I've got a Dell A720 printer and on the whole I'm pleased with it. The only problem is the cost of replacement ink cartridges, Dell seem to have the market to themselves.

Dell printers are manufactured by Lexmark and seem to be almost identical to Lexmark models but take slightly different ink cartridges.

After a bit of research I found it was very easy to modify my A720 printer to accept the cheaper and more readily available Lexmark cartridges. The A720 uses the same cartridges as the Dell 720 and Dell A920 so this would work for those models too.

The A940 and A960 printers seem to use very similar cartridges and so my modification should work for them too, but the cartridge numbers are different so if you do the modification make sure you get the right cartridges for these models.

Let's compare Dell and Lexmark ink cartridges. The difference between them (apart from their colour) is the cut outs on the top moulding. The Dell has a corner cut off, the Lexmark an indentation.

Now lets take a look at the printer. If we open the sprung covers that hold the cartridges in place. Look closely at the underside and you will see a spigot on the cover that misses the raised part on the cartridge top when it is closed up. It would hit the top of a Lexmark cartridge, stopping the lid being closed.

Adapting the machine to take Lexmark cartridges is simplicity itself. All you need to do is hold the cover firmly and grasp the spigot with a pair of pliers and gently twist it. It will easily twist off. You can now drop the correct Lexmark cartridge in and close the lid.

If you are adapting a Dell A720, 720 or A920 the correct Lexmark cartridges to buy are the 16 black and 26 colour, or the 17 black and 27 colour. The only difference is the 17 and 27 have less ink in them than the 16 and 26.

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