History

• Prior to somewhat ominous year of 1984, most computers were hooked up to dot matrix printers that relied on replaceable ink ribbons, similar to the kind used by typewriters, for printing. Several large and small technology companies, including IBM, rushed to develop a new and more stable method of delivering ink to a wide variety of papers. The inkjet printer and inkjet cartridge was introduced in 1984 and by the early 1990s was considered the standard in personal printing. In 1991 IBM spun off the company, now known as Lexmark, that developed and manufactured print cartridges.
  
  

Significance

• Advancements in inkjet printer and print cartridge technology allowed home and small businesses to produced high quality text and images at affordable prices. Lexmark was at the forefront of the race to develop low cost printer solutions and was the first company to introduce an inkjet printer for under $100. By developing their own ink and ink cartridge technology, Lexmark has been able to maintain a superior level of product quality.
  
  

Types

• Lexmark produces three basic types of inkjet cartridges: Black for basic text printing, Color for graphics and images and Photo for high resolution photographs. In addition to inkjet printer cartridges, Lexmark also manufactures Laser printer cartridges that are specific to Lexmark's line of Laser printers. Laser printer cartridges may come in as individual color cartridges in Yellow, Cyan and Magenta in addition to Black. Lexmark still manufactures printer cartridges for its line of dot matrix printers.
  
  

Features

• It is the cartridge, not the printer, which actually does the printing in an inkjet printer. The cartridge contains a precision engineered, high resolution print head and the brain of the print head is the silicon chip. A polymer nozzle plate is attached to the each print head with ink channels etched into the nozzle plate by an excimer laser that are 1/7th the diameter of a human hair. The print head holds up to 640 print nozzles on the black ink cartridge and up to 480 on color ink cartridges. The cartridge makes it possible to print extremely fine detail making Lexmark inkjet cartridges ideal for photo reproduction as well as standard text printing.
  
  

Benefits

• In addition to providing quality printers and print cartridges, Lexmark also provides an excellent recycling program designed to protect the environment. The Lexmark Cartridge Collection Program is a free program that encourages consumers to recycle their empty Lexmark inkjet cartridges resulting in less waste and fewer resources consumed. Lexmark provides a postage postage paid return bag in each printer cartridge box. All the consumer has to do is drop the spent cartridge in the bag, seal it and drop it in the mail.