Pacific Palisades, Calif. (PRIMEZONE) -- ValueJET, a new manufacturer of supplies for ink jet printers, today announced its introductory product line of environmentally friendly refill kits and compatible ink jet cartridges for printers from Hewlett-Packard, Canon, Epson and Lexmark, via an E-commerce site on the Internet.
A Large Market in Need of Information The astounding growth in sales of color printers to small businesses and homes represents an opportunity for owners to minimize expense and waste. According to Office Word News sources, the estimated size of the U.S. market for ink cartridges reached $6.5 billion in 1997, and will grow to $10.3 billion by 2002.
While tens of millions of people use ink jet printers, only a small percentage of them currently refill or recycle their ink cartridges. In addition to the cost savings, refilling also helps to protect the environment. Millions of empty plastic ink jet cartridges are discarded every year. The many people who currently refill consider this an important point in their purchase decision.
"Though refill kits of varying quality have been around for years, many if not most printer owners don't even know that they exist," said Roxanne Pinal, Product Development Manager of ValueJET. "While they are stocked in some stores, refill kits are not promoted by retailers because stores make more money from the sale of original cartridges. ValueJET is out to change all of that."
ValueJET refills are 50% less expensive than the cost of new ink cartridges. A typical refill kit contains enough supplies for two refills yet costs less than a single new cartridge. "So many people are surprised by the cost of the supplies after they buy their printer," said Pinal. "Many people stop their kids and their employees from printing in color or with heavy graphics to save money. The issue seems to be: What's the point of having an affordable printer if the ink cartridges cost you a fortune?"
Based in Los Angeles, Calif., ValueJET, Inc. is a privately held maker of supplies for ink jet printers. ValueJET products are available nationwide to printer users via ValueJET's Internet store, phone or fax. The products will also be available in stores beginning October 1, 1998. For more information, visit the company's web site at www.valuejet.com or call 1-310-573-2069.