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DADDY BOB'S COMPUTER Q & A
August 26,
2007
Q.
Why does my computer say that my printer has
lots of ink and yet it is empty?
A.
Because it is easy to fool the ink reserves
as reported on the computer. On inkjet or
bubble jet printers, there is no actual
device in the ink cartridges that measures
the level of the ink. Here's how the ink
levels are calculated.
The
printer manufacturer knows from actual
testing about how many normal (full single
spaced and partial) pages on average to
expect from a cartridge. Let's say, for this
example that this amounts to 200 pages. When
a new cartridge is put in the printer, this
is detected by the software on the computer,
and it sets its indication as being full.
When you
start to print, the number of pages is
counted. Again, in this example, when about
100 have been printed, the software
calculates that you should have about 50% of
the ink left, and indicates it as being half
full. This is a calculated guess, an
estimate based on many variables, and
nothing more. And, to be sure, the amount of
ink indicated to be left is biased on the
side ink seller. If you replace the
cartridge when there is still considerable
ink left in it, only the ink seller
benefits.
Now, if
for some reason, this used cartridge is
removed and then replaced, the computer
assumes that it is a new cartridge, resets
the number of pages printed to zero, and the
level to full. This is why the ink levels
indicated can much different from the actual
levels.
Likewise,
if the pages you printed were only half
pages, or double spaced, or all color and no
black or vise-versa, the amount of ink used
may be far more or less than if they were
the normal multi colored "average" pages.
So, the levels reported on the computer are
not an accurate indication of the actual
levels in the cartridges. Sometimes, they
may not even be a good guess.
You
should only use the ink level as reported on
the computer to be a VERY CRUDE indication
of what is actually in the printer. Never
assume that because the computer says it is
empty that it actually is, and conversely,
don't assume because the computer says it is
full, that it actually is. |
