Refill kits – how it began

There’s no real point in telling you the whole story behind the origins of the ink refill kit; you know it already.
How to print without going broke?

However, the original concept started back in 1995 when a chemical engineer and an IT expert decided they’d had enough of their everyday computer troubles – and especially those linked to printing and the consumption of ink which, even in those days, made it necessary to look for less costly ways of doing the job.

The development

All our kits have been carefully developed in our workshops and laboratories.
Each of the inks is tested to suit the printer for which it has been developed.
Each kit that we deliver is accompanied by a carefully studied user’s guide with a detailed description for handling.
Our laboratories test practically every printer that comes on the market. This is why there is often a delay between the launch of a new printer and the marketing of our refills.
Unfortunately, not all printers use refillable ink cartridges. Some protect themselves by means of added electronics (e.g. a printed circuit) that prevent cartridges from being refilled. This type of practice leads to waste and the subsequent pollution of the environment, which can be avoided if refillable cartridges are used. But these are not the only points in our favour, especially if we examine the cost that it represents to the end user and, with this in mind, can we really speak of « progress » ?
Every product that we put on the market is in itself a sign of quality and of a perfectly controlled technology.
Once the feasibility tests have been completed, we must obviously monitor the cost effectiveness of each product. But, even so, with the price of brand cartridges as they stand, we run little risk of marketing a refill kit which is more expensive than the “original” solution.

A universal kit?

Crab Chemical has been a forerunner in the inkjet market since 1996 and our experience has shown us that no standard product can be developed which is able to be adapted to the wide range of inkjet printers available. Each make of printer has its own specific characteristics and within the range of each make there can also be quite a number of variables to be taken into consideration (type of ink: pigmented, tinted, oil-based etc.).

Our commitment

As a final word, we commit ourselves to providing the most well-adapted solution along with a top-quality service and a carefully calculated cost effectiveness. Quality is our keyword and this is made feasible by the fact that you know what your needs actually are and that we are always ready to listen to you. We have always offered the guarantee that any page printed using one of our refills is of a quality which is at least equivalent to that of the same page printed using the original brand cartridge.
We might also add, and with no false modesty, that our products are all assembled in France using components from EEC countries only (France, United Kingdom, Italy, Denmark).
Our success over the last 8 years is the proof of the soundness of our approach.

Thank you for putting your trust in us ! John Sauvegrain