It can be a little overwhelming to look at the many cartridges and supplies available for your specific printer. Just finding the right cartridge can be a challenge, but then having to choose between the different types of cartridges: OEM, Compatible, or Remanufactured add to the confusion. Here is a basic guide to the different types of printer cartridges, outlining the differences and benefits of each.

OEM Cartridges

OEM refers to “original equipment manufacturer.”, so if your printer is manufactured by Canon, they also manufacturer a cartridge to go with it. These cartridges are high quality which means you can expect good print quality - but they are generally expensive. Why?

Printer manufacturers have realized that there is more money to be made selling printer supplies than there was selling the printer itself. And so new marketing strategies unfolded - sell printers at very low margins and make long term sustainable profits selling expensive cartridges. While this strategy may sound ingenious, it has created opportunities for other companies to jump into the fray.

"Compatible" Cartridges

Compatible cartridges are the “generic car part” of the printer industry. Separate companies create their own version of the cartridge that works in your printer just like the OEM cartridge. As you might expect, some compatibles are of an inferior quality, but there are plenty of compatible printer cartridges out there that hold their ground next to their OEM counterpart.

Remanufactured Cartridges

Remanufactured cartridges started out as new OEM cartridges, but instead of throwing a perfectly usable and durable plastic shell away to sit in a landfill another company refurbishes it to be used again. A good remanufacturer will disassemble, clean, and test the cartridge before replacing any worn parts and refilling the toner. As long as the refurbishing process was thorough, these will often yield similar quality to an OEM cartridge. One advantage of using remanufactured cartridges is that it is more environmentally friendly.

Often the printer manufacturer will claim that using non-OEM cartridges may shorten the life of your printer – but that is simply not true! So it is often worth experimenting with remanufactured or compatible cartridges, as you may discover a good ink cartridges at a much cheaper cost.

There is a wide range of quality and price for ink and toner cartridges. That’s why it's so important to find a time tested provider like National In & Toner that offers only high quality OEM and compatible ink cartridges.