I've been making my own "One Shots" that i wanted to have as "Off the shelf" good to go at any time. This is great for have the maps also ready on the fly. Thanks! Will be doing this!
I think that's what I like most about the 'print & paste' technique. The stuff I'm making now still matches the stuff I did several years ago (aside from a few minor colour differences due to different printers/papers/inks).
Love the design! I've printed your tiles at 2-pages-per-1-page scale, then mounted them on self-adhesive magnetic sheets (with the magnetic side up), so extra bits of terrain can be added or removed at will, while staying in place. They're just what I needed for my portable skirmish games, so thank you!
Well it'd be the same principle ...just plan out what fits inside (sometimes adding in a few extra bits to fill up wasted space ;) ), and then write the adventure around that (that's how I'm approaching this kind of thing). Though, admittedly - I don't have any cool walls yet (just the texture in the 'modifications' pdf - which I'm not really happy with). But yeah ...I really do need to do more sci-fi stuff - but I'm stuck in 'fantasy mode' at the moment (as you can probably tell :D ).
It might be a tiny bit gimmicky ...but it's fun gimmick nonetheless :) I also did a similar 'encounter in a box' here (if that's of interest as well): czcams.com/video/sUgpCigHMWM/video.html I get to it after about two and a half minutes if you want to skip ahead ;)
Yeah ...I might do a few little 'one-shot' boxes in the near future. (also ...we need to get the current challenge finished first ...but that's not a bad idea :) )
Great idea! Not only is it practical but it's also something you could sale if you wanted. I'd easily pay $10 (USD) for a dungeon in a box like this without hesitation.
Hand making them for sale (via etsy for example) wouldn't be viable - but it would be cool if something like this were available commercially (maybe with a one-page-adventure and a few flat/2D mini's thrown in ). Unfortunately, I don't have the business savvy (or the upfront capital) to do that kind of thing :( But luckily I'm a DIY D&D channel - so hopefully it will inspire a few folks to make their own :D
@@CrookedStaffTerrain If you;d ever like to explore that feel free to reach out, I've got more than a few connections and have owned my own business at one point (sold out when the price was right).
These were a great idea and should be quite useful. One could easily adapt it to other sizes and, even other terrain types such as the village or sci-fi, with a little work.
Yeah, the idea isn't necessarily to make this exact dungeon (though you can of course :D ...I might do a little write-up for it) - but more to get the idea out there :) (because, like you say, I think there is potential here for several 'boxes' to be sitting on folks' shelves). That's my hope at least :)
Yeah. I think I'm going to have a go at making a few of these - for that very purpose (i.e. get a bunch ready for when things eventually get back to normal ;) )
@@CrookedStaffTerrain we'll get back to "normal", just have to hold out a little longer. I've been slacking off in the craft department, but that will turn around soon, I'm good for a couple of crafting slumps each year. lol Meanwhile, keep throwing out whatever ideas you can, I'll need something to work on.
Love your videos, despite I'll never have enough time or patience to make these things myself. But they are amazing and beautiful. If you ever start selling them, let me know.
@@CrookedStaffTerrain Absolutely, yes. If I were still a student, I'd probably go and follow your quite clear and easy instructions. But it still takes some hours, doesn't it?
@@LemuriaGames To build it all would take some time - but you can get a basic tile set done in an evening, and then take it from there. But yeah - that is my worry now. If someone has been watching from the beginning, and building along with me, it's just been a few hours her and a few hours there (so it hasn't seemed a lot). In contrast, if someone discovers the channel now (with nearly 50 episodes), I can understand why it might seem a little overwhelming.
Yeah ...I might have to give the outside of the box a coat of mod-podge (to toughen it up a bit) ...and hope that it doesn't smudge the ink too much :S
Perhaps some of that self-adhesive film you can buy from good stationers would work, without the risk of smudging. Like the stuff I used to cover my school textbooks with back in...well, a little while ago.
The main reason is because when I glue the thin cardboard to the ends - the width of the cardboard is still visible (but because it's so thin you don't really notice it). If I glued the thick cardboard on the ends, the exposed corrugation would be visible (and much more noticeable). You could, of course, trim the corrugated cardboard in such a way that it's not so bad - but I generally go for the quickest option (as I'm a bit lazy ;) ). Anyway, I hope that made sense :)
Why make the box from scratch? Just glue the textures on a shoe box other similar packing boxes. Your might have to adjust your stair height, but that shouldn't be to difficult. Also, add texture to the inside of the box and lid to make a two rooms with four sides for more variety.
