the spirit of peace, how the children are made to push we can’t imagine.

The sand printer came into being after Alonso sent the idea to Cadiz council, winning first prize in a ‘Promote Cadiz 2012’ competition. The council soon contacted Alonso, and asked him to develop a working model.

Made of inorganic materials, the sand printer impacts on the beach without making a negative impression on the environment. What’s more, it gives the seagulls something to peruse whilst chewing on stolen chips.

Companies Settle With Canon Over Ink Patent Infringement

999inks.co.uk News: Companies Settle With Canon Over Ink Patent Infringement


A patent infringement lawsuit raised by Canon against five companies in Japan has been settled. The suit concerned the firms’ alleged recreation of Canon’s LED-equipped ink cartridges - a patented innovation – in their own cartridges without permission. The settlement means the five companies concerned are agreed not to sell, import or display the patented cartridges. Canon has agreed to drop the lawsuit.

Canon’s preliminary injunction for the lawsuit was petitioned on 31 October last year. Since then the Japanese ink merchants have agreed to halt sales of 28 products of 3 brands. Each of these products, though non-genuine, is compatible with Canon printers.

Canon’s press release – dated 17 December – contains an (almost) apologia for the lawsuit. It states: ‘Canon filed a patent infringement suit for preliminary and permanent injunctions because the company determined that the abovementioned actions infringed its intellectual property rights.’ This self-justification accompanies a grace period in which the Japanese companies must dispose of their inventories of the patented ink cartridges. The closing date is the 31st March 2010.

Drug Dealer Squirreled £1,700 In Printer

999Inks.co.uk News: Drug Dealer Squirreled £1,700 In Printer


A 20 year old male who kept cannabis in his home for a drug dealer squirreled £1,700 in payment inside his printer, a Liverpool Crown Court hearing found this Tuesday. The home of Ashley Moorcroft was searched by police the day after he was caught holding a bag of cannabis and £1,825 in his car. Pleading guilty for possession of the drug, Moorcroft has been sentenced to 6 months in prison and ordered to perform 180 hours unpaid work.

According to a 17 December 2009 article by Linda Roughley at Crosbyherald.com, police caught Moorcroft on the evening of May 1st in Blundellsands. He was seen walking to a Silver BMW from his own car, where on return he was questioned by police. Officers noted the strong smell of cannabis in the vehicle, and Moorcroft’s extreme nervousness. On searching the car, the police found a bag of cannabis in the roof lining of the driver’s side.

Initially Moorcroft protested that he didn’t know to whom the cannabis belonged. However, he soon conceded that he was holding it for a drug dealer. On being arrested and taken into custody, Moorcroft was found with £1,825 about his person. It was on the following day that police searched his home on Merrilocks Road, and discovered £1,700 hidden inside his printer. The money was stored in the ink cartridge slot.

Moorcroft pleaded guilty to counts of possessing cannabis and concealing criminal property, when his trial was held at the Liverpool Crown Court. His 6 months sentence has been suspended for 12 months, and he must perform 180 hours unpaid work.

Firms Save 30% with Managed Print Solutions

Print News: Firms Save 30% with Managed Print Solutions


Report by Market research Firm InfoTrends shows consultancies lead to reduced office expenses.

The market research firm InfoTrends has released a report stating that ‘prime markets’ including schools and legal firms stand to save up to 30% on printing processes with managed services. The survey, which involved 500 respondents, documents the rise in managed service solutions and potential growth for the sector. For those that don’t know, firms turn to managed service providers to optimize their office environment – and where documents are concerned, their printing processes. The InfoTrends results are based on criteria including: printing habits, hardware investments, managed service investments, and economic impact.

Though independent consultancies offer managed services, it is also possible to acquire these from your hardware provider. In the print industry, famous brands including Hewlett Packard, Canon and Lexmark each offer ‘complete enterprise solutions.’ For example, back in November Kodak announced an agreement with US distribution firm D&H to help firms ‘reduce their paper workflows and increase digital capabilities.’ This week, Pitney Bowes has signed with Kilburn Office Automation, a supplier of postage technologies and a distributor of copiers and printers, to help the transition to digital ‘post and stamp solutions’ across India.

The report by InfoTrends will give much-needed impetus to firms looking to make savings through efficient office management. Just last week, Japanese printing brand Ricoh released a report critical of the sluggish manner in which European offices are adopting document management. In spite of agreement of the potential benefits, most companies have not implemented even half the available process refinements. The new report by InfoTrends, which showcases the demonstrable benefits of managed print solutions, may encourage firms to put their printing processes into outside hands. They will find many consultancies wait with open palms.