As "generic" Wholesale Tobias Harris Jersey , "remanufactured", and "new compatible" inkjet printer cartridges and laser toner cartridges creep deeper into the printer accessories market, the choices become varied and often confusing. It is estimated that by the year 2004 the aftermarket share of the inkjet and toner cartridge market will exceed 11% of the estimated 12 billion dollar printer accessory market [source: CART magazine, March 2001] Here's a look at what all these terms mean, and an examination of the upside and downside of using non-"brand name" printer cartridge products in your printer.
Terminology
First, let's examine the terminology. When shopping online for a new inkjet or toner cartridge for your printer Wholesale Jon Leuer Jersey , you'll likely encounter these terms:
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 Wholesale Avery Bradley Jersey , etc.
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. In the case of toner cartridges, to qualify as "new compatible" the toner drum must be replaced with a brand new drum Wholesale Ish Smith Jersey , as well as all major parts serviced and replaced as needed.
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. In many cases, remanufactured toner cartridges do not have new drums; they instead refurbish the original drum and send it out for another cycle.
An Important Note About Toner Cartridges
The relatively unknown truth is that almost all laser toner cartridges Wholesale Langston Galloway Jersey , including most of the original brand name "new" cartridges, have been remanufactured to some extent. The defining point is to what degree they have had component parts repaired andor replaced. For example: check the box for a brand new Hewlett Packard Laser Jet 400027X. Brand new, right? Well, it is. But check the fine print, which says: This newly manufactured product may contain parts and materials recovered from the HP planet partners recycling program. This means that the product, while "new" Wholesale Henry Ellenson Jersey , is possibly not completely new; it's quite probable that components of this cartridge have been used before, and have been recycled.
Quality vs. Cost
It's a fact: the cost of brand name inkjet and toner cartridges can be exceedingly high in comparison to generic or remanufactured inkjet or toner cartridges. In many cases, new compatible inkjet cartridges can be as much as 70% less than the cost of brand name cartridges. New compatible or remanufactured toner cartridges on the whole tend to be as much as 50% less in cost than their brand name counterparts. For example, an Epson T013201 black inkjer cartridge, used for various Epson Stylus printers, sells for $17.09 direct from Epson. The same cartridge Wholesale Stanley Johnson Jersey , compatible, at an online retailer, Abacus24-7 ( ), sells for $4.95. The difference....70% in savings.(Prices as of August 2005)
What's the catch?
Well, there really isn't one, if you find a quality off-brand product you can purchase from an online merchant you can trust Wholesale Luke Kennard Jersey , one who stands by their product in those rare cases that generic or remanufactured products don't perform as well as you expect. Brand name cartridges cost much more than generics primarily because of the marketing and advertising budgets most OEM manufacturers spend in promoting their products; a cost most smaller manufacturers don't have. And then there's the issue of your printer warranty - we'll discuss that issue a little bit later.
Inkjet Cartridges: Performance
Generic or new compatible inkjet cartridges are in general highly reliable and perform as well as, or nearly as well as, brand name cartridges. Latest technologies and adherence to ISO 9001 codes (internationally recognized standards for quality assurance) by most producers of generic cartridges has increased the overall reliability of these aftermarket products in relation to your typical brand cartridges. In particular, Epson and Canon new compatibles are highly reliable, as the technology required to duplicate the performance of their cartridges is minimal (with the exception of the very latest Epson cartridges with the "computer chip"). In terms of print life (how many pages they print) generics stack up pretty well - usually within plus or minus 5% of the life of your typical brand name cartridge.
High quality photographic printing is the one area where generic cartridges are occasionally suspect. The quality of the inks used by the manufacturer play a significant role here - lower grade ink which doesn't have the same density or brilliance and consistency of color can produce inferior results in the most high-demand cases. Although most manufacturers of generics have moved away from inferior inks, we recommend you ask your online merchant about the quality of the inks used by their supplier Wholesale Ersan Ilyasova Jersey , if you are doing this kind of high-quality photographic printing. In particular, the inks should be made in the U.S.A.. With good ink your results should be just fine.