No matter what printer you use, producing a high-quality printout on paper requires good quality ink with excellent banding and quick drying properties.
Today's inkjets used dyes based on small molecules that have high brilliance and a wide color gamut but are not as waterproof or light-fast as larger molecule inks. Two entirely different types of ink are available for inkjet printers. One option is slow-drying, taking up to 10 seconds to set and is useful especially for monochromatic printing.
The second option is fast-drying ink requiring about 1/100th drying time and operates best with color printing. This is why you'll find black inks slower drying on inkjet pages and more prone to smearing if not treated carefully.
Most companies selling inkjet printers guard their ink formulas jealously, so the consumer often feels compelled to use only replacement inks produced by the original manufacturer. However, a little research will help you determine whether there are cheaper refill kits that will work for you.
