The Many different types of Printer Cartridges

Printer cartridges could be two principal groups: inkjet cartridges / ink cartridges for inkjet printers and laser toner cartridges for laser printers. Nevertheless, these printer cartridges could be further categorized into 3 kinds, namely OEM cartridges, compatible cartridges and remanufactured cartridges.

OEM cartridges have been around in the marketplace since the beginning. OEM represents Original Equipment Manufacturer. They’re also referred to as Genuine OEM cartridges and are created by the printer manufacturers or their accredited partners. These printer cartridges carry the names from the printer manufacturers, such as Canon, Epson, Lexmark, etc. Although these ink or toner cartridges are usually of top quality, they are also very costly. Several copies of OEM replacement cartridges can in fact cost more than a low-price printer nowadays.

Compatible cartridges are specifically manufactured to fulfil or exceed OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) requirements, providing the same quality and reliability of OEM cartridges. However, they may be manufactured by third-party manufacturers and don’t carry the printer brand names as a part of the cartridge.

Compatible cartridges are merely sold at 1/2 or 1/3 of the price tag on OEM cartridges. Therefore, they’re cost-effective alternatives to expensive OEM cartridges. 100% compatible cartridges imply that these cartridges include all of the components (e.g. replacement chips) in order that they are fully compatible with the particular printer models. Replacement cartridges which are not 100% compatible can be obtained at a lower price however they may cause issues in printing.

As an example, a compatible cartridge with no new replacement chip might have problem communicating with the printer because the printer software would believe that the ink / toner are always low.
Most compatible inkjet cartridges are produced 100% brand-new, containing only new elements. Compatible toner cartridges can include both used and new components unless otherwise mentioned.

Remanufactured cartridges may also be called refurbished cartridges. They may be OEM or alternative party manufacturer’s inkjet and toner cartridges that have been through one cycle of service and have recently been recharged. Every remanufactured cartridge needs to be thoroughly cleaned, exhausted parts replaced, filled with the exact same ink formulation, and been through vigorous testing.

Remanufactured cartridges are less costly than OEM cartridges but are higher priced than compatible cartridges. They’re extremely popular among environmentally involved customers. Considering that it requires 3 quarts of oil to make a new toner cartridge, and hundreds per year are left to decompose, then the use of remanufactured ink / toner cartridges is seen to be both eco-friendly and cost effective. This means that you will be able to carry on with all your normal printing processes, without having to worry about the damage you may be causing to the planet itself.

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