i did look into the more expensive ones but i'm on a very tight budget so i spose i get what i pay for but the money i've saved just using this one has made it worth getting in the first place.
i print lots of photo's every day and kill a printer every year and a half to 2 years so i cant realy complain to much but just seemed weird that only the black has stopped working.
i mite give it another go in the morning now i've been pocking it and prodding it. just my luck it will start to work and the new one wont be needed but its worth having as a spare.
thanks for your surgestions and help. always better to have a few people trying to work it out as one person can miss the most obvious things sometimes..