A Simple Guide To The Different Types of Printer Cartridge

Buying a new printer cartridge should be as simple as popping to your local print supplies store or logging onto a website, picking up the relevant cartridge for your printer and installing it ready for immediate use when you get back home.

Unfortunately, printer cartridges – like many technologies – are subject to some mind-boggling jargon. Most people know the difference between ink cartridges and toner cartridges; ink is used in inkjet printers, toner in laser printers. But beyond this, consumers face a world of confusing product codes that make finding the right cartridge for your printer a bit of a pain.

Even worse, printer cartridges can be classified in a number of ways according to how they were manufactured and by whom. OEM, compatible, remanufactured, refilled – all of these terms describe different types of cartridge, but it’s not always clear what kind of product each term is describing.

Luckily, we’re going to explain what each of these terms mean so you can make an informed decision the next time you need to replace your printer ink or toner.

OEM

We talk a lot about OEM cartridges on the Cartridge World blog; they are the cartridges manufactured by the same company that built your printer. So HP ink cartridges would be described as the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) cartridges for an HP printer.

OEM cartridges are characterised by the high quality of print they produce, a quality that unfortunately comes at quite a high cost – the ongoing furore surrounding the cost of print cartridges mainly concerns OEM cartridges.

Compatible

Compatible cartridges are generic non-brand cartridges built to work in a particular printer at a fraction of the cost of an OEM cartridge.

Compatible cartridges are a good choice for the money-conscious consumer, although you won’t get the same print quality as you would from an OEM cartridge. That’s not to say that compatible cartridges aren’t any good, though; in fact, compatible cartridges will suit the needs of all but the most demanding of users.

Remanufactured

A lot of people think that remanufactured and compatible cartridges are one and the same, but there is a fundamental difference; compatible cartridges are built from scratch, whereas remanufactured cartridges are used cartridges renovated with new parts.

Remanufactured toner cartridges are an environmentally-friendly and cost-effective printing solution, and one of the printing products we at Cartridge World specialise in.

Although there is some scepticism regarding the quality of remanufactured products, remanufacturers such as ourselves invest many hours ensuring that the toner we use is as close to the OEM toner as is possible. This means you get an almost-equivalent quality for a fraction of the cost!

Refill

Another common area of confusion, refilled cartridges are not the same as remanufactured cartridges. Remanufacturing involves replacing worn parts of a cartridge to get it back to working order, whereas refilling a cartridge simply involves refilling spent ink.

As such, refilling your ink cartridge is the cheapest option available. It’s also the most environmentally-friendly, with no need to waste materials or assemble new parts. Refills can be carried out at home using a home refill kit, although professional refill services like those offered by Cartridge World will often do a better job (and save your cream carpets from an unexpected ink spill!).

For more information on the range of printer cartridge solutions we offer at Cartridge World, browse our site or visit your local Cartridge World store!

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