The duel between generic toners and genuine toners can last a lifetime. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) swear by the genuine toners while there are several strong supporters who advocate the use of generic toners. In this constant battle, it can be quite difficult to actually figure out which toner is right for your printer. We’ve tried to write a comprehensive post on the topic in an effort to finally end the debate once and for all. Before we get into those details lets take a subject of our topic.
OEM or Genuine Toners:
These are toner cartridges that are manufactured and sold by the same company that makes your printer. For instance, if you are using an HP printer, an OEM toner cartridge would have to be one that is made by HP which is compatible with your printer.
Generic Toners:
Generic toners are manufactured by a variety of companies. The same company can make cartridges for Canon, HP, and a whole host of other printers. When buying a generic toner cartridge you just have to ensure that they are compatible with the specific printer version you are using. These are substitute toners that you could buy if you don’t want to or can’t buy the toners from the OEM. What differentiates generic toner cartridges from recycled or remanufactured cartridges is that they are made from fresh parts specifically as a new product.
Generic Toner or Genuine Toner – Which is better for you?
When it comes to differentiating the two one of the biggest factors is cost. OEM toners can cost significantly more than a generic version of the same type. If you go through a large number of toners a month you have to consider the use of generic toners in your office. OEM’s try to make up for the printers they sell at a very low rate by convincing you to buy overpriced cartridges from them. Generic cartridges can price their products only based on the cost of the product and keeping in mind their bottom line.
While it would make sense to buy generic cartridges if you go through toner by the boatload, you should consider buying only the genuine OEM toner cartridges if quality is of the essence. Genuine toners are purposefully built with only one particular printer model in mind so as you can imagine, the quality of prints to be expected from these printers is top notch. While the quality of prints from generic toners is not bad by any means, but if you are looking to print images, photographs, or if you need minute details to shine through in the print it would be best if you stuck with the Genuine OEM Toner.
Generic Toners Are Quickly Catching Up
While the debate during the last few years has mainly been about cost vs quality, generic toner cartridge manufacturers have been steadily bettering their manufacturing processes in order to compete with the quality provided by Genuine Toners. While the print quality of generic toners have always been on par with the print quality of OEM toners when it was a text print, the recent developments in the manufacturing processes now show that the quality of images and photographs are also catching up.
The quality of generics has improved to such an extent that manufacturers have now started their own branding and marketing activities. They even go far as to provide the buyer with a 100% guarantee and a money return policy if they were not satisfied with the product.
Some Myths About Generic Toners That Need To Be Busted
OEM toner manufacturers have been facing the heat from generic toners to such an extent that they’re glad to see certain myths floating around in the market. We are here to tell you the truth about these myths.
1) Use Of Generic Toner Cartridges Does Not Void Manufacturer Warranty: That is absolutely correct. As per the law, the manufacturer has to uphold the validity of the warranty even if the “recommended” consumables were not used with the product. Your printer warranty is safe even if you use a generic toner cartridge. The warranty stands valid unless the consumable causes damage to the product, which brings us neatly into point number two.
2) Generic Cartridges Do Not Cause Harm To Your Printer: It is true that during the initial stage of the generic toner market there were a few that did cause harm to your printer due to some manufacturing defect or another. However, with the advancements in the manufacturing processes for the generic printer cartridges these days there is little to no chance of damage occurring to the printer.
Just make sure the toner cartridge you are getting is a generic toner cartridge and not a recycled or remanufactured toner cartridge.
Next time you’re in the market for toners, we suggest giving the generic version a try and let us know your experience. If you are looking for help to pick generic toners for your printer, we can always help you out.