There are many types of printers, even more, types of cartridges. But ink is not the same in all cartridges. Therefore, before purchasing a cartridge, it is very important to check its compatibility with the printer you are using.
As per OEM, when you want to buy a cartridge that should work properly, you should purchase original cartridges from the same printer manufacturer. But this is not the best choice as they are very expensive. Therefore, people prefer to move to a remanufactured or compatible cartridge as the best option.
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Let’s discuss some more ways to choose a perfect ink cartridge:
1. Know Your Printer Cartridge Requirement
When buying cartridges, it should be borne in mind the type of printer, model or the print technology you are going to use. Basically, there are two types of printer i.e. inkjet printer and the laser printers prevailing in the market.
Inkjet cartridges work with liquid ink which is displayed on paper and instantly dry and fixed in the form of letters or images. Whereas laser cartridges work on the basis of the powder that contains inside the cartridge. The powder is similar in colour to coal, which is fixed on the sheet due to the heating of the paper.
2. Types of Printer Cartridges
- Original: These cartridges should be chosen according to the name and model of the printer. These have and long-lasting work that can only be achieved with original components. Original cartridges are produced strictly according to the technology that underlies the manufacture of licensed analogues. Original cartridges are made by the same companies that produce printers too. Therefore, the compatibility of consumables is warranted by the manufacturer.
- Compatible: Producers of joint cartridges are the third-party manufacturer. In this manufacturing process, they use cheaper technologies that make it difficult to achieve fine quality print results. For people who have a priority in the price, such cartridges are a godsend. They are perfect for printing a small number of documents, since refilling cartridges are quite fast.
- Refilled: Typically, these types of cartridges are refilled by experts in private workshops. So, purchasing these cartridges can save you many dollars. But, here you not only have to cooperate with bad quality but also, chances get worse to buy a new printer.
3. Check the Colour or Black Cartridges
Before you buy an inkjet or laser cartridge, you should understand exactly which cartridge is needed and under what colours. As cartridges are usually very similar, whether jet or laser. But, there can be a big surprise if you see that the purchased ink cartridge and it does not fit on arrival. Even though it looks identical to your previous one. So, in this case, you must check your cartridge model properly.
4. Look into Cartridge Life
The cartridge life is represented by the number of pages it can print. Basically, the longer the cartridge life, the better it is to purchase. So, when you are going to buy a printer cartridge, check its life on the packing cover. Almost all big brands offer the same life of their cartridge but if you consider the compatible or refilling option, then be ready for the lessen life and lack of quality.
5. Cartridge design
Different brands design their own cartridges for their printer. Some install printhead in the cartridge like Lexmark and HP whereas others put it separately like Epson and Canon. In the first case, the cartridge bears a high cost and such printers are perfect for the long-run use. Moreover, these are perfect to save user’s time and money. For the laster design printer, if any issue arises to the printer head, then it’s better to replace the printer with new. As the cost of the printhead is almost equal to the cost of a new one. Therefore, while choosing a printer cartridge, you must consider its design.
Some Golden Tips
Set Your Budget
Before going to buy the printer, it is essential to make room for your spending. If you have enough budget then you can also buy cartridge in bulk to save time and money. As many online and offline dealers offer cartridges at very high discount rates. But if you have a short budget, then you can buy a single cartridge but prefer to buy original only. As original provides value to their cost.
Many people in order to acquire ink cartridge at less price, visit the unauthorised stores. These dealers sell their non-branded products at very nominal. But in the later stage, you have to compromise with quality. Which is not good to represent your business reports, presentation, school assignments or to showcase many more documents. So, always buy a cartridge from authorised and licenced dealer only.
Bottom Line
When buying consumables for your printer, one can easily mistake terminology and purchase an unnecessary product that cannot be used in your printer. This can become a big problem as no seller will agree to refund you for the purchase. So, you must look into the above tips carefully to get your desired printer cartridge.
Featured image source: Freepik
