We've all been there - the essential item is rolling off the printer when, of course, the ink runs out after what seems an impossibly short cartridge life.

The solution is an inconvenient trip to the shops for more cartridges and the handing over of what seems like more money than the printer cost.

That's because, sometimes, it does. For example, it can take up to six cartridges of ink to get through a single ream of copy paper. That's $200 worth of ink - pretty significant when you can buy a printer for less than $30.

The cost of cartridges and the speed with which they run out has long been a bugbear of many home printer users. Ink seems to always run out at the most inopportune time - the day your essay's due, when you're printing an urgent contract or last-minute invites to your kid's party.

Used printer cartridges are also a pain to dispose of. They can be recycled but this often means arranging a pick-up from a specialised recycling service - and they just end up in the local landfill.

Epson's EcoTank printers, rather than requiring external cartridges, have an integrated high-capacity tank. The ink in the tank can last up to two years; the tank can be re-filled for only $19.99 per colour.

Epson New Zealand general manager Simon Rogers says the EcoTank represents a real step forward in the world of personal printing.

"They have two key advantages over traditional printers - they are more convenient and represent unbeatable value," he says.

The printers in the EcoTank series (there are five all up) range from $199 for the print-only model to a $749 multifunctional version. All come with approximately two years' supply of ink. The printing process is exactly the same as traditional printers.

While cheap printers are an excellent option for some, investing in an EcoTank printer is likely to save money in the long term.

"With cartridges, the cost of printing can be as much as 20 cents a page for colour printing," Rogers says. "With the EcoTank printers you are looking at less than one cent a page."

Snap-happy smart phone users who like to have paper evidence of their digital pictures have been delighted with the EcoTank range since it first launched two years ago. Small business owners and students who require colour graphs and tables have also found the ink longevity extremely useful.

The environmental benefits of the new printers are also compelling: "Eliminating cartridges means that you produce far less in the way of plastic disposable items," Rogers says.

EcoTank printers also prevent artificially inflated turnover of cartridge printers.

"People may not think about this but, as the hardware is so cheap to buy and cartridges comparatively expensive, people may choose to buy new printers instead of replacement cartridges."

EcoTank printers were introduced to the New Zealand market two years ago and have been steadily gaining market share. Over 15,000,000 EcoTank printers have been sold internationally, making them the fastest-growing category in many markets.

While they are more expensive to buy initially, Rogers believes many people will be drawn to the convenience and value they represent in the long term.

"Traditional printers are extremely cost-effective to purchase initially, and that will always appeal to some people," he says.

"But EcoTank printers overcome the most common complaints we have about traditional printers - the speed with which they run out of ink and the ongoing cost of purchasing cartridges. For many people they represent an excellent alternative to traditional printers."