CISS (Continuous Ink Supply System) is a great alternative to black and color printing, because it brings multiple benefits to the user. It reduces printing costs by up to 95% due to the very low cost of the used inks, compared to normal cartridges and even refill cartridges. It is very practical because reloading the external tank is very simple, thus avoiding the specific issues of classic refill cartridges (leaks, malfunctions, the need to call in a specialist center). There is no compromise regarding the quality because the printing is similar to that obtained by using conventional cartridges.
CISS system is used in inkjet printers. It feeds a special ink cartridge continuously through a system made of tubes connected to external reservoirs. The cartridges do not ever dry and they do not need to be replaced. Instead, you must add ink to the external ink tanks, when they are almost empty (about 10% of capacity). The external ink tanks that are part of the Continuous Ink Supply System are placed near the printer. There can be 4, 5, 6 or 8 separate tanks, depending on the printer model. Each of them is filled with ink of a particular color. Each tube carries the ink inside the tanks to the printer ink cartridge. The external tanks should sit at the same height with the printer. If they will be placed higher than that printer, there is the risk that should flood the cartridge, causing printing problems.
These ink systems save money that would otherwise be spent on expensive ink cartridges that often must be discarded while they still contain ink. At the moment of acquisition, the system comes full of ink (about 100ml per color) and then you have to buy the ink for each color in containers of 100ml. This way, the ink purchased is more economical and you can be sure you will use it all.
Another advantage of the system is that the cartridge is always full and the colors produced are constant, no matter how many pages you print in a single session. If you print a large number of photos, for example, you can rest assured that you will not run out of ink. The external tanks are transparent and you can easily see when one of the colors is close to end and you need to make a refill. But you will do it very rarely, because the tanks are containing the equivalent of 10 to 30 sets of original ink cartridges.
Some printers use ink cartridges that have a chip attached, a chip recording the level of ink used. When the cartridge is empty in a certain proportion, the chip will make it impossible to re-use the cartridge, even if it will be refilled. The systems used for such printers are equipped with writing-protected chips that transmit the printer the message that the cartridge is 100% full. The cartridges included in the system are specifically designed to work well for long periods.
Installing a CISS http://www.rihac.com.au system takes 5 to 20 minutes, depending on the actual system and on the model of printer. The package comes with the installation and operating instructions. The printer will not be permanently changed if you install the Continuous Ink Supply System http://www.rihac.com.au and you can always go back to using usual cartridges.