Tank printers are a subset of inkjet printers. They use the same kind of ink and provide the same level of quality, but the ink is contained in tanks instead of replaceable cartridges.

Color ink tank printers have separate holders for black and several different color inks, and each is connected by a tube to a print head.

The tanks are refillable, so you top them off with new ink when they run low instead of replacing them like you would with a typical inkjet cartridge.

How Do Ink Tank Printers Work?

Ink tank printers work just like inkjet printers in most respects. The printer has one or more printheads that run back and forth over the paper and spray tiny droplets of ink as they go. These tiny droplets are set into the paper, forming text and images.

During printing, ink is delivered from the reservoir to the printhead via airtight tubing. Monochrome printers have a single tank for black ink, while color printers have several. A basic color ink model will have a tank for black ink and one each for cyan, magenta, and yellow ink.

Some ink tank printers have even more. For example, a photo ink tank printer might have one for black, another for photo black, and a third for gray, in addition to cyan, magenta, and yellow.

What's the Difference Between Ink Tanks and Other Inkjets?

The difference between these printers and other inkjets is how the ink is stored and delivered. In ink tank printers, the ink is stored in permanent tanks connected to the print head through airtight tubes. In traditional inkjet printers, the ink is stored in cartridges that are snapped into the printhead or another receptacle in the printer.

In traditional inkjet printers, the ink cartridges are more than simple tanks. The cartridges typically also contain the components responsible for regulating and controlling the dispersal of ink droplets. That means whenever you replace a cartridge, you're also replacing all those components. All of that is handled by the printhead built into the printer in ink tank printers. When you refill an ink tank printer, you only replace the ink itself.

Some ink tank printers use a hybrid system that combines a replaceable cartridge with refillable ink tanks. These systems are designed to minimize the need to replace the cartridge by using high-volume cartridges that offload ink into internal tanks.

Refilling an Ink Tank Printer

This is usually accomplished by opening the printer, removing a cap from the tank running low, and pouring ink into the tank. This does come with some risk of making a mess, but these tanks are specifically designed with refilling in mind, so spillage is unlikely to be an issue if you follow the instructions.

Since some ink tank printers use cartridges or other delivery methods for the ink, refilling isn't always a matter of pouring liquid ink into a tank. Sometimes, you snap a cartridge in place in a process similar to replacing the ink cartridge in a traditional inkjet printer.

Does the Ink Dry Out in the Tanks?

The ink tanks in tank printers are airtight, so the ink drying out isn't typically an issue. Instead of the ink drying out, the primary concern with tank printers is that the printhead itself can dry out if it isn't used regularly. That's why the printheads need to be cleaned from time to time, which is a process that runs some ink through the printhead to keep it from drying out or clogging. That process will deplete the ink, even if the printer isn't otherwise used. 

Are Ink Tank Printers Good for Home Use?

Ink tank printers are generally suitable for home use when used regularly. The main benefit of these printers is they offer lower per-print costs than traditional inkjets and are typically also capable of printing more individual pages between refills. That makes an ink tank printer a good choice if you have a home office, students who need a lot of printing for school, or applications requiring relatively high volume printing.

These printers are also good for occasional use since the ink is stored in airtight tanks and is unlikely to dry out. However, they can be more costly to operate in situations where very little printing is done, and a large amount of ink is wasted via periodic purging. A lower-cost inkjet or a laser printer may be the more economical choice in such cases.

• How much do tank printers cost?

  We've seen these printers start around$160 and go up from there depending on the features you want.

• How much do laser printers cost?

  A very basic laser printer (black and white printing only) can start around$150 (sometimes around the holidays, we've seen them drop to$99! Again, that would be for a very simple feature set. Still! We have a little more information about laser printers that's worth checking out.