Original Cartridges vs. Remanufactured Toner and Ink Cartridges
Quite often our customers ask us questions about remanufactured cartridges. What are they? Do they work? Do they provide the same page yield as the original? Do they damage the printer? Can they void the manufacturer's warranty?

To provide an answer to these questions, let us explain a bit about the different types of cartridges: original, remanufactured, refilled, recycled, compatible and generic.

Original Ink and Toner Cartridges (OEM)
Original cartridges are manufactured by the maker of the equipment you purchased (i.e. Hewlett-Packard, Canon, Xerox, Lexmark). They are usually manufactured using a combination of new and recycled parts at factories throughout the world. For example, on the box of an HP C4127X you can read: "This newly manufactured product may contain parts and materials recovered from the HP Planet Partners recycling program" and on the box of a Canon FX-4: "This cartridge may contain reconditioned parts and remolded materials."

One important reason they carry the denomination of "original" is because they are manufactured by the holder of the patents that make it illegal for anybody else to manufacture these products brand new (plastic mold and all) or representing them as brand new. However, sometimes it is possible to have more than one original brand for a given machine. This happens when a particular manufacturer has purchased or licensed a printer engine from another company. For example, in it's beginning; Dell licensed the technology and manufacturing capabilities from Lexmark. Dell then would "wrap" their own cover, software, and other branding elements around Lexmark's design and they have a new printer to release. In most cases, Lexmark would also license the supply design or purchase the supplies directly from Dell, which they did. In some cases companies make slight modifications to the supply design so they would not be compatible or equivalent. In many cases they do not, making the supplies from either company the same.

Remanufactured, Recycled and Refilled Cartridges
When it comes to remanufactured cartridges, the answers are not as black and white as we would like them to be. Companies throughout the world use different approaches and quality standards in remanufacturing products. Let us introduce a little bit of terminology to clarify this point.
Recycled Cartridges

The term "Recycled" is a generic term that does not necessarily refer to the process or technology used to manufacture a product. It obviously indicates that the cartridge is not a new original cartridge but it has been produced reusing some parts and material from previously used products. In other words, any cartridge that has been produced using parts and material recovered from previously used products can earn the name of "Recycled", regardless of the process or technology used.

Refilled Cartridges
We use the term "Refilled" to indicate a remanufacturing process that consists mainly of gaining access to the toner or ink container of a cartridge (sometimes puncturing a hole, sometimes partially disassembling the cartridge) and refilling it with new ink or toner. In most cases that is all that is done to the cartridge aside from inspecting it for obvious flaws and cleaning it. This is the process used by many small remanufacturing companies doing business mainly in their local area. They mostly deliver personally and collect empty cartridges at the same time. This simplified remanufacturing process gives these companies the ability to price their products lower than many competitors that sell remanufactured cartridges.

The problem with this is that a cartridge has many components inside other than ink or toner. To name a few, there is a printhead on most ink cartridges or for toner cartridges there is the magnetic roller that collects and distribute the toner; the photoconductor unit or drum that transfers the image on the paper; the wiper blade that removes excess toner from the drum; and many other gears and parts that are subject to wear and tear. To rework a cartridge this way is quite inexpensive but its quality and