Brand Name Ink Printer Cartridges or Generic?
By InkPrinterCartridges. Filed in Cartridges |
One might discover that buying new, brand name, ink printer cartridges quickly becomes quite an expense. However, there are several alternative ways to obtain the same quality standard for a much lower price. Your primary options are: brand name (OEM) ink printer cartridges, compatible generic ink printer cartridges or remanufactured ink printer cartridges.
When purchasing replacement ink printer cartridges; consumers do have a choice. It is commonly believed that shoppers are required to buy the expensive, brand name, ink printer cartridges from the printer manufacturer, or the printer’s warranty will become void. This belief simply isn’t true. By law, the use of compatible replacement ink printer cartridges does not void the printer manufacturer’s warranty. In fact, you can opt to purchase less expensive compatible ink printer cartridges, or remanufactured cartridges, often with a realized savings of between 50% and 75%. All major inkjet printer cartridge brands have compatible versions, including Canon, Apple, Hewlett Packard, Brother, IBM, and Xerox.
Brand Name Ink Printer Cartridges
Most major manufacturers of printers also manufacture the replacement ink printer cartridges that are best suited for their own printers. This option is usually the most expensive, and in some cases it is the only option available if you happen to purchase a newer printer whose manufacturer embedded computer chips inside the ink printer cartridge. The purpose of this chip could be to regulate the ink flow, limit the cartridges use, or to regulate the cartridge in alignment. However, if you choose a compatible, or remanufactured, ink printer cartridge, it might not be able to communicate with the printer and can damage the printer or cause it to not work at all.
Compatible Generic Ink Printer Cartridges
When thinking about buying an ink printer cartridge for your printer, the main factor you need to consider is cost. Purchasing a new inkjet printer cartridge will depend upon how much you are willing to pay. You can buy a new brand name ink printer cartridge, or you can purchase a new compatible (generic) ink printer cartridge. Both types of inkjet printer cartridges will provide you with the same quantity, quality and performance you expect from your printer. The main difference is in cost: a brand name ink printer cartridge can easily cost around twice the price of a compatible ink printer cartridge.
Compatible (generic) ink printer cartridges are manufactured to meet OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) specifications. These manufacturers usually set very high standards of reliability and quality and also offer high quality results, often exceeding the quality specifications established by the OEM. These ink printer cartridges are manufactured with new components and are a cheaper alternative to expensive brand name ink printer cartridges.
You may also be surprised to notice that the generic compatible cartridge will print the same amount of, or more, pages than the original OEM cartridge. Mainly, this is because some original OEM ink printer cartridges are not filled to capacity. In this case, a compatible inkjet printer cartridge can give you twice the advantage: it reduces your cost per cartridge and cost per page by printing more pages.
Remanufactured Ink Printer Cartridges
As suggested by the name, remanufactured ink printer cartridges are rebuilt from empty, used cartridges. The process of remanufacturing is not only about refilling the ink printer cartridges; these cartridges are disassembled, repaired, and then are refilled with ink.
High standards in quality are maintained during the process of remanufacturing to ensure the quality of the ink and any replaced part conforms to the original equipment manufacturer’s (OEM) quality standard. These remanufacturers go through several recycling and reprocessing steps to maintain their quality, and are also tested after manufacturing in real time printing.
If processed correctly, remanufactured cartridges can easily meet, or exceed, OEM specifications.
How to Order Ink Printer Cartridges
Often, generic ink printer cartridges are the exact same ink cartridges you buy with brand name on the packaging. There are various entrepreneurs who purchase ink printer cartridges in bulk from the major manufacturers and repackage them under a different name. Because these cartridges are purchased in bulk, the entrepreneurs obtain them for a lower price, which allows them to pass the savings on to you.
When choosing which ink printer cartridge to buy, be sure to select the correct compatible or remanufactured ink cartridge for your specific printer. To minimize the chances of choosing the wrong type of ink printer cartridge, there some things that you need to be aware of prior to shopping for replacements:
You have to know the brand and model number of your printer.
You also need to know if your printer has chips embedded in the ink printer cartridges that don’t allow the use of compatible ink printer cartridges.
The internet is always a good source for buying ink printer cartridges. Thousands of customers reduce their printing costs by purchasing high quality compatible ink printer cartridges and other printer supplies online, which saves time and money. Your best option is to spend a little time comparison shopping prior to your purchase. A reputable vendor will sell only high quality replacement cartridges and offer fast shipping so there is no risk to you. After you have found a reliable merchant you can trust, be sure to order in advance and keep spare ink printer cartridges on hand.
Ink Printer Cartridge Storage
Depending upon several factors, the lifespan of an ink printer cartridge varies from a couple of months to a couple of years. The primary factor is whether the ink printer cartridge is opened or sealed. Ink printer cartridges that are sealed in the original packaging and stored in a cool dry place should last up to two years. However, the ink cartridges must be protected while in storage, because even a tiny pin prick in the packaging will break the seal causing the ink to dry out.
The lifespan of an ink printer cartridge also depends on the wear and tear it receives over the time period it’s in use. If you do high volumes of color printing, the ink printer cartridges will empty much quicker. The lifespan of ink printer cartridges can be maximized by refilling, recycling, or refurbishing them.
The ink that flows through each one of the nozzle assemblies functions as a lubricant and coolant for the nozzle so that it does not get damaged. It is of paramount importance to never attempt printing with an empty ink printer cartridge. The print head may burn out if the ink printer cartridge is not replaced, or refilled promptly. The effect of damage can range from poor quality that will be visible in the form of lines across the page, blurring, and patches of light or dark on the page. Eventually, this can be fatal for the printer.
In Summary
The choice is yours to make, however, I usually use brand name ink printer cartridges when I am printing high quality color documents, or photos, and I use compatible (generic) ink printer cartridges for other projects where the quality of color is important but photo quality isn’t required.
