Customer Reviews

Lexmark #16 Black Ink Cartridge (10N0016)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

Lots of people complain about clogged - yet not empty - ink cartridges. The Lexmark Z23 cartridges are no different. It is usually ineffective to use the Lexmark's software to clear a major clog. Better to simply remove the cartridge from the printer and set it in a shallow pan of warm water that just covers the nozzles. Soak it for at least an hour, dab off the water with a clean lint-free cloth and try it again.

If you like to refill your cartridges and find them clogging more and more often, refill them with just water - you'll be amazed!

Good ink, but I thought I had run out of ink at one point, but the problem was that it was clogged. The "clean the nozzle test" didn't work (as usual). So I placed the nozzle holes carefully in warm water for a few minutes. I had a teapot with water boiling. Once I got some steam, I put the bottom part of the cartidge to the steam. Once I saw "ink beads" appeared, I cleaned it and right away put them in my printer and printed something. It works well again. So, before you go buy these expensive cartidges, try these tips and see if they will work again.

I added the black cartridge to my Lexmark Z23. Printing
was good for several pages of text. After sitting for
several weeks, I needed to run the clean routine several
times to get rid of the streaking (color has the same problem).
After sitting for an another couple of weeks, streaking again.
Several cleanings did not fix the problem this time.
I will not be replacing these expensive cartridges. My money
would be better spent on a different printer.

What all the other reviewers say is true. The cartridge prints nicely; you do get sharp printing and a very dark black. However, mine has clogged and become useless. It has not run out of ink; multiple cleanings cannot open up those clogged jets. For the price, you'd expect to be able to use the cartridge for a few months, but you can't.
Advice? I'll be cleaning the cartridge every few weeks in an attempt to keep those tiny holes running free.

The ink quality was low and failed to print without making a line through the print. Even when the printer was prompted to use the best quality printing you could still barely read the print. Very disappointed.

The cartridge prints very crisp and clear. Installation easy.
Objection? I haven't found any refills available for it. Just have to buy a new cartridge when it gets empty.

this ink is of really poor quality... my printer wont print without a line through the text and it wont print certain colors... green prints yellow, blue prints pink, etc etc... total waste of money... spend the extra money to get a real cartridge...

They show two cartridges in the picture but only send one.

I highly recommend buying this cartridge, #16 as opposed to #17--it will last you much longer and save you money. The two are interchangeable, except that #16 lasts longer and is usually only marginally more expensive. I would not recommend using a refill kit or buying generic.

It makes me angry that I could buy a new printer (which would include b&w and colour cartridges) for less than it would cost to replace the b&w and colour cartridges. So I just don't buy colour. I'm a college student so I primarily print papers anyway. I own a Lexmark z515 which I bought because it was cheap and it worked with Linux.

Other recommendations:

If you can afford it, get a laser printer. Toner is more expensive initially, but will last much longer than ink and save you money in the long run.

If you're stuck with an inkjet like me, run your printer in economy mode. It will print faster and the ink will last longer. As the cartridge gets low, you'll have to set it to higher and higher quality in order to squeeze the last drops of ink out. Also, don't let your printer go too long without being used. Your ink cartridge will get clogged or dried out, and won't last as long.

Don't bother printing photos with a normal inkjet printer unless you have no other option. Take your digital photos to one of those in-store kiosks or get a portable photo printer that does 4x6 photos. It may cost more, but you'll get better pictures (neater edges, higher resolution, sometimes even laminated) and save yourself a few grey hairs. Of course if you're printing odd-sized or very large photos I guess you don't have much choice.

Also, make sure you buy the correct cartridge for your printer before opening the box!

You won't be printing many pages with these! Lexmark has cheap printers but their ink is expensive and the jets clog/dry up in a week or so making the whole thing useless.