It's mainly because most of my textures come in 1" squares (and the walls are 2" high) - so I just found it easier to make the box the 'right' size rather than trying to resize (or patch together) the textures to fit. I did consider it though - but this was the easier option for me :) (though YMMV of course ;) ).
@@CrookedStaffTerrain: Tell the truth, you already cut up your boxes, didn't ya! 😁 Actually, looking around, I have very few boxes that will work as is, and they they are being used for other stuff, so making a custom box is probably easier.
I do have a couple of collapsed/intact boxes - buy you are right - most of them are either being used or have been cut up for storage/future terrain :)
The red bricks? if so there is a small section of that texture here: www.drivethrurpg.com/product/315909/Print--Paste-Dungeon-textures-Community-Challenge
Good "outside the box" thinking to realise that the squares on the lid don't have to match exactly with the rest of the set. 5% shouldn't bother anybody.
I wish I could do this type of thing, I miss my color printer (made all sorts of cool props with it) but the ink just got too expensive ($60 per cartridge). So I switch to laser and toner (B&W only). :(
Yeah, cartridges can become expensive if you're printing a lot (like I do). However, I buy cheap kits that allow me to refill them myself (I think my last one cost less than £20, and that's lasted a couple of years at least... though you can only refill a cartridges around a half-a-dozen times before they die completely - but it's still quite a saving).
That’s such a great idea keeping it all self contained and easy to store. 10/10 👍
Thanks :) ...and yeah, I might make a few of these ...as it doesn't hurt to have a few one-shots on hand :)
That was some Tetris level packing at the end. Just when I thought you were done... *nope* ...one more! :)
I did consider what would and wouldn't fit when making it all - as I wanted to cram in as much as possible :D
I've been making my own "One Shots" that i wanted to have as "Off the shelf" good to go at any time. This is great for have the maps also ready on the fly. Thanks! Will be doing this!
No probs (hope it goes well if you do try this out).
You do not fail to provide quality content and quality builds. I wish i had same level of consistency in my builds and cohesion between them.
I think that's what I like most about the 'print & paste' technique. The stuff I'm making now still matches the stuff I did several years ago (aside from a few minor colour differences due to different printers/papers/inks).
Love the design! I've printed your tiles at 2-pages-per-1-page scale, then mounted them on self-adhesive magnetic sheets (with the magnetic side up), so extra bits of terrain can be added or removed at will, while staying in place. They're just what I needed for my portable skirmish games, so thank you!
Nice. I have a similar thing planned for magnetic walls (to add bits of decoration ...like pictures and stuff) - hopefully it'll turn out ok :)
That's awesome!! Way to think outside the box!!
...or inside the box ;)
Cool idea!!! Thanks for showing how you pack it all in.
Beaut and clev.👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 nicely packed and very modular.👍👍👍👍👍
:) Glad you liked it :)
@@CrookedStaffTerrain quoting Wonder Woman sequel: life is good. but it can be better.
Pretty darn clever Kris!! Great job. Really got em all tucked away in there! Thanks for the video/idea!
No problem. Glad you liked it!
This is perfect. Love how you did this... you need to make more of these mini dungeon box videos.
Thanks :) (though the video was mainly to get the idea out there - so folks could have a go at making their own ...but I may well do that ;) ).
thanks for the idea. It keeps a one shot adventure nice and handy.
No probs :)
So awesome how well the pieces fit inside.
I did play a lot of tetris back in the day ;)
It was so satisfying watching you put all those pieces away! Great video! - Jill
I did ramble on a bit through that entire sequence though :S
@@CrookedStaffTerrain You've got an excellent voice to listen to, I didn't even notice if you were rambling! haha -Jill
Excellent idea. Very smart looking as well.
Thanks :) :) :)
I'm actually floored by this. Nice and neat, keep up the great work my friend.
Thanks ...will do!
Very satisfying to watch again, how all fits perfectly in da box xD
Finally! Found a great and awesome dungeon in a box. Thanks!
