Today we have a fantastic review from Chris for his CISS. If you'd like to be entered in our monthly prize draw, and receive a discount on all dye and pigment ink purchases, send your review to reviews@cityinkexpress.co.uk.

The reason I am on my 3rd is that the printers eventually give up and I have to renew. This gives me the opportunity to upgrade, but my first check is that there is a system to go with it. I have moved over to an Epson Printer this time as the new Brother didn't currently have a CISS system.

The CISS will pay for it self in a very short period of time, and is easy to install following the supplied on line video links. Go for it! You wont be disappointed.

Today we have a fantastic review from Roger for his ink refills. If you'd like to be entered in our monthly prize draw, and receive a discount on all dye and pigment ink purchases, send your review to reviews@cityinkexpress.co.uk

I would like to say how pleased I am with my city ink CISS ink system. This is the second one that I have purchased as due to a house move my last printer died.

Your system was the obvious choice for my new printer. This is the first ink fill up since I purchased the system 18 months ago.

Good results and good colour for the price. Much cheaper than original ink.

Today we have a fantastic review from Keith for his CISS. If you'd like to be entered in our monthly prize draw, and receive a discount on all dye and pigment ink purchases, send your review to reviews@cityinkexpress.co.uk

Received the above by next day delivery. On unpacking I found that there were extra clips for holding the tubes, a bonus. Watched the videos on the web site and had the kit filled and primed within 15 minutes. An easy job. Fitted it, switched on and got the dreaded “cartridges not recognised” warning. Followed the instructions on the sheet provided but they did not cure the problem. Eventually realised that I had the bung in and the printer thought that the lid was always down. Re-installed cartridges with bung removed. Replaced bung and the cartridges were recognised and have been working fine ever since. All done within an hour. I’ve printed out twenty or so colour prints on the paper that I ordered with the ink system. Everything is working great, and the paper looks to be good value for money.

PROS:

1. Easy to install.
2. Coloured plugs make it easy to tell which colour is running low.
3. Long tubes give you enough length to reach rear of printer.

CONS:

1. Lid has to remain slightly open (not a problem for me).

Today we have a fantastic review from Alistair for his CISS. If you'd like to be entered in our monthly prize draw, and receive a discount on all dye and pigment ink purchases, send your review to reviews@cityinkexpress.co.uk

3 Reasons Why CityInkExpress Is AMAZING!!

1. I hate long reading documents on screens: The CISS has given me a painfully cost effective and cheap way to print PDF documents, manuals, comic books, emails and study materials without the worry of having to ration ink!
2. I print photos in bulk: All those pictures I’ve taken for Facebook and Instagram are now backed up in hard copy on photographic photo paper, even those blurry ones that never got posted online (because I’m a sentimental fool) and I did it on the cheap!
3. In 2018 I’ve ordered ink for the first time since 2016 (and I still have a lot of the previous ink left): I print en masse and still can’t believe what an amazing investment this has been. The dye ink I use is cheap and what ink is still left in the system has NOT discoloured, dried-out and prints to a high quality without issue. This is after 2 years of [the ink] sitting in the system!

I want to thank Zac and Shane from the City Ink team personally for their prompt, helpful, concise and friendly replies to several queries I had about my current order. Cheers, guys.

CityInkExpress Distributor Program

CityInkExpress is one of the leading companies supplying sublimation printers, ink, and paper. We are looking for additional companies to distribute our sublimation products in countries outside of the UK. If you feel our products would be a good match for your business, and are already well-established in servicing the printing industry, please contact us for a full pricelist.

We pride ourselves on the support we off to customers, and have comprehensive support documents for our sublimation systems and cartridges, as well as video guides, but we recognise that customers want support in their own country, in their own language. By offering these products to customers, you can take advantage of a growing market throughout Europe, and we will help you to achieve this. You will also be best placed to offer quicker, cheaper shipping options to our existing customers in your region.

The nitty-gritty:

• Minimum initial order of £500
• Significant savings over retail price
• Dedicated distributor support for your business

If you are interested in becoming a distributor, please email us at admin@cityinkexpress.co.uk with some information about your company. We look forward to working with you in the future.

