Printers produce digital images from droplets of liquid or molten material, more known as ink.  In using thermal inkjets to produce an image, a pulse of current is run through the heating elements causing a steam explosion in the chamber to form a bubble, which propels a droplet of ink onto the paper.  The ink’s surface tension as well as the condensation forces a contraction of the vapor bubble.  This pulls a further charge of ink into the chamber through a narrow channel attached to an ink reservoir.

The basic problem with inkjet inks are the conflicting requirements for a coloring agent that will stay on the surface and rapid dispersion of the carrier fluid.  Some manufacturers create ink based on a mixture of water, glycol and dyes. These inks may be inexpensive to manufacture, but are difficult to control on the paper surface (or other media).

The popular manufacturers create products that go together in completing the printing process.  The printer manufacturers discourage the use of just any third party inks.  The reason is that they can damage the print heads due to not being the same formulation as the manufacturers’ inks, cause leaks, and produce inferior-quality output.  In a shorter note, ink used inappropriately may reduce the quality life span of the printer.  Although third-party ink makers are definitely doing their best to create a perfect fit quality, they may never equally achieve, much more surpass, the quality of the ink from the same brand as the printer.