What is a Printer Cartridge and What Types are There?
A printer cartridge is generally anything that contains the consumables that are used to form an image on a substrate by some form of printing. The consumable can be anything from a block of wax to a pigmented dye. The two types of printer cartridge that most people are likely to encounter at home or in their work environment will be for inkjet machines or toner units for lasers and digital copiers. Although the words “ink” and “toner” are often used interchangeably, ink is employed in the inkjet printing process and toner in the laser printing process. Manufacturers often name their models in a manner that indicates which process the device uses.
For example, “Inkjet 470” or “Laserjet 550”. When it comes to the two most encountered print technologies, namely inkjet and laser, printer cartridges are a generic name for what are two vastly different things. The one is a simple container with “wet” water-like ink and the other is a complex mechanism holding a dry, ultra-fine, coloured, plastic powder.
More than 1.3 billion printer cartridges are sold globally every year, of which over 12 million laser and ink units are imported into South Africa annually. Consumables are available for machines printing everything from full-colour photos, black-and-white documents, construction plans, and engineering drawings to massive poster prints for outdoor billboards. A range of machines is available, offering solutions for all these applications. Most of these devices use consumables to produce a print and the consumables almost invariably come in some sort of container or printer cartridge.
A laser would be the best choice where high volumes of black-and-white documents are printed. Laser units generally print faster than inkjet machines. Lasers are more robust to allow for higher print volumes without breakdowns. A laser will be larger and heavier than an inkjet machine, making them less suited to work-from-home environments. Lasers do not print photographic-quality images as well as inkjets do, so they’re not the first choice for photographers, designers, and users of high-end graphics applications. Laser technology uses heat to melt (fuse) the image to the paper, so is not suitable for papers that are heat sensitive. If you need to print photo-realistic colour images, inkjet machines produce better tonal variety and are superior at the subtle blending of colours. Inkjets are capable of printing on a wide variety of paper types, including high-gloss papers. Inkjets are not capable of the high print speeds of lasers.
Who Manufactures Printer Cartridges?
Toner and ink replacement units are obviously sold by the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) who originally manufactured the printer. They are also offered by third-party (aftermarket) manufacturers who do only manufacture replacement units. OEM printer cartridges are known as original or genuine units. Third-party replacements are called compatible, generic, or non-OEM units. Some third-party manufacturers offer what are known as “remanufactured” units. These are empty original ink or toner units that are collected, refurbished, refilled, repackaged, and resold into the market.
Printer Cartridges Determine the Cost of Printing
The upfront cost of a laser will be higher than the cost of an inkjet machine. Inkjet machines have a lower initial price but lower expected lifespan than lasers, which are typically built more robustly. Although laser machines will be more expensive, laser printer cartridges are generally capable of printing significantly more pages than any inkjet unit, making the cost per print lower. Cost per page is calculated by taking cartridge price and dividing it by the expected page yield. A good illustration of the difference is a comparison of the HP LaserJet M401, using the HP 80x high yield LaserJet toner, and the Canon MX922 inkjet, using the Canon PGI-280XL high-yield ink replacement. The laser unit will print at least 6,900 pages while the inkjet unit is expected to print at least 400 pages. The laser delivers a cost per print of 42 cents versus the inkjet cost per print of 93 cents. The inkjet cost per print is 121% higher than the laser cost per print.
Talk to The Experts
If you want to have all the above questions, and anything to do with printers and print consumables answered engage with Raydian directly. We stock all the leading brands and will give you informed, honest advice on what’s best for you when it comes to a printer or multifunctional device and the consumables for it. If you’re looking for a printer, multi-functional device, or printer cartridge, contact Raydian first.