Our current distributors

• Reklamni Technologie - Czech Republic
• Creative Art - Norway
• Talent Creatif - France

Here at CityInkExpress, we are often asked for advice on which printer model would be best for our customers. In this blog post, we hope to shed some light on the sometimes bewildering array of options available in the market.

Toner or Inkjet?

Traditionally, businesses have always chosen a laser printer over an inkjet because of the reduced running costs involved with a laser printer. That is no longer necessarily the case, and many small or medium businesses (SMBs) are taking advantage of the latest business inkjet offerings from the various printer manufacturers, with real-world print speeds of up to 22 pages per minute. Fitting a continuous ink system can often be cheaper than using toner cartridges, and the reduced startup costs are very attractive.

Which Printer Manufacturer?

Generally speaking, Canon produce the printers most suited to photo printing, and many of their models are able to handle cardstock up to 300GSM (grams per square metre).

Epson produce fantastic all-round printers, and their small-in-one printers from the Expression range are well suited to families on a budget.

Brother printers are relatively fuss-free, cheap printers suited to a variety of uses. Whether you are a small business looking to print invoices, or need a printer to handle your children's homework, a Brother printer may well be the way to go.

How Much to Spend?

Budget is a concern for most people, and we will always do our best to meet all of your requirements, but as with everything you get what you pay for. We can help you find a professional quality photo printer, or a high-speed printer for invoices, for under £100, but there will be a trade-off in terms of other functions. Ideally, you should look to buy a printer which does everything you need it to, and nothing more. That way, you won't be spending money on a function you won't use.

There is also another key point to consider when buying a new printer: running costs. One of the cheapest printers currently on the market is the Canon iP2850, starting at around £30 plus VAT. If you need a basic printer for occasional use, it may well be the way to go, but the cartridges can cost £25 a set, and will only last for around 180 pages. Clearly, printer price isn't everything.

You're Not Helping. Which Printer Should I Buy?

Alright, back on topic. You need a printer, and you don't know which one. There are too many to choose from, and you don't know how to narrow it down. The easiest way to choose a printer is to ask yourself the following questions:

• How much do I want to spend?
• Do I need a scanner/copier, or just a printer?
• Should the printer be wireless? Will I want to print from my phone?
• What kind of things will I be printing? Is it for card-making, invoice printing, photo printing, or a mixture of everything?
• How much printing will I do?
• Will I need to print double-sided?
• Do I want to print in A3, or just A4?
• Is there anything else I want the printer to do, or any other features I would like (e.g. printing onto CDs, fax capability, or a rear tray for cardstock).

If you can answer most of these, we will find the printer for you. Here are some examples of printers which we might recommend for different uses^*:

"I just want a printer. For printing."

The Epson WF-3010DW is a fantastic little printer. It is completely lacking in bells and whistles, which means that the money goes to producing one of the best small printers on the market. At 9.2 colour pages per minute (or 15ppm in black and white), with automatic duplexing and wireless functionality, and a 250-sheet paper tray as standard, the WF-3010DW punches well above its weight in terms of print quality and speed. If you want all of this and a scanner as well, you would have to spend twice as much on the printer!

"I need something cheap with a scanner to print the kids' homework, and occasional photos."

Epson's Expression small-in-one printers are ideal for light use in a home environment. The XP-225 is the cheapest currently on offer, and for just £45 you can have a USB printer/scanner/copier capable of handling all types of printing.

"I need a printer for the office, as cheap as possible. I mainly print invoices."

Brother's all-in-one printers offer a very competitively priced option for small businesses or home offices. With prices from £75, the DCP-J4110DW is a real workhorse. With print speeds of 16 pages per minute, and the option of occasional A3 printing as well as a scanner/copier, many businesses should look no further than Brother's J4000 range of printers. For larger offices, the J5000 series is well worth a look, as they are more suited to heavy use.

"I want a professional-quality photo printer, but I don't want to spend any money."

The Canon Pixma iP7250 was made for photo printing. For just £60, you can have a wireless printer with a maximum print resolution of 9600*4800 dpi, and capable of handling cardstock up to 300gsm.

"I would like a printer for heavy use in the office."

This is a request we get a lot, and there are plenty of options to choose from. Whether it's Epson WorkForce Pro range, Canon's new MAXIFY printers, HP's OfficeJet Pro or Brother's J5000/6000 range, there is a huge range of inkjet printers available for SMBs. Different prices and print speeds, along with other options such as fax and double-sided scanning, enable you to find the perfect printer for your requirements.

