How to Find the Right Toner Cartridge For You

Those of you doing a lot of printing know the hefty costs supplies can run.

An office could go through a dozen toner cartridges in a month. A couple of school reports could drain the inkjets in an afternoon. It adds up!

A laser printer is a great, affordable choice for printing…

…as long as the toner cartridge supports the budget and print demand.

Here to help you save money on printing costs is a breakdown of what to look for when picking printing supplies. Follow along to get expert insights about supplies, and how the right choice can save hundreds of dollars every year!

The Laser Printer and Toner Cartridge Basics

Let’s assume you’ve yet to buy a printer for home or business needs. Or, you’re in the process of researching a printer because the old one died.

Inkjets are what you’ve often dealt with besides the office printer, right?

Let’s clarify a few things about printers, supplies, and what makes them different. Once done, you’ll have a bit of information when choosing the right toner cartridge for your needs.

Laser Printers vs Inkjet Printers

You’ve done it before: stared at the printers, comparing features but mostly coming to terms with the costs. The laser printers are often double the price of inkjet printers, and their supplies seem quite expensive too!

But then… you start crunching the numbers.

Laser printers are almost always the better choice if you do a lot of printing.

A laser printer uses print toner which is heated and applied to the paper. These units are workhorses, built for high volume so they’re also less likely to break. Plus, the supplies pricing is economical the more you print vs inkjets.

Think of it like this:

• Laser printers: Great for text and a lot of printing
• Inkjet printers: Great for images and high-quality prints

You’ll find printer models with every feature between the two types. You’ve got scanning and duplex features to fax capabilities and photocopying. For the extra money, a laser printer provides everything and more — so the choice is easy.

The Many Types of Toner Cartridges

The printer type, brand, and model narrow the supplies selection. Yet, even here you will find various options when ordering supplies.

Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Cartridges

OEM cartridges are those made by the manufacturer — like:

• HP
• Canon
• Samsung
• Brother

…and all those others.

The OEM supplies are often labeled as “genuine” supplies. As the years went by, printers began requiring their own set of genuine supplies. Compare this to older models that had a (somewhat) similar architecture with supplies.

Regardless, these supplies cost more but you’re getting top quality.

Refurbished and/or Compatible Toner Cartridges

Another option you’ll find is refurbished or compatible toner cartridges.

There is a difference between these two:

• A compatible cartridge is like replicas made by third-party manufacturers
• Refurbished are generally OEM cartridges touched up with 3rd party parts

Do you know how you’ll find generic versions of a product? Think of toner cartridges in this category like that. You get quality supplies but at a discount because there isn’t a huge markup by the big brand.

Compatible cartridges have got complicated since the introduction of chips. But, manufacturers made workarounds that let printers use 3rd party supplies as if they were OEMs.

Toner Cartridge Refill Kits and Supplies

A third tier mixed into printing supplies is refill kits.

These kits typically include:

• Bottle of toner
• Cartridge chip (if applicable)
• Refilling supplies (like a spout, screwdriver, or wipes)
• Set of instructions

The kits are the least expensive way to refresh toner cartridges. But, they require extra effort. This is a good option if you’re the crafty, tinkerer type.

You may need to create refilling holes, empty drums, and configure components to get everything working. Follow instructions well and you could also refill compatibles for even more savings.

How to Pick the Right Toner Cartridge

What makes a quality toner cartridge? 

You probably don’t care that much about the inner workings of these things. You want supplies that are reliable, affordable, and offer good quality. Well, there’s a lot to pick from once you start looking — so here are some things to consider.

Price

We, consumers, are looking for the best quality at the cheapest price.

OEM cartridges have the quality but not the price we’re looking for. We’ll find better deals for printing supplies by going to third party vendors.

PremiumToners.com is a great place to learn about compatible cartridges. There, you can browse print supplies for your machine. You can also find helpful tips and tricks to save money when printing and using supplies.

Environmental Impact

About 1-million printing cartridges go the landfill every day. That’s a ton of waste that could be avoided either by switching to a different cartridge type.

A remanufactured cartridge is a great way to curb e-waste. As noted earlier, these cartridges were given a second life. Someone turned in an old cartridge, the supplier touched it up, and offered it back to you.

Alternatively — consider refill kits and reuse the cartridge you have.

Quality

Quality is subjective and determined by your needs.

Genuine supplies have the best print results but at the top-end of supplies costs. Compatibles or refill kits have comparable print quality but can save big money.

Do this:

1. Figure out what you print the most
2. Find a sweet spot in print quality and supplies budget
3. Choose between genuine, remanufactured, compatible, or refilling

Knowing you can get really cheap print supplies based on a cartridge can help pick the next printer. Look up what others say about the various supply types in reviews, videos, and social updates.

Yield

Many printers come with a set of starter cartridges. These don’t go far and you’ll soon replace them with standard or high-yield supplies.

High-yield is often the best choice when factoring the cost-per-page.

This is where it gets neat:

• Some compatibles go beyond the average yield, offering XXL versions
• Refilling can often maximize remaining toner by bypassing restrictions

Want the advertised yield? Go with genuine supplies. Want equal print yield but also get the option for more? Try a third-party supplier.

Saving Big Bucks on Printing and Supplies

The right printer and toner cartridge can save you hundreds of dollars every year. It also means less waste going to the landfills. And, better reliability for when you have high print demands at home or in the office.

This was but one of the many ways you can save money at the office.

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