OEM or Compatible Inks and Toners?

Have you noticed the recent TV ads where HP tell us that their inks and toners offer better value for money than their non-branded competitors? You will no doubt have had the debate in your office: Are original, genuine, branded or whatever you like to call them inks and toners better than compatible and remanufactured products?

The price increases of OEM inks and toners since the middle of 2008 (in many instances prices have risen by 30% and often considerably more!) certainly have put this topic firmly back on the agenda again.  And going by the feedback provided by my clients, the jury is still out.

There are two main drivers responsible for the price increases for genuine cartridges:

• The weakness of the Sterling against the US Dollar and the Euro (branded inks and toners are generally manufactured outside the UK). Compatible and remanufactured cartridges, on the other hand, are frequently processed in the UK and hence are not affected by the unfavourable exchange rate.
• The rise in the cost of raw materials.

Compatible and remanufactured cartridges, on the other hand, are mostly processed in the UK and hence have faced much smaller price hikes. Therefore, if cost were the only criterion, the non-branded products would win hands down:

The above prices are correct as of 19/11/09, exclude VAT and are for illustration purposes only. Actual prices from your suppliers may vary

It is now widely accepted that most manufacturers of compatible inks and toners achieve quality levels and yields comparable with those of the OEM product. Interestingly, Xerox have recently launched their own limited range of compatible cartridges. These are priced sufficiently below the OEM pricing to appeal to a wider audience, yet they are more expensive than the low cost alternatives available in the market place. 

As far as the print quality is concerned, ink quality for compatible products can vary between manufacturers. Also, some sources advise that this can lead to slight colour variations and the ink may fade over time (i.e. a document printed using an OEM cartridge may look better in 10 years than a document printed with a generic ink or toner). As a result, for client facing print and any jobs where true representation of colours is critical, it may be safer to use the more expensive branded product. On the other hand, you may find that low-cost compatibles are just as good for your everyday internal printing needs. However, it is worth remembering that all manufacturers stipulate that the use of compatible toners invalidates the product warranty.

If you feel you spend too much on branded inks and toners, why not try a compatible instead and decide for yourself? In any case, keep in mind, that, in order to qualify for the most competitive pricing, all printer consumables need to be on your contract list.

As far as the product comparison in the HP TV ad is concerned, the statement of 34% more pages is based on tests carried out in 2006 and 2007.  The quality of compatible inks and toners in general has improved since then – and due to the price differential, they hold now a respectable share of the market.