A contraption that contains or encases the ink, an inkjet cartridge comes in different combinations. With the proliferation of models of inkjet printers from various manufacturers, inkjet cartridges also come as separate black and color cartridges, black and color ink in one cartridge, and ink tanks for every ink color. An ink tank of several inkjet printers houses the control circuitry, which decodes the information transmitted from the computer to the printer, and the print head, wherein the nozzles are located.

Only a handful of companies supply printers with a built-in print head. The print head of some inkjet printer models are already incorporated and fixed inside the printer itself. The good thing about this is that a user need not replace the print head every time the ink runs out. On the other hand, the entire printer should be replaced or repaired once the print head itself is damaged.

By and large, a print head is connected to detachable and replaceable ink tanks. Most models of up-to-date inkjet printers are designed with this kind of setting. Unlike in a printer with a fixed print head designwherein the entire printer has to be replaced if brokenthis inkjet technology is not as costly since a user can just purchase a new cartridge if the print head breaks down. However, when the inkjet cartridge frays or runs out of ink, the whole cartridge should be replaced. A brand-name inkjet cartridge costs more than a laser cartridge, which makes inkjet printers costly and difficult to maintain and operate. However, cost-conscious consumers today have opted for compatible standard inkjet cartridges or make use of refill kits. These cheaper alternative ink tanks and refill sets or remanufacturing services appeal to economical computer-users but not to selected printer makers.