Today we have received a fantastic review from Matt for our refillable inks. 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 have used Foto Rite ink from CityInkExpress for a few months now and I have to say how impressed I am with the quality of the inks.

As someone printing for a professional purpose, it is important that the ink I use is high quality and this definitely is. It is pretty much identical in print quality to the genuine version and works great in my CISS system for Epson printer. Colours are nice and vibrant, and there has been no blockages or other problems since using this ink.

It is also so easy to order through the site and customer service is also great. I look forward to buying more CISS ink from you!

Today we have a fantastic review from Graham who has one of our CISS systems. 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 have been using this excellent system for a little while now and am really pleased with the results. As I print colour photographs for display and calendars each year for my extensive family and friends, quality is most important. Cost isn't necessarily the most important factor, but having set up the system with the six tanks and first lots of ink, then the resultant cost saving is impressive.

In the past few days, I have been making comparative prints of some I have done in the past, using a different printer and inks. These were printed on gloss paper at the highest standard setting and I considered them most impressive. Using the new system and inks with a similar type of paper, there is an obvious improvement in sharpness and colour rendering: quite impressive.

On my Facebook page, I have commended this system to my family and friends and I commend it to any who check this website for information about City Express Ink System.

Today we have a fantastic review from Peter who uses our 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 have used City Ink Express inks now for many years now. I get absolutely beautiful saturated colour and monos to die for.

The service is top class.

Previously I was using a very expensive ink in my CISS - your inks equal that ink in every way and at a fraction of the cost. A well deserved 5 Stars from me.

Today we have a fantastic review from Asif who our 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.

Looked online for solutions to my ink refills. There are very few ink refill shops close to where I live which put me on to City Ink Express. Very pleased with their products and customer service so would wholeheartedly recommend.

Today we have a fantastic review from Katrina who has one of our CISS systems and has recently purchased ink refills from us. 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.

When we heard about continuous ink systems through a friend, we were immediately sceptical, we had always used OEM (original) cartridges and were used to spending £40+ or a set of 4 ink cartridges that would last no longer than 2 months. We had used refills and cheap compatibles in the past and had always been let down. Poor print quality, numerous head cleans and faulty chips meant that we never strayed from Epson originals, begrudgingly as they are so expensive and not very good for the environment.

We thought we would give City Inks a go, the ordering process was simple and easy and the team were on hand to help with any set up questions we had.

We bought the system initially in 2014 and have only had to spend out once more on some more ink to fill up our tanks. So last year instead of spending £240 on ink cartridges, we only spent £40.80 and we haven't had to compromise on quality.

If you are hesitant, please don't be. These are not cheap knock off products which will damage your printer, this system is efficient and cost effective. We will never go back to buying cartridges again.

Today we have a fantastic review from Andrew who has used many of our products. 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 have been using City Ink Express for more years now than I can remember. I have used both their Continuous Ink Supply Systems (three of them) and their refillable ink cartridges.

Both have been very easy to use and VERY cost effective.

I have both ordered through their website and when not sure what I should be ordering, by phone to their very friendly and knowledgeable staff.

I highly recommend them and their products. I never think of looking anywhere else.

Today we have a fantastic review from Alain who has used many of our products. 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.

Cityink offers a lot of great products. I used these on all my printers (Canon, Epson, Brother) without ever having problems.

They are very professional and correct with the customers. Follow-ups and technical advice are always excellent.

I highly recommend these products that save us a lot of money while maintaining print quality.

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.

I first bought a Ciss system from city ink express 3 years ago. From the day it arrived I have been extremely happy with their service and products.  I have since bought 3 more Ciss systems for other printers and each time I have been very happy.

I have bought both pigment ink and dye ink refills and can say that the quality of both is superb. Thank you Cityink Express you have saved me hundreds of pounds, and each time I press the cartridge reset button It makes me smile thinking about all the money I am saving.

Keep up the good work.

James