Printer Ink & Toner

Is aftermarket print quality terrible?

Aftermarket ink and toner have a wildly varying range of quality, depending on the innumerable brands out there. They can range from completely terrible to superb printing. This is a space where brand does matter.

Which brands make the best ink and toner?

Established brands have higher quality because of their experience in developing these products. The ink and toner space has many long-time market players that produce different types of printers. HP invented print cartridges for inkjets, Epson invented tanks for print heads. In laser, Xerox and Rosewill are industry mainstays with years making toner cartridges. Aftermarket ink development process can be divided into ink refills and remanufactured cartridges. Aftermarket toner’s development process only has remanufactured cartridges.

How do you refill ink cartridges yourself?

Ink refills are kits that help you manually inject ink into a used cartridge. This can be done either by a company or by the end user themselves via refill kits. As a result of manual injection, the cartridge will slowly deteriorate over time and impact the quality of the prints. The more it has been refilled, the lower the quality.

Why do ink refills damage printers from time to time?

Sometimes ink refills require a “re-chip” of the cartridge and may potentially damage the printer. Despite the negatives, this type of aftermarket ink is often the cheapest. Alternatively, remanufactured cartridges underwent a cleaning or dismantling process and reassembled to provide higher quality. The level of quality depends on the manufacturer’s process and refilled material. The longest established are the best printer brands, because they tend to have a more rigorous process to ensure quality.

How bad is aftermarket ink for your printer?

There is inherent risk of damaging the machine which may result in costly repairs or replacements, cartridge leaking, printhead clogs, and chip damage. In rare cases, damage to the printer drum due to poor toner quality that results in irregular particle shapes. Consider damages to an expensive printer. What would the cost be to repair the machine? Is it worth the risk for a cheap inkjet printer? Understand these risks with business sensibility. Keep in mind the warranty of ink, toner, and printer because it will help the potential damage costs to printers.

What should decide whether to use genuine vs. aftermarket supplies?

The first question to ask is: “What quality do I need for my projects?” If the project demands sharp images and perfect coloring, then OEM ink and toner is a must. If the project is simply printing black and white text reports then aftermarket is a strong potential candidate.

Next, consider costs and potential risk costs. If the cost of OEM ink and toner is beyond the budget, then aftermarket is a preferred candidate. If the company cannot afford to lose their printer and must have reliability, then it is best to stick with OEM ink and toner.

Finally, consider differences between brands and warranty. The more reputable brands that offer great warranty coverage would be a preferred pick.

Selecting the correct reputable aftermarket ink and toner that fits the need of the company is definitely worth it. It can save big bucks on a tight budget.