No probs :)
Something like this for the sci fi tiles would be awesome!! Some more sci fi tiles would be cool as well
Well it'd be the same principle ...just plan out what fits inside (sometimes adding in a few extra bits to fill up wasted space ;) ), and then write the adventure around that (that's how I'm approaching this kind of thing). Though, admittedly - I don't have any cool walls yet (just the texture in the 'modifications' pdf - which I'm not really happy with).
But yeah ...I really do need to do more sci-fi stuff - but I'm stuck in 'fantasy mode' at the moment (as you can probably tell :D ).
Bot only do you sound like the nicest guy ever,but this is such a great idea!
Thanks. Glad you liked the idea (I might actually make a few more of these ...for when I'm able to run a few games at the FLGS).
That's Brilliant!! Great job!
:) Thanks!
Man, you are a genius.
I don't know about that, but I'm glad you liked the video :D
I absolutely love this! I need to make something like this. Absolutely love your tiles!
Glad you enjoyed the vid :)
I think I need to make a few more (each one a different dungeon) myself!
This so simple yet so brilliant ! I would add some clear adhesive paper to protect the box.
Yeah. I probably should have done that first (i.e. before gluing it all together).
Might have to test to see if applying a coat of mod-podge will work now that it's all been put together).
@@CrookedStaffTerrain test it on some spare piece. So the pretty box won’t be ruined.
I absolutely love this concept.
It might be a tiny bit gimmicky ...but it's fun gimmick nonetheless :)
I also did a similar 'encounter in a box' here (if that's of interest as well):
czcams.com/video/sUgpCigHMWM/video.html
I get to it after about two and a half minutes if you want to skip ahead ;)
Shoebox dungeon, what a wonderful idea! Really enjoyed the video, hope to see more in the future. Your creativity is inspiring.
Thanks for the kind words. Glad you enjoyed the vid!
Just to help myself out, I have been keeping a list for reference purposes. I thought I'd share it here for others.
*"The Crooked Staff Terrain Information"*
NOTE - some titles 'adjusted' and/or grouped for relevance, space, etc..
List is compiled to know exactly which files are needed for which type of terrain presented in each episode video.
*Dungeon Tiles & Related*
Episode number _ Name
Print & Paste PDF Files Needed
Episode 1 _ Basic (2.5D) Dungeon Tiles
Episode 1.5 _ Tips #1
**Quick Craft_ Narrow Passages (dungeon tiles)
Dungeon_textures_Floors_&_Walls
Episode 2 _ Dungeon Pillars
Episode 2.5 _ Tips #2
Dungeon_textures_Pillars
Episode 3 _ Barrels & Sacks
Episode 3.5 _ Tips #3
Dungeon_textures_Barrels_&_Sacks
Episode 4 _ Additional Doorways
Episode 24 _ Special Doorways
Dungeon_textures_Additional_Doors
Dungeon_textures_Special_Doorways
Episode 5 _ Crypts & Tombs
Dungeon_textures_Crypts_&_Tombs
Episode 6 _ Shelves & Cupboards
Episode 6.5 _ Tips #4
Dungeon_textures_Shelves_&_Cupboards
Episode 7 _ Alternative Dungeon Floor Tiles
Dungeon_textures_Alternative_Floors
Episode 8 _ 2.5D Cave Tiles
Dungeon_textures_Cave_Tiles
Episode 9 _ 2.5D Cavern Features
Dungeon_textures_Cavern_Features
Episode 9.5 _ Tips #5
Dungeon_textures_Cave_Tiles
Dungeon_textures_Cavern_Features
Episode 10 _ Decorative Floor Tiles and Inserts
Dungeon_textures_Decorative_Floors
Episode 11 _ Trees (wilderness terrain)
Wilderness_Textures_Trees
Episode 11.5 _ Tips & Tricks #6 _ Wilderness scatter
Wilderness_Textures_Trees
Dungeon_textures_Cave_Tiles
Dungeon_textures_Cavern_Features
