I’ve previously written about how expensive printer ink can be (It’s one of the most expensive liquids in the world!), but just like death and taxes – your printer will one day inevitably … run out of ink.
When that happens – you basically have 3 ways of replacing the ink:
#1. OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) or brand name products
A brand name inkjet or toner cartridge is just that – it’s a printer cartridge that carries the brand name of the manufacturer on it, usually the same as the printer manufacturer, for example, Epson, Canon, Hewlett Packard, etc.
#2. New compatible, off-brand or generic products
A new compatible, off-brand or generic inkjet or toner cartridge is manufactured by a company other than the original printer manufacturer. There are a large number of these new compatible manufacturers, and it’s quite true that the quality of their product can vary (more on that a bit later). In the case of inkjet cartridges, generic cartridges are completely new.
#3. Remanufactured products
A remanufactured inkjet or toner cartridge, by definition, is a cartridge which has been serviced, cleaned, refilled with toner or ink and possibly had a few component parts repaired or replaced.
- from info-leeches via about.com
The Case Against Compatible/Generic Inks
While obviously much cheaper, the quality of generic printer ink has traditionally been suspect especially when dealing with high quality color prints (Check out this 2003 PC World Test chart).
Left uncontrolled, some of these inks offer poor quality and even worse – may clog up printer heads.
The Case For Compatible/Generic Inks
1. ISO Certification of generic manufacturers
To step up the competition however, some generic ink manufacturers have now stepped up and implemented ISO 9001 standards. This now ensures a consistent quality across their products.
2. Rising costs of original printer ink
It’s an open secret that printer manufacturers make almost no margin on their printers and recoup all their profits through selling expensive printer ink – even to the extent of selling printers at a loss!
Compatible/generic inks on the other hand can be up to 80% cheaper depending on the brand.
Further Resources:
Should you still decide to go with generic/compatible Inks, you can try getting ink at Inkshop.co.uk. What I like about their ink cartridges is that everything they sell is manufactured under stringent ISO 9001/9002 standards which should go a long way quality-wise.
Possibly the best study I’ve seen on this topic was done by PC World. Granted it’s a bit dated (4 years old), but it gives a good idea of what to expect.
Would you buy compatible/generic inks, or would you stick to originals all the time? Let us know in the comments!
Disclaimer: InkShop.co.uk has paid me to write on this topic, and to give an honest opinion. Please note that all opinions expressed in this post are completely my own, and have not been influenced by InkShop.co.uk in any way.
[tags] printer, productivity [/tags]
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