Ink cartridges aren't particularly expensive, but it's still a good idea to try to get as much out of them as possible. You can increase the performance of your cartridges with some simple attention paid to your printer itself, which is what's probably causing any problems you may be having if your cartridges aren't lasting as long as it seems they should. If you're not sure about a particular brand of cartridges, just switch back to your regular manufacturer brand. Go back to Canon printer ink cartridges for your Cannon printer and to Brother printer ink cartridges for your Brother printer, for example, if you find yourself having to troubleshoot.