Episode 12.1 _ Bones & Statues
Episode 12.2 _ Bones & Statues
Dungeon_textures_Bones_&_Statues
Episode 12.5 _ Tips & Tricks #7 _ Bonus Material
Dungeon_textures_Mods_&_Requests
Episode 13 _ Books, Scrolls & Potions
Dungeon_textures_Books_Scrolls_&_Potions
Episode 14 _ Rusty Metal
Dungeon_textures_Rusty_Metal
Episode 15 _ Alcoves & Niches
Dungeon_textures_Alcoves_&_Niches
Episode 16 _ 2.5D Sewer Tiles
Dungeon_textures_Sewer_Tiles
Episode 17 _ Sewer Accessories
Dungeon_textures_Sewer_Accessories
Episode 17.5 _ Tips & Tricks #8 _ Making Twig Blight Miniatures
Wilderness_Textures_Trees
Episode 18 _ Make your own goblin miniatures
Miniatures_Goblins
Episode 19 _ Chests & Crates
Dungeon_textures_Chests_&_Crates
Episode 20 _ Beds
Dungeon_textures_Beds
Episode 20.5 _ Tips & Tricks #10 _ Burial Shrouds
Dungeon_textures_Pillars
Dungeon_textures_Mods_&_Requests
Episode 20.5 _ Tips & Tricks #11 Capstan_Winch
Dungeon_textures_Beds
Episode 21 _ Broken Talisman (player handout)
Handouts_and_Props_Broken_Talisman
Episode 25 _ Fireplace
Dungeon_textures_Fireplace
Episode 27 _ Pools & Wells
Episode 27 _ Tips & Tricks #12 Pools & Wells
Dungeon_textures_Pools_&_Wells
Episode 29 _ Creature Comforts
Dungeon_Textures_Creature_Comforts
Episode 30 _ Multi-level Rooms
Dungeon_Textures_Multi_level_Rooms
Episode 31 _ Make your own Stirge miniatures
Print_&_Paste_Miniatures_Stirges
Episode 32 _ Irregular Passages & Circular Rooms
Print_&_Paste_Irregular_Passages_&_Circular_Rooms
Episode 33.1 _ Wheels, Looms, and Stoves - Spinning Wheel
Episode 33.1 _ Wheels, Looms, and Stoves - Looms and Stoves
Dungeon_textures_Wheels_Looms_&_Stoves
Episode 34 _ Decorative Walls (dungeon terrain)
Dungeon_textures_Decorative_Walls
Episode 35 _ Spiral Stairs (dungeon tiles)
Dungeon_textures_Spiral_Stairs
Episode 36 _ Coffins & Shrouds ...and mummies!
Dungeon_Textures_Coffins_&_Shrouds
episode 37 _ Skull Decoration (dungeon terrain)
Dungeon_Textures_Skull_Decoration
**Quick Craft_ platform _ dais (dungeon terrain)
chosen to taste or as needed - Dungeon_Textures
Episode 38_ Rubble Piles (dungeon terrain)
Dungeon_textures_Rubble_Piles
Episode 39_ Mine Tiles
Dungeon_textures_Mine_Tiles
Episode 40_ Mine Accessories
Dungeon_textures_Mine_Accessories
Episode 41_ Mine Walls (dungeon terrain)
Dungeon_textures_Mine_Walls
Episode 42_ Puzzle Handout
Handouts_and_Props_Puzzle_Handout
Episode 42.1_ Puzzle Handout add on (Quick Craft)
Handouts_and_Props_Puzzle_Handout_bronze_plaque
-> Answers is Stars, Swords, Sails, Stairs
Episode 43_ Cottage Walls (RPG Terrain)
Village_textures_Cottage_Walls
Episode 44_ Rooves (rpg _ wargame terrain)
Village_textures_Rooves
Episode 45_ Sheds & Barns (28mm terrain)
Village_textures_Sheds_&_Barns
Episode 46 _ House Decoration
Village_textures_House_Decoration
Episode 47 _ Light-up Magic Circle (dungeon tiles)
Dungeon_Textures_Magic_Circle
Episode 48 _ Tea Light Brazier (dungeon terrain)
Dungeon_Textures_Tealight_Braziers
Episode 48.1 _ Tips & Tricks #13 _ Mini-dungeon ...in a box!
Dungeon_textures_Mods_&_Requests
*Sci-Fi Tiles & Related*
Episode number _ Name
Print & Paste PDF Files Needed
Episode 22 _ Make your own sci-fi tiles
Sci-Fi_Terrain_Floors_&_Doors
Episode 22.5 _ Tips & Tricks #9 : Adding 2.5D walls to the sci-fi tiles
Dungeon_textures_Mods_&_Requests (page 7)
Episode 23 _ Barrels, crates, and canisters
Sci-Fi_Terrain_Barrels_Crates_&_Canisters
Episode 26 _ Stasis Chambers
Sci-Fi_Terrain_Stasis_Chambers
Episode 28 _ Consoles & Terminals
Sci_Fi_Terrain_Consoles_&_Terminals
Ingeniously convenient.
