How to choose a printer cartridge

The cartridge is a necessary element of any printing device. The user may encounter the problem of replacing this component, for example, if it fails. How to deal with this issue and make the right choice is further in the article.

What types of cartridges are there?

Cartridges are classified according to several criteria. Depending on the office equipment, there are the following types:

1. Matrix. They have a non-separable body and a special tape on which paint is applied. May contain from 1 to 4 colors. They are not used at home due to low speed and poor print quality.
2. Jet. They work with liquid paint. They provide high quality printing (especially color photos), are easy to operate and install, and can be refilled. This is a budget option as they are inexpensive. They are found with a built-in ink head (which makes cartridge replacement more expensive). Their disadvantage is the rapid consumption of inks, since the capacity is on average designed for 200 pages.
3. Laser. They work with dry coloring powder. They are characterized by high speed and low consumption: one toner is enough for about 2000 pages. However, they do not function well after refilling (some models do not provide it) and are expensive - up to ¾ of the cost of the printer itself. As a rule, only black and white printing is supported.
4. LED.Their parameters coincide with laser consumables.

The second classification is depending on the conditions of replacement and reuse:

1. Single-use, after the paint is used up, they are replaced with a new cassette. These include licensed cartridges with a special chip that can automatically block continued printing after a certain number of pages.
2. Renewable components support refueling and work stably after it.

Analogues are cartridges produced by other companies that can fully replace a certain list of original products. They are often capable of renewal by refueling.

ATTENTION! Beware of fakes. There is no need to buy tanks from dubious retail outlets.

Which cartridge is better to choose?

Before purchasing a toner, consider the following points:

• frequency of cartridge use and print level;
• speed of operation, acceptable frequency of refills or cartridge changes;
• manufacturer;
• price.

Ink cartridge Suitable if you want to receive high-quality color photos and plan to use the equipment as usual, without a large amount of printing.

Laser toner will ensure a high printing rate and long operating mode without replacements, and will produce quick results even with a large number of sources. If the high price of the product does not bother you, then this is your option.

If you have no experience in choosing a specific model, you can pay attention to products from such popular manufacturers as HP, Epson, Canon, known for their quality and affordable price.

How to find out which cartridge is needed for a printer

If you already have a printing device, then you should purchase a cartridge based on the printer model. Open the device and carefully examine the containers: each of them has a sticker with a digital code, which is what you should use to select a replacement.

The data may be contained on the packaging (if it is preserved).

Another way: go to the printer manufacturer’s website. We look for information either in the section dedicated to consumables, or we type in the search the model of your launcher and look at its main characteristics.

IMPORTANT! To avoid confusion, write down the numbers you are looking for, as there is a large selection of toners in stores, and there is a risk of purchasing the wrong container. These products cannot be returned or exchanged.

There are two purchasing options: buy a licensed cartridge from the manufacturer or its equivalent from another company. The analogues contain a list of those cartridges that they can fully replace. Please read these numbers carefully and if in doubt, contact your dealer. Similar products have a significant advantage over the originals: the difference in price can be thousands of rubles, while maintaining the full print quality.

In our article, we discussed the most common questions regarding the choice of cartridges. We hope this information helped you resolve your issue.