Should I Buy OEM Canon, HP, And Lexmark Cartridges, Or Are Generic Cartridges Acceptable?
Most households, and certainly the vast majority of businesses have one or a few printers on site. These are crucial for the printing of documents, and helping out with providing notes during presentations, and some businesses even specialise in the printing of art and photographic images. The type of cartridges you purchase will largely depend on the quality of prints you need and the type of printers you use. Toner cartridges and ink cartridges are both crucial for printing, but there are several options when it comes to choosing the best cartridges to suit your printing needs.
Manufacturer’s Cartridges for Specific Brands
All the printer manufacturers, such as Canon, HP, Brother, and Lexmark sell OEM cartridges for use in their printers. If you are after exceptionally high printing quality with your Lexmark printer, it is best to stick to Lexmark cartridges that are designed and manufactured by Lexmark. OEM cartridges are specifically designed to work with specific printers. Because the cartridge cavity and the holders are moulded to contain these cartridges snugly, they do not cause vibration that can damage other sensitive components within the printer. This increases the lifespan of the printer and the cartridge, and also increases the quality of the prints.
Lexmark cartridges are also designed to make contact at the right points, allowing for prints to be clear and clean. The inks used in OEM cartridges are also of superior quality, and they are usually made to be fade-resistant for a long time, which means that your prints will remain in a good condition for a long time without becoming discoloured or faded.
Most printer manufacturers also insist that only their cartridges are used in their brand of printer, and often, a warranty can be rendered null and void if a cartridge from a third-party manufacturer is used. While the original Canon, HP, Brother, and Lexmark cartridges are more expensive than third-party (generic) cartridges, they do make up for the extra cost in print quality. If print quality and the longevity of the print are not that
Lexmark cartridges are also designed to make contact at the right points, allowing for prints to be clear and clean. The inks used in OEM cartridges are also of superior quality, and they are usually made to be fade-resistant for a long time, which means that your prints will remain in a good condition for a long time without becoming discoloured or faded.
Most printer manufacturers also insist that only their cartridges are used in their brand of printer, and often, a warranty can be rendered null and void if a cartridge from a third-party manufacturer is used. While the original Canon, HP, Brother, and Lexmark cartridges are more expensive than third-party (generic) cartridges, they do make up for the extra cost in print quality. If print quality and the longevity of the print are not that
Third-Party Cartridges
These cartridges are usually made by other manufacturers who are using expired cartridge patents, and while there are some bad ones on the market, they can also be extremely good. The print quality they produce is often not as good as OEM cartridges, but if you do not need your printing to be of particularly good quality or long-lasting, these may be the answer. They are usually significantly cheaper than the original Lexmark cartridges, and may even last longer. Keep in mind, however, that these cartridges are not specifically designed to fit any particular printer, and that they may fit quite a range of printers of the same size.
This means that the fit may not be that snug, and that vibrations may occur during printing that could damage sensitive components within your printer. This may lead to the early replacement of the printer or expensive repairs having to be carried out. The quality of the inks used in third-party cartridges is often not good, and they may fade sooner than OEM inks. If this is not a problem, however, then by all means, purchase these instead of original (and more expensive) Lexmark cartridges.
This means that the fit may not be that snug, and that vibrations may occur during printing that could damage sensitive components within your printer. This may lead to the early replacement of the printer or expensive repairs having to be carried out. The quality of the inks used in third-party cartridges is often not good, and they may fade sooner than OEM inks. If this is not a problem, however, then by all means, purchase these instead of original (and more expensive) Lexmark cartridges.
Other Types of Cartridges
It is possible to hand your Lexmark cartridges back to the manufacturer for safe disposal. Another option is to hand empty cartridges back to your supplier, and they sometimes send these on to other companies who recondition and refill these cartridges for repeated use.
It is also possible to refill certain makes of Lexmark ink cartridges. All you need is an ink kit at home, and you can inject the inks directly into the ink chambers. Unfortunately, this does not work with toner cartridges, because they can only work with powdered pigments, which are hard to come by, and hard to get back into the toner cartridge.
While these options are much more environmentally friendly and often a lot cheaper than other options, they may not work as well, and ill-fitting or damaged cartridges may leave streaks or blotches on the printed pages. They may also get empty rather quickly. This means that even though you can save money on getting reconditioned or recycled cartridges instead of OEM Lexmark cartridges, you may have to purchase them more often and risk possible damage to your printer.
If you would like to find out more about our range of Lexmark cartridges and which other cartridges we have in stock that would suit your needs, contact our helpful team at CH Africa as soon as possible.
It is also possible to refill certain makes of Lexmark ink cartridges. All you need is an ink kit at home, and you can inject the inks directly into the ink chambers. Unfortunately, this does not work with toner cartridges, because they can only work with powdered pigments, which are hard to come by, and hard to get back into the toner cartridge.
While these options are much more environmentally friendly and often a lot cheaper than other options, they may not work as well, and ill-fitting or damaged cartridges may leave streaks or blotches on the printed pages. They may also get empty rather quickly. This means that even though you can save money on getting reconditioned or recycled cartridges instead of OEM Lexmark cartridges, you may have to purchase them more often and risk possible damage to your printer.
If you would like to find out more about our range of Lexmark cartridges and which other cartridges we have in stock that would suit your needs, contact our helpful team at CH Africa as soon as possible.
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