:)
Absolutely brilliant 🤩👍
Cheers! :)
Well this is geniously brilliant! Love this so much.
Thanks. Glad you liked it :)
Great idea for quick dungeon! :)
Thanks :)
What a great idea! Thanks!
Thanks ...and no probs :)
Damn - just saw your video! Wow, just wow. Subscribed!
Thanks for the Sub. Here's hoping you can find a use for some of this stuff :)
Love it. You should make several boxes. And we should make boxes as community challenge. :P
Yeah ...I might do a few little 'one-shot' boxes in the near future.
(also ...we need to get the current challenge finished first ...but that's not a bad idea :) )
Great idea! Not only is it practical but it's also something you could sale if you wanted. I'd easily pay $10 (USD) for a dungeon in a box like this without hesitation.
Hand making them for sale (via etsy for example) wouldn't be viable - but it would be cool if something like this were available commercially (maybe with a one-page-adventure and a few flat/2D mini's thrown in ). Unfortunately, I don't have the business savvy (or the upfront capital) to do that kind of thing :(
But luckily I'm a DIY D&D channel - so hopefully it will inspire a few folks to make their own :D
@@CrookedStaffTerrain If you;d ever like to explore that feel free to reach out, I've got more than a few connections and have owned my own business at one point (sold out when the price was right).
Brilliant idea. Well met!
Cheers John :)
Sometimes thinking inside the box works out!
Cheers for yet another useful video 👍
Indeed! (and no problem :) )
These were a great idea and should be quite useful. One could easily adapt it to other sizes and, even other terrain types such as the village or sci-fi, with a little work.
Yeah, the idea isn't necessarily to make this exact dungeon (though you can of course :D ...I might do a little write-up for it) - but more to get the idea out there :) (because, like you say, I think there is potential here for several 'boxes' to be sitting on folks' shelves). That's my hope at least :)
How fun! Thanks for sharing :)
No probs!
This is so cool
Sweet idea, and having a bunch of these handy would have made gaming at the FLGS a lot easier if I had thought of it back in the pre-Covid times. lol
Yeah. I think I'm going to have a go at making a few of these - for that very purpose (i.e. get a bunch ready for when things eventually get back to normal ;) )
@@CrookedStaffTerrain we'll get back to "normal", just have to hold out a little longer. I've been slacking off in the craft department, but that will turn around soon, I'm good for a couple of crafting slumps each year. lol Meanwhile, keep throwing out whatever ideas you can, I'll need something to work on.
Genius. Brilliant!
Thanks!
This is fantastic!
Inspiring as always! Thank you for all of your effort
No probs :)
This is a really cool idea
Glad you like it!
Love this idea!
:)
rewatching some of your older videos and now i have an idea to combine this with your mini hex tiles....
Yeah, I have a similar idea for a little village in a box kinda thing: i.imgur.com/FwefLJ2.jpg
I'd call it very useful. Thank you for the ideas and inspiration!
No problem :)
Love your videos, despite I'll never have enough time or patience to make these things myself. But they are amazing and beautiful. If you ever start selling them, let me know.
Thanks for the kind words (though truth be told - most of the stuff is pretty quick & easy to make ...at least compared to regular terrain ;) ).
@@CrookedStaffTerrain Absolutely, yes. If I were still a student, I'd probably go and follow your quite clear and easy instructions. But it still takes some hours, doesn't it?
@@LemuriaGames To build it all would take some time - but you can get a basic tile set done in an evening, and then take it from there.
But yeah - that is my worry now. If someone has been watching from the beginning, and building along with me, it's just been a few hours her and a few hours there (so it hasn't seemed a lot).
In contrast, if someone discovers the channel now (with nearly 50 episodes), I can understand why it might seem a little overwhelming.
I mean at the very least it is a great storage tool but also versatile enough to keep things together for your sesions
Yeah ...I might have to give the outside of the box a coat of mod-podge (to toughen it up a bit) ...and hope that it doesn't smudge the ink too much :S
Perhaps some of that self-adhesive film you can buy from good stationers would work, without the risk of smudging. Like the stuff I used to cover my school textbooks with back in...well, a little while ago.
