Sourcing your franking machine ink

Your franking machine needs ink to print the postage as well as your company logo and marketing messages on envelopes. However, franking machine ink needs to be bought with caution as there are cartridges differ in regards to quality, price and number of impressions.

Using franking machine ink cartridge

With today’s modern postage machines, using franking machine ink has become much more comfortable. Royal Mail required you to use a red imprint to insure that your mail has valid postage and and can be read by automated systems. Now, you may as well use more discrete colors such as black or blue.

Changing your postage franking ink is just as easy as changing a printer’s cartridge. You probably not be surprised by replacing a franking machine cartridge, or have any difficulty to do it. Simply follow the instructions in your manual or on the screen of your postage meter. Don’t be too rough about replacing the cartridge as this may cause damage not covered by your guarantee.

Franking machine ink prices: Manufacturers

Your franking ink can in fact be costly but the price should not be the only criteria when sourcing it. Some ink cartridges are better than others because of the quality of ink, impressions per cartridge and overall value for money. The choice of your franking machine ink must thus be done with special care.

Looking at the “official” franking ink from manufacturers, ink cartridges for low volume franking machines tend to cost around £70-£80. However, no manufacturer states openly how many imprints can be printed with a single cartridge. We strongly recommend checking this in your consultative phone calls before entering into a contract with a supplier. Looking at manufacturer’s mid and high volume franking machine ink, cartridges cost about £120 and £200 respectively. For the top postage machines used industrially, ink cartridges may as well be much more expensive.

Buying franking ink from independent retailers

In most cases, you will be able to source franking machine ink cartridges from independent retailers as well. Still buying original ink, you might be able to save about 25% using an independent retailer. With third party ink, your savings may be even higher although we strongly advise you on making sure that you source your ink from a reliable and trustworthy partner as the quality varies, especially in regard to costs per imprints.

Normally, there is no compatibility problem with franking machine and third-party cartridges. Only the lowest quality ink might cause problems regarding including smudging ink drying in the cartridge. Yet another reason to ensure the quality of ink, as this does not just harm the ink but also your postage meter.

Comparing ink prices before buying a franking machine

Before buying a franking machine, make sure that you minimize your follow-on costs. Because ink prices are very likely to make up the gross of these expenses, ask potential supplier about ink prices and imprints per cartridge. Especially the costs per imprint are a useful measure to compare suppliers.
We can help you doing that comparison. Leaving your details and requirements allows s to put you in contact with the leading franking machine manufacturers. They will come back to you with competitive quotes on appropriate postage machines. You simple need to choose the best one.