For most of my computer life I skimped on printer inks. Early on I discovered that pictures printed with inferior inks faded rather quickly, sometimes looking quite pathetic. My newest printer is so new that there are no generic inks for it, so I bought genuine Canon. I have not installed them yet, but I am confident the quality of color will be the best. Also, generic inks may contribute to clogged ink heads, which claimed my last printer.