What is a Compatible Toner?

Even though there are hundreds of different types of toner cartridges on the market, you can't just buy any old one and hope that it works for your model of printer. The cartridge needs to be compatible with the printer, fax machine or photocopier or it just won't work. This is why it's important to make sure you buy compatible toner when you're buying your printing supplies. However, compatible toner also means something else in the world of printing.

While original equipment manufactured cartridges (OEMs) are designed for use in specific printers and other equipment, there are many third-party retailers that are selling cartridges that are compatible for many models. This, of course, hasn't made the large manufacturers of the world too happy, because millions of people are bypassing their original cartridges to buy compatible toner. The reason for this is simple really. They're buying it because it's quite a bit cheaper than OEMs. Many of the larger toner manufacturers have tried to fight this by claiming that if third-party cartridges were used, they would automatically void the warranty on the printer or other appliance.

This wasn't much of a threat though, because the warranties were often expired before you knew it and then you were free to buy whatever cartridges you wanted. If the large manufacturers really wanted to get serious and fight the compatible toner cartridges and the companies that make and distribute it, then they should come out with five or seven year warranties on their equipment. This would restrict the customer from using third-part toner cartridges for a lengthy period of time.

However, in the US and the UK, legislation was brought in that banned brand name manufacturers from trying to enforce the warranty-void trick, much to the delight of consumers all over the world. This ruling means that consumers free to buy and use any type of printer toner cartridges they like, both OEMs and compatible. But many printer users have found the quality of compatible toner cartridges can vary quite a bit. The big companies weren't finished there as they also tried to stop people from using third-party cartridges in their appliance by inserting electrical chips or uses in their brand name cartridges. The chip is designed to relay signals to the printer that verify if it is indeed an OEM cartridge or not. It is believed that these electrical components will signify that all other types of cartridges other than OEM are empty. This means all cartridges that come from third party suppliers will be read as empty and won't work in the device. This often means that the chip and the fuse must be replaced for third-party cartridges to work. However, if you look hard enough you will find that the chips and fuses are readily available and are replaceable. This means you can still get compatible toner cartridges to work in the printer.

Many people don't appreciate the stance some of the toner manufacturers have taken as they feel forced to use the higher-priced OEM cartridges. Some people buy compatible toner and use it just because of principle, no matter what the quality may be. If you're looking for some good internet sites to buy toner at reasonable process, InkMart.com comes highly recommended by many people.

InkMart is a major importer and national distributor of ink and toner cartridges. To learn more about company and the depth of our products, visit website at http://www.InkMart.com. They offer a selection of over 30,000 printer products, including Point of Sale (POS) printers, for all printer brands, including Brother, Canon, Dell, Epson, Hewlett Packard (HP), IBM, Minolta, Lexmark, Okidata, Panasonic, Samsung, Sharp, Xerox, and many more!