"I don't like any of those. My needs are different."

That's not a problem. Drop us an email to admin@cityinkexpress.co.uk and we'll find a printer/CISS combination to suit any environment.

^*Prices and current models are correct as of 29/01/2015. Links provided are to printer bundles, with a CISS and 100ml bottles of ink included in the price.

It's been a while since we have posted - we have been very busy and are proud to launch our new range of ciss systems similar to Epson Ecotank range with Epson Genuine ink - yes that's right Genuine ink - For those customers that only use genuine inks and still want to save money - its a Win Win for you with on going running costs of around £1 a cartridge when compared to the standard fill OEM carts , currently available on a range of around 200 selected 4 and 5 colour models with more to follow. 

 The continuous ink systems are our new design in a handy 70ml version which is the same size as the refill bottles. We will be expanding the range in 2015 to include 6 colour printers in A4 and A3 size

Purchasing a new toner cartridge over the internet may seem like decidedly risky business to some people. After all, there are thousands of different printer models out there in the world, and there’s no way to know whether or not you’ve bought the right cartridge for your model until...well, until it’s too late.

With so many mistakes just waiting to be made (what if you accidentally order a Brother DCP-9055CDN cartridge instead of a Brother DCP-9055CDW cartridge?!), you may well decide that it’s safer just to go to a shop.

But that would be the wrong decision, mainly because you’d be missing out on the great prices that online stores can offer. Just in case you’re sceptical about ordering your toner from City Ink Express, here’s a step-by-step guide that will make sure you get the right cartridge:

Step 1 – Click over to our main Toner Cartridges page.

Step 2 – Click on the button that corresponds to your printer manufacturer. For this example, we’ll say that you have a Brother printer, but we also cater to hundreds of models from HP, Canon, and other big names.

Step 3 – On the manufacturer page, find your printer’s specific model (e.g. Brother DCP-7055) and click on it to see a list of products that are suitable for your printer.

Step 4 – Choose your preferred product (we offer Original and Compatible options), enter your required quantity, and click ‘Add To Basket’.

Step 5 – Go to your basket and, if you’re ready to complete your purchase, proceed to the checkout.

It really is as simple as that! As long as you know the model you’re shopping for, it’s extremely easy to find a compatible toner cartridge. We recommend double-checking the model number on your chosen product before you finalise your order; a lot of the models have very similar names, so it’s always good to make sure before you part with any cash!

We're delighted to announce that we've recently joined the exciting world of Pinterest, and we can't quite believe we were missing out for so long! Here at City Ink Express we'd consider ourselves experts in all things printing - we offer low cost, high quality solutions for almost all of your printing needs. This means that we naturally have a keen interest in photography and beautiful images, as well as how to print them of course. We use Pinterest to pore over stunning works of photography, which we consequently pin to our specific boards and share on social media - but only if the image is truly special.

We believe our interest in photography provides us with another dimension to engage with our customers and social media followers, and we love sharing images we think are great and seeing which photography inspires others. Though we're fairly new to Pinterest, we're really excited about our new social media venture, and we're really enjoying exploring some of the stunning photography that's available through Pinterest. Here are 3 of our favourite Pinterest boards and some of the gorgeous images we've pinned ot them! Don't forget to give us a follow.

1. Inspiring Scenery

Our Inspiring Scenery board is home to this beautiful image, which simply took our breath away when we saw it. The mesmerising scenery and incredible colour scheme just stops you in your tracks - we simply had to pin and share it. This image got some great responses on our Google + page - it seems you guys love this image of West Virginia from Joseph Rossbach just as much as we do!

2. Beautiful Photography

This picture doesn't really need an explanation does it? It lives on our Beautiful Photography board for the simple reason that it is such a beautiful shot! It perfectly captures how big and powerful lions really are, you certainly wouldn't want to mess with the one pictured here would you?

3. Portraits of People

Portraits of people make up some of the most simple but effective photography ever. This shot by Rebecca Cygnus is truly magical. Though not strictly a portrait, it's an image of a person - but the setting and the pose is what really brings this picture to life. The colours and the beautiful reflection in the water are why we just had to pin this image to our Portraits of People board.