Office supply materials are not too hard to pick and choose. That said, the world of print cartridges is rather baffling, to say the least. Looking for a replacement print cartridge is an overwhelming task, considering the wide number of ink and toner cartridges available for different types of printers along with a huge number of manufacturer names floating in the market.

Let us start by understanding the different types of cartridges available along with various comparison factors.

The difference between Ink and Toner
The world of print cartridges has two key terms, ink and toner. As suggested by the name, ink cartridges are used in inkjet type of printers which use a series of strong ink jets which use the colored ink to print on the page as required. Inks are usually a mix of dyes and pigments created to produce color accuracy as well as to stick to the page.

Toners, also known as Laser printer toners contain a dry powder with microscopic particles that are electronically charged and heated for application to the paper. The same helps to create more efficient printing that’s fast and suitable for bulk print jobs.

The comparison factors
The comparison between ink and toner depends on various factors like image quality, cost, printing speed, usage, etc. Ink cartridges are generally cheaper when considering the initial cost as well as the ink replacement cost, in comparison to toners along with the toner cartridge refill cost. However, for places of high usage like large corporate offices, laser printer toners are often considered more cost efficient in the long run owing to their greater output and the capability to print more pages per cartridge.

For those looking at speed, the latest models of both ink and toners are fairly similar. While traditional models of inkjet offered slow speed as compared to toners, modern high-end inkjets can offer speed and performance that’s roughly equivalent to that of toner. That said, for bulk usage purposes, laser printer toners are often considered better suited for efficient and faster performance.

Finally, in terms of image quality, inkjets are truly unmatched, especially when one is looking at a colored printing solution. The liquid ink creates better blends of color, thereby producing a higher degree of accuracy in terms of image quality. That said, for the general black print requirements, the overall efficiency and performance of toners offset the slight low score on image quality.

Choosing a printer toner cartridge
The terms used in describing printer toner cartridges can often be confusing. OEM toner cartridges (Original Equipment Manufacturer) are expensive but are highly recommended considering the overall efficiency and quality of the equipment. That said, various toners in Canada are sold under the name of “Compatible”.

These are built by reusing and recycling old parts of a used cartridge. While they’re considered environment-friendly as well as budget-friendly, there is a huge risk in terms of quality. For those looking at the compatible versions, it is recommended to go with a company that has a good brand name and reputation to get a quality that’s similar to OEM.