Top products in the Market
Top products in the Market
Top ink cartridges for HP, Canon, and Epson, OEM originals, high-yield XL options, and photo packs reviewed on Amazon Australia.
Printer ink remains one of the most frequently purchased consumable products in Australia, yet it's one of the least understood. Running out of ink at the wrong time is frustrating, but buying the wrong cartridge, or a poor-quality third-party option, can cause clogged printheads, inaccurate colours, and even printer damage. This guide cuts through the confusion with ranked picks covering Canon, HP, and Epson cartridges across different printer families.
Whether you need a single genuine OEM black cartridge for occasional printing, a full high-yield CMYK pack for a busy home office, or a photo ink-and-paper combo for your SELPHY printer, we've got the right recommendation below. All 10 products are currently available on Amazon Australia with fast domestic delivery.
Best for: Ideal for budget-conscious home users needing consistent, quality prints.
Best for: Perfect for families needing reliable printing for everyday documents.
Best for: Great for small businesses needing high-volume, quality printing solutions.
Best for: Suitable for home users with diverse printing needs across multiple Brother devices.
Best for: Ideal for professionals looking for reliable, high-volume printing solutions.
Best for: Great for casual users who need reliable prints without a hassle.
Best for: Perfect for home users who demand consistent, high-quality black prints.
Best for: Ideal for users who want vibrant color prints without compromising quality.
Best for: Great for budget-conscious users needing reliable performance from their Brother printers.
Best for: Ideal for small offices needing reliable black and white printing.
Quality compatible cartridges from reputable third-party brands produce results that are difficult to distinguish from OEM for everyday document printing. The main risk with budget no-name cartridges is inconsistent ink formulation, which can cause head clogs, colour inaccuracy, and in rare cases void printer warranties if they leak. For photo printing where colour accuracy matters, OEM cartridges or reputable compatible brands with ICC profiles are the safer choice. High-volume document printing is where compatible cartridges offer the most cost savings without meaningful quality trade-offs.
Print head cleaning should be performed when you notice streaks, missing lines, or faded areas in prints. Running cleaning cycles too frequently wastes ink without benefit. If a printer sits unused for several weeks, ink can dry in the nozzles and a cleaning cycle is necessary before the first print. Keeping the printer in regular use, printing at least a test page weekly, is the best way to prevent clogs. For long periods of non-use, sealing the printer in a bag with the cartridges removed (for removable cartridge models) can prevent drying.
For photo printing, use paper specifically designed for inkjet photo printing with a weight of 200-300 gsm. Glossy paper produces vibrant, high-contrast results suitable for standard photos. Lustre or satin finish paper reduces glare and is popular for portrait photography. Matte photo paper suits artistic prints and pencil sketches. Avoid standard 80 gsm office paper for photos as it absorbs ink unevenly and colours will appear dull. Matching the paper to your printer's ICC profile settings ensures the most accurate colour output.
Yes, DIY refilling is possible and significantly reduces cost per page. Compatible bulk inks are available for most popular printer models. The main challenges are avoiding air bubbles during filling (which cause streaks), handling ink spillage carefully, and dealing with printers that track cartridge chip levels and warn of low ink even after refilling. Chip-resetting tools are available for many models. Refilling works best with printers that have separate ink tanks (like Epson EcoTank) or single-colour cartridges rather than combined colour units.