Are Compatible Ink Cartridges as Good as Originals?

To be clear about the term 'compatible ink cartridges' this is a brand new ink cartridge produced by a third party manufacturer. These cartridges have no direct connection with the printer manufacturer and have not been used previously. The remanufactured ink cartridge, also sometimes referred to as a compatible, have been used once, returned to the factory, cleaned, refilled, reset, checked and tested. In simple terms compatibles are a lot cheaper than original ink cartridges. In some cases they can be up to 70% cheaper than the original brand cartridge.

The big savings are made by those who print in large volumes and as the compatibles very often contain more ink than the originals then the savings keep on growing. How is this possible? Well, the original brand cartridge manufacturers do not always fill the cartridges to the top – compatible will be filled to the maximum capacity of the ink cartridge and your cost of ink will then drop further. For those of you that don’t print that regular, there is a chance that the print heads may become blocked using compatibles, as they do not contain the chemical that prevents this. It would be a good idea to run some form of printed document through your printer once a month to keep the ink flowing.

The print quality of the compatible ink cartridges makes them perfect for everyday printing, with very little noticeable difference between them and the original cartridges. Of course if you are printing photo quality prints and expect them to be fade resistant then you would be better to do some tests first to see if the compatible will print to the standard you desire. A good quality compatible combined with original photo paper will give brilliant results and for home photos it’s hard to tell the difference between those and the original brand cartridges. The life of the image on the print may be slightly less with a compatible ink cartridge but if you frame your photos it should last longer.

Will the compatible inkjet cartridge or toner damage your printer? That is a question that is often asked by those buying compatibles or remanufactured cartridges for the first time. The simple fact is that a good quality compatible is no more likely to damage your printer than an original brand cartridge.

Compatible cartridges are certainly well worth a try, if you have had a bad experience in the past don't let that stop you trying them again. Find a reputable supplier who will offer advice and a money-back guarantee on your ink and start saving money!

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First Published at printerinkcartridges.ie