How to clean a printer cartridge?

How do I know if the printer I'm buying will function with only one cartridge with ink in it?

• I've known for sometime that printer manufacturers make their big money off the cartridges, not the printers. My HP is a couple of years old, and the replacement cartridge prices are absurd. It's as if they're playing this game of tease them with a cheap printer and low-end prices on replacement cartridges (if you're lucky) and then after the printer is a couple of years old, we'll jack up the cartridge prices to a whopping $25 for the black and $32 for the color, and we'll design them so that if either cartridge is not installed WITH ink in it, nothing will work, neither color or B & W. Right now, I want B & W copies and it wants me to go spend $32 on a color cartridge and put it in. Um, I don't THINK so. This is nonsense and intolerable. I can't believe a printer manufacturer, (unless it's a planned conspiracy and violation of anti-trust laws) hasn't come out and said, "We won't put you through that nonsense. If you're in a time crunch and all you need are some black copies, and you've got a black cartridge installed with ink in it, we will let you make copies." The way they've cornered the market now, I have to spend more for cartridges than a whole new printer that uses $14 cartridges. Which means I have to toss a working, functional printer just over the cartridges it uses. There oughtta be a law. So how do I know in advance if there's a model that doesn't play this game? I'm looking for all-in-one for under $50. They're out there, if I can get around the thievery they're committing against humanity.

• Answer:

  I don't know about an all-in-one for less than $50, but I do know of a website that offers aftermarket and OEM printer ink for relatively low prices. Check out www.123inkjets.com. Hopefully, this helps solve your dilemma!