This thread is a spammy commercial. My Roland tech says he is constantly fixing machines from problems with 3rd party inks. They are not the same. So when you factor in the extra ink they use, the parts they eat AND the cost of down time and ruined material they cost you more according to him. I am just giving the uninitiated the other side of the equation.
Nonsense. Stop and think about it - a "Roland" tech telling you you shouldn't buy anything but "Roland" ink? Hmmm...
I am not here to defend all 3rd party inks, because I honestly don't know all of them and I am sure some are better/worse than others. However, if you talk to those in the industry who have been using 3rd party for a while in their machines you will more than likely find out they are very happy and haven't had much, if any problems from switching. Most of the rumors spread around the net and by technicians (melted lines, clogged heads) are results of older ink sets who used hotter solvents in eco machines - or cheap, crappy inks that had very large pigment particles that ended up clogging nozzles. Most of those are no longer in business, or have discontinued those inks. There are several companies out there making quality inks that are near identical to OEM at a fraction of the price. I for one have saved thousands of dollars switching to 3rd party.
Do as you please, believe as you please but please don't spread myths or half-truths. I have personally run 3 printers on 3rd party ink for the last 3-4 years and my only regret is not doing it sooner.