Archive for the ‘printing’ tag
OEM vs. Remanufactured vs. Compatible Printer Ink Cartridges… What’s the Difference?
A frequent question of those new to buying ink deals with the difference between alternative ink options (remanufactured and compatible) and the term OEM. I'll do my best to make the differences clear here:
OEM cartridges
Standard brand-name ink cartridges that you can buy at your ordinary Staples, Office Depot, etc., are referred to as original equipment manufacturer (abbreviated as OEM) cartridges. These types of cartridges are made by the original manufacturer of your printer. OEM cartridges are by far the most expensive option. Before I did my research, I used to believe that buying OEM was the only way to go. On to the alternative options...
Remanufactured cartridges
Remanufactured cartridges are made out of the exact same parts that OEM cartridges are. How it works is first people send their used cartridges in to be recycled. Remanufacturers then thoroughly clean the cartridge print heads and then refill them with premium ink. Lastly, a testing stage involving pressure and an actual printing run is performed to make sure everything is fine, and the cartridge is repackaged and ready for use.
Compatible cartridges
Compatible ink cartridges are effectively the generic counterpart of OEM cartridges. These cartridges are considerably cheaper than either OEM or remanufactured cartridges; however, quality and performance certainly can be a concern. When purchasing compatible ink cartridges, it is important to select a supplier that conforms to industry ISO (International Organization for Standardization) standards.
Luckily for you, I've had my fair share of experience in buying compatible and remanufactured ink online, so in some coming posts I will recommend the retailers I have had success with. I will also show you who to stay away from, and why.
I Print More In A Day Than Most Print In A Month
Hello blogosphere!
I'm a 30-something professional freelance writer, and I'll be chronicling my journey toward reducing printer costs. You see, between my work (contributing to various locally-based magazines and newspapers) and personal hobbies (photography and keeping up with interesting news articles), I have in the past spent around $200 to $300 a month solely on replacing the ink cartridges on the 4 different printers I own.
I'm a big fan of printing anything interesting I encounter on the Internet out and reading it offline, as I don't like staring at the computer screen for prolonged periods of time. In a given day, I'll print several photos, in addition to 5 or 6 current news articles, as well as a personal journal entry and a few scanned pages for the scrapbook. In addition, I love the sound that printers make when they work. To me, it's soothing, and there's nothing better than savoring a freshly printed document. So I pretty much use my printers whenever I can find an excuse or reason to.
That all adds up to a good amount of ink consumption, and so I'm forced to fork over the cash for a run over to the nearest office supplies store.
I'm not willing to cut back on the amount of printing I do on a daily basis though, and so in the past months I've been trying to look for ways to save on ink. I've had success saving money on ink cartridges through online merchants like 4Inkjets and 123Refills, and I'd like to share with you my positive experiences with those companies.
Ultimately, I started this blog because I'd like to share what I do find in my research towards saving on printer ink. If I can save a few folks some cash, that would make it all worthwhile. And to be honest, I enjoy writing - it's cathartic. Almost as much as I love printing. 