I mostly use Tesco Value brand white copier paper with my HP all-in-one printer, but I wonder if there is any disadvantage in using cheap paper, does it absorb more ink for instance? Because ink cartridges are so expensive I sometimes use recycled ones, does this matter? Juliet Davis, by email  When it comes to printer paper it’s a case of suck it and see, and don’t be afraid to experiment with the printer settings for paper type and print quality; Draft mode, for example, uses significantly less ink. The point is if you are getting acceptable results on cheap paper then by all means continue to use it. Paper absorbency doesn’t have any impact on ink consumption, but it can affect the sharpness of printed characters.  You will notice a much bigger variation in quality on photo papers and in my experience the cheaper variety does tend to produce inferior results. There is a good case for matching brands, so if you use original HP cartridges you are likely to get sharper images and more accurate colours with HP’s own brand paper, which is optimised for its own ink formulations. But again, try different makes and when you find one that works for you, stick with it.  Recycled or compatible cartridges and ink refills can save you money, and I would have no hesitation in using them on most HP models, and other makes where the print head is built into the ink cartridge. If you are unlucky and the print head clogs then you can just throw the cartridge away, no harm done. However, on printers where the head is an integral part of the printer a blockage caused by a cheap compatible cartridge or refill ink can be fatal.  If it can’t be cleared with a cleaning cycle or a cleaner cartridge the head may be permanently blocked in which case it will have to be replaced and this normally costs more than the printer is worth.
A reader asks Rick Maybury whether using budget paper and cartridges has a   discernible effect on quality.