It’s a common question that we get asked almost on a daily basis – does it really matter what kind of ink you use in your printer? This issue is forever being revisited because there are a number of deciding factors that can come into play. On one hand if you buy a printer and opt for a set of original inks, these will often cost more than the printer itself. So should you simply purchase compatible or third party inks instead, and is it possible for manufacturers to void your printer warranty if you go this way? What other factors should be considered when choosing the correct ink for your printer? To answer these questions we need to address the pros and cons of each type of ink.
Original equipment manufacturer (OEM) ink is made by the printer manufacturer specifically to suit your individual device. Due to bonding agents, flow rates and other complex features, original inks offer higher quality resolution and fade resistance, whilst claiming to extend the life of your printer, similar to using high performance petrol for your car. These features make the product more expensive because they offer better performance for your device. We often recommend using OEM inks to customers when high resolution colour documents are being printed regularly and quality is paramount.
Third party or compatible inks cost 40 – 80% less than OEM inks because they are made from cheaper components, however there are many tiers when it comes to quality. Manufacturers use cheaper casings, which can mean the product is more fragile than the alternative OEM product and the ink may be water-based rather than oil-based, making them more susceptible to leakage. Often when you are using compatible inks to print black and white Word or Excel documents, emails and invoices, then there is no visible difference in quality from the original. There are many poor quality inks on the market that Copyco would not sell or recommend using so thankfully we only stock reputable compatible brands, which we 100% guarantee.
Special attention should be paid to the yield of toner or ink you are putting into your machine, which is the approximate number of pages it will print based on 5% page coverage. Often there are 2 – 3 options here and we often get new customers that are unaware that they have been using the low yield option which costs more per page of print. We usually recommend always choosing the highest yield ink option available because it almost always works out to be cheapest to run. If you aren’t sure whether you are using the highest yield consumables for your printer then we are happy to advise you.
To sum it up, yes it does matter what kind of ink you use in your printer, but what you choose is entirely up to you. According to the Australian Trade Practices Act it is illegal for a printer manufacturer to require a consumer to use a particular brand of ink or cartridge. The brand of cartridge, ink or paper you purchase is 100% your decision. So go ahead and trial the above options listed according to your preferences, through trial and error you will make the right decision for you!
Happy printing!
Copyco Australia
Office Print Supplies
P: 1800 220 420
(Australian residents only)
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