Reasons That Each OEM Printer Ink Cartridge Has Its Own Blend Of Ink

2011-03-02

The world of printer ink has a number of well-guarded secrets, as printer manufacturers are careful to protect the designs of each cartridge and even the printer ink inside the cartridges. Each OEM printer ink cartridge needs a special type of ink, and in some cases, ink formulas are only used in cartridges for a single type of printer. Many printer owners wonder why this is. What makes one formula of ink better or worse than another?

There is certainly a practical explanation. Different printers use their ink in very different ways and capacities, so what works for one device may not work for another. For example, a home printer may be capable of printing 100 pages per day, while office printers are often expected to printer upwards of 100 pages per hour. Very different types of ink will be necessary for each purpose. If the office printer were to use standard OEM printer ink from a lower capacity printer, ink smudges and other problems can occur. Printer ink often serves as a lubricant in addition to its main purpose, so this can further compound the problem. Ink manufacturers spend a lot of money ensuring that each cartridge is perfectly compatible with its printer for the best possible quality and longevity.

Of course, there's also a more profit-driven reason for the difference between various OEM printer ink cartridges. Printer companies make very little money off of the sale of printers. Most of their profits come from ink cartridges, which are patented and carefully designed so that simple replication is very difficult if not impossible. Ink cartridges are often priced very high compared to what they actually cost to create, and this is only possible with a highly differentiated product. Therefore, printer companies use ink that's extremely specific to each model of printer. This ensures little competition, lower costs for the printer company, and better profits. Many other businesses use this business model, most notably razor manufacturers. It's a great way to ensure steady profits, and it allows printer companies to offer printers at a very low cost.

There are some generic options available for many printers. These cartridges use identical ink to what is found in manufacturer cartridges, which make them a very safe option for printer owners, and they typically cost much less than OEM printer ink. Remanufactured cartridges and printer ink refill kits are also available for many different printers that use the correct ink formulas. There are numerous ways to cut down on the overall cost of printer ink, but it's always important to use ink that is specifically designed for a certain printer.