Is It Worth Buying Genuine Ink Cartridges?

24th Jun 2024
Simon Cross

You have probably already noticed that I write these blogs for IJT Direct, who specialise in recycled ink cartridges, recycled toner cartridges and other consumables so you’d be forgiven for assuming this blog will simply pooh-pooh the use of genuine ink cartridges. That isn’t the case though, as OEM (Original manufacturer equipment) or genuine  ink cartridges definitely have their place and purpose. So sit back, relax and come on this journey of discovery with me.

When it comes to keeping your printer in good health, the biggest expense is the consumable parts, the cartridges. 

Manufactures such as HP, Epson, Canon and Brother will really push you to use their own genuine cartridges rather than recycled or compatible alternatives. The genuine cartridges are almost always more expensive with the message that they are far more reliable and produce far superior quality than their counterparts. So the big question here is, is it worth spending your hard earned cash on genuine ink cartridges? 

The steps we must take together to answer this include looking at cost, print clarity, printer life span and warranty/guarantee and shelf life details.

Cost

What's one of the main things we look at when we shop, regardless of the product or place? It's always price price price! We search for what we are looking for then filter the results lowest price to highest. It's a natural thing for most of us to do and allows us to see where we can save the most money.

Almost all the time, in fact I don't think I've even done this myself and not had this result with ink cartridges, you'll be presented with compatible then recycled cartridges as the cheapest options. Original manufacturer cartridges are 99% of the time far more expensive. Sometimes you'll even find the a set of cartridges for a top end printer ends up costing more than printer itself. 

Compatible cartridges will represent the cheapest option because they are made from cheaper components. The cartridge itself will be a copy of the original and the ink more often than most a lesser quality. All this means the compatibles can be made at a fraction of the cost of recycled and original inks.

Next up will be the recycled offering. Unlike a compatible cartridge these are made from an empty  HP ink cartridge for example. The ink is much better quality, in line with original ink. These will cost fractionally more than its compatible cousin.

Top of the list and most expensive is the genuine manufacturer cartridge. Billed as offering unrivalled quality, you'll pay top dollar for the privilege.

Print Clarity

Read any of the material that any of the mainstream printer manufacturer produce about using their own ink cartridges and you'll get more or less the same message, just written in different ways. They will tell you their inks are specifically made for your printer using the specially formulated inks that will produce sharp text, vibrant colours and the most beautify and colour accurate photographs you've ever seen on printed  paper. 

I did say in this blog that I wouldn't rubbish genuine ink cartridges just for the sake of it and I can't disagree with what Epson or Canon for example, say about their ink cartridges, they do deliver excellent results time after time, but you pay a premium for that. What they won't tell you however, and quite understandably, is that you can achieve that level of print quality using cheaper alternatives.

I don't think I need to go over what a recycled cartridge is at this point, you're probably at this point in the blog and thinking exactly that but what I will tell you is that recycled cartridges offer the same level of quality and are filled with the same amount of ink and offer the same page yield as the originals.

In contrast the both of those types of cartridge, a compatible can be really hit and miss. Because the aren't made with the same standard of quality components, you might find some of your prints are very difficult to tell apart from originals and recycled and on the very next page you might get lines across the page, dull colours or streaking. 

Printer Life Span

Your printer will be specifically made for using genuine OEM cartridges. The manufacturers will tell you to only use these cartridges because any others will negatively affect the operating life span of your printer. This is true to a degree because 3rd party compatible cartridges are copies and therefore won't be made to the exact specifications of a genuine cartridge. This can cause issues with installing the cartridge, leaks and clogging and potential damage to other internal components. 

Regular maintenance is always required whether you use genuine cartridges or not but the use of compatible inks will often mean more regular maintenance or even damage to the printhead or other components. Now for some printers it's possible to replace components fairly economically but for most inkjet printers the cost of a repair is often more than the printer is worth. 

Using recycled cartridges, when properly cleaned, refilled with genuine ink and tested can mitigate almost all of the risks I mentioned above. 

One further thing to mention on this point, original cartridges can leak as well as. They aren't immune to it though the failure rate for an original ink is points in a percentage.

Warranty, Guarantee & Shelf Life

This is a tricky one because when you buy a printer you will be covered by a warranty. The warranty will cover you for a certain period of time, generally 12 months and it will contain certain stipulations. Chief amongst those will be the use of their own ink, be it  Brother ink cartridges if you've brought a Brother printer. You'll be covered for most repairs and replacements during this time provided you've used genuine cartridges and not recycled or compatible.

Now it seems sensible to stick to using genuine ink doesn't it, because why would you risk buying a brand new car and going and sticking the wrong type of fuel in it straight off the forecourt? Ok so maybe that's an example in the extreme but you get my point. 

However, one important factor to consider is that reputation and T & C's of the company you are buying from. Most of your ink suppliers will offer some form of guarantee against their own recycled ink cartridges that you'll got the same quality compared to the genuine cartridges and a warranty that provides the same cover in the event of a recycled cartridge damages your printer. This is one where I can't recall a compatible cartridge providing the same sort of assurances.

Shelf life as an important but often not considered aspect of purchasing printer consumables. Depending on your printing and buying habits you may find yourself with spare cartridges sat on the shelf, which is all good and well providing they won't dry up in 5 minutes. This is where the choice between recycled and original cartridges is a little more complicated. Most of the large manufacturers won't put a shelf life on their inks whereas most reputable recycled ink suppliers will, with caveats such as storage location and temperature of course. 

In Conclusion

The main question I started this blog with was, is it worth buying genuine ink cartridges? Let's have a look at the pros and cons first.

Pros

• Reliable and predictable print quality
• Printer peace of mind
• Covered by manufacturer warranty

Cons

• Expensive
• Increased environmental impact
• No difference with page yield compared to recycled cartridges
• No advertised shelf life

On balance it's my belief that genuine cartridges have their place, especially if budgeting isn't a concern. I really do appreciate the concerns most people will have when using recycled ink cartridges, it can be a bit of a leap of faith but one I feel is worthwhile, just to try a black cartridge or even a full set. 

I firmly believe there is no trade off to be made when using recycled cartridges instead of original inks, especially if you do your homework on where you are buying from. Reputable companies will offer the same warranty and guarantee as the large manufacturers and the recycled inks will offer the same page yield and ink level as its OEM counterparts. 

So, yes it is worth buying genuine ink cartridges but consider recycled ink cartridges as a far more affordable and environmentally friendly alternative. 

Blog Author: Simon Cross is the engaging and knowledgeable voice behind the insightful articles on printers and printer consumables at IJT Direct, an ecommerce store renowned for its comprehensive selection of printers, printer consumables, and hardware. View Simons author page to find out more about him.