Printers are widely used in offices and installed in homes by many people. One common type of printer is an inkjet printer. Inkjet printers use a series of inkjets to spray ink over the paper for printing. Ink Cartridges are used by inkjet printers for printing. These are cartridges filled with black or any colored ink which are fitted in inkjet printers.
The ink present inside an ink cartridge can either be dye-based or pigment-based depending upon its brand. Inkjet printers usually have 2-4 Ink Cartridges. However, inkjet printers designed for printing photographs can use 6-12 ink cartridges.
Some of the common types of ink cartridges have been discussed here.
Original Ink Cartridges
Original or Genuine Ink Cartridges are original equipment manufacturer ink cartridges. This means the printer manufacturers manufacture such cartridges. Genuine ink cartridges of a particular brand are designed to work with the printers of that brand only. Most high-end printer brands provide their genuine ink cartridges.
OEM ink cartridges are the most expensive among all types of ink cartridges. This is because they carry the same branding as the printers for which they are designed. However, genuine ink cartridges provide the highest print quality and are perfectly compatible with their respective printer models. A warranty and guarantee also back such ink cartridges.
Compatible Ink Cartridges
Ink Cartridges manufactured by third party companies and not by printer brands are known as Compatible Ink Cartridges. Such cartridges are compatible with a plethora of printers across brands. Compatible ink cartridges are cheaper than OEM ink cartridges and are well suited for offices requiring huge volumes of printouts that tend to exhaust ink cartridges quickly.
Compatible ink cartridges are cost-effective, but the prints’ quality may be inferior compared to the print quality provided by original ink cartridges. Furthermore, it is imperative to check whether or not the said compatible ink cartridges work with your printer or not.
Recycled Ink Cartridges
Recycled or Remanufactured Ink Cartridges are either new ones built using old cartridges or old ones professionally cleaned and filled with new ink. These are the cheapest among all categories of ink cartridges. Since these are recycled cartridges, they are environmentally friendly as well.
Recycled ink cartridges do not have problems regarding compatibility with printers because original ink cartridges are recycled to make such cartridges. However, it is better to purchase only those recycled ink cartridges which are backed by the manufacturer’s warranty.
Tips regarding ink cartridges
The manufacturer’s instructions need to be followed to the letter when installing or removing ink cartridges from the printer. This is important to avoid damage to the printer. The circuit should not be touched if print heads are present on the cartridge itself.