Choosing the right company for your ink cartridges is more important than you may think. Ink cartridges are notoriously temperamental, and won’t work if they are the wrong size or model for your printer.
Some ink cartridge companies are more friendly to the budget conscious buyer. These businesses will therefore offer online sites which sell at wholesale prices, or provide considerable discounts for bulk purchasers. To ensure you buy from the right ink cartridge company, follow the tips below.
1.Confirm your Printer Model
Cartridges are mainly designed to work with a particular series or line of printers. Therefore, your printer model will have significant impacts on which ink cartridge company you should select for your business. When shopping for printer cartridges, you should therefore always bring along the model number of your printer. This can make the shopping process faster and easier, as not all companies will create cartridges that are compatible with your printer type.
2.Consider your Projects
When choosing ink cartridges, it is important to choose the best ink type for the work that you will most commonly be processing. There are two broad types of ink that you can choose: dye-based and pigment-based inks.
Dyes: The main advantages of dye inks, are that they are inexpensive and produce especially vibrant colors. However, dyes are not particularly vulnerable to sunlight and tend to fade over time.
Pigments: Instead of being absorbed by the media, pigments sit on the surface, making them less vulnerable to fading over time. However, they are considerably more expensive than dyes and do not produce quite as vibrant images.
Many ink cartridge companies will have both options available for selection, but some will only specialise in one option. It is therefore important to consider your printing needs when choosing your ideal ink cartridge company.
3.Warranty
Not every ink cartridge company will provide warranties for their products. Some companies will offer a 1-year guarantee, while others will offer a lifetime warranty for replacement cartridges. It is important to note that if you decide to purchase remanufactured cartridges, they will mostly only come with a 30 to 90 day quality guarantee.
4.Budget
Printer ink and toner cartridges are available in three forms:
- OEM (original equipment manufacturer)
- Third party versions (compatible cartridges)
- Remanufactured
OEM cartridges are the ink cartridges that comes with the printer, or replacement cartridges that are manufactured by the same company. While they are the most expensive option; they also produce the best quality prints, come with a warranty, produce the highest page yield, and are the safest for your printers overall health.
Compatible brands are made by a third party manufacturer and are typically built from new parts. While they are significantly cheaper than OEM versions and can typically work as well, when choosing a compatible brand it is important to only select the top-rated companies.
Remanufactured cartridges are made from recycled cartridges that have been cleaned and reconstructed for use. Whilst these brands have the lowest negative impact on the environment, they produce the lowest quality prints and can be prone to leaking.
Price is a huge defining factor when choosing which ink cartridge to buy. Choosing an ink cartridge company that allows you to buy in bulk can dramatically cut down your printing expenditure. If you use a lot of ink for your work or personal projects, purchasing ink cartridges in bulk can save you serious money.
For both domestic and commercial use, the first step is identifying the companies with products that are compatible to your printer. With a bit of research and comparison, you can then find the best quality ink cartridges for your printing needs, and at a competitive price!
