For the Instant Ink cartridges, I expect they test and do one or the other as needed. Too, the cartridge knows how many cycles it's run, so probably there's a t

For the Instant Ink cartridges, I expect they test and do one or the other as needed. Too, the cartridge knows how many cycles it's run, so probably there's a threshold below which the policy is to just refill and ship, and then apologetically replace in case of customer complaint. That's how I'd do it, anyway, I think - assuming at least that my analysis of the unit economics is not off base. Unfortunately, I don't know anyone in the industry to ask. Wirecutter's writers could probably find someone, which is why I wish they'd cotton on to it, but I don't wish that hard enough to go to the trouble of emailing them about it.