@@khublaklonk4480 That could work ...might need to do that before gluing it together though (as I know I'm likely to mess it up otherwise :) ).
Love it!
Awesome as always and would be a great present to a DM you know.
Hadn't thought about that :)
BRILLIANT!! A great idea for just creating terrain and storing. AMAZING share, thanks!
No probs. Glad you liked it :)
Fantastic =)
:D
It's amazing!!! Nice work. I hope more videos like this (sorry for my english i'm spanish). Un saludo!!!
Gracias :D
Do you have any idea how pleasant it was to watch you neatly arrange all those pieces inside the box? I feel so at peace now. :)
I'll take your word for it :D
Epic
:)
I just started a new campaign. I think this is an awesome idea!
Thanks! ...oh, and good luck with the campaign.
Just found your videos, nice stuff!
I'm going crazy with your switching from inches to millimetres. Just stick to cm of this size :)
What can I say ...I'm a Brit of a certain age ...it's what we do :D
I would buy one of these. Just saying
The channel is more geared towards encouraging folks to have a go at making their own :)
I like you system and your accent. Why didn't you make the shorter parts of the lid from thick cardboard instead of glueing it on the inside?
The main reason is because when I glue the thin cardboard to the ends - the width of the cardboard is still visible (but because it's so thin you don't really notice it).
If I glued the thick cardboard on the ends, the exposed corrugation would be visible (and much more noticeable).
You could, of course, trim the corrugated cardboard in such a way that it's not so bad - but I generally go for the quickest option (as I'm a bit lazy ;) ).
Anyway, I hope that made sense :)
@@CrookedStaffTerrain Yep, makes totally sense.
Why make the box from scratch? Just glue the textures on a shoe box other similar packing boxes. Your might have to adjust your stair height, but that shouldn't be to difficult.
Also, add texture to the inside of the box and lid to make a two rooms with four sides for more variety.
It's mainly because most of my textures come in 1" squares (and the walls are 2" high) - so I just found it easier to make the box the 'right' size rather than trying to resize (or patch together) the textures to fit.
I did consider it though - but this was the easier option for me :) (though YMMV of course ;) ).
@@CrookedStaffTerrain: Tell the truth, you already cut up your boxes, didn't ya! 😁
Actually, looking around, I have very few boxes that will work as is, and they they are being used for other stuff, so making a custom box is probably easier.
I do have a couple of collapsed/intact boxes - buy you are right - most of them are either being used or have been cut up for storage/future terrain :)
Great job! Where can I get a brick wall (where are the stairs with a wooden door)?)
The red bricks? if so there is a small section of that texture here: www.drivethrurpg.com/product/315909/Print--Paste-Dungeon-textures-Community-Challenge
And if you want a single wooden door - it's here: www.drivethrurpg.com/product/243848/Print--Paste-Dungeon-textures-Alternative-Floors
@@CrookedStaffTerrain Yes - red bricks! Thank you!
@@user-yq1qq1pq7n No problem :)
i own a copy of tiny epic tactics which uses a similar method why the heck didn't i think of this myself
Had to look it up - but that does look pretty cool. But yeah, I don't think it's a new idea ...it's just new to me :)
Good "outside the box" thinking to realise that the squares on the lid don't have to match exactly with the rest of the set. 5% shouldn't bother anybody.
Yeah ...if you keep it separate (like at the end of a passage - as shown in my own setup) it really doesn't matter all that much :)
I'm trying to get in contact with Crooked Staff Terrain for a specific question related to their artwork but I cannot find an e-mail address.
Just saw your FB message. I'll respond there :)
Where is the texture for that pit trap? I would love to have that available for my game.
It's in the decorative floors pdf: www.drivethrurpg.com/product/252982/Print--Paste-Dungeon-textures-Decorative-Floors
@@CrookedStaffTerrain Awesome Thanks!
I wish I could do this type of thing, I miss my color printer (made all sorts of cool props with it) but the ink just got too expensive ($60 per cartridge). So I switch to laser and toner (B&W only). :(
Yeah, cartridges can become expensive if you're printing a lot (like I do). However, I buy cheap kits that allow me to refill them myself (I think my last one cost less than £20, and that's lasted a couple of years at least... though you can only refill a cartridges around a half-a-dozen times before they die completely - but it's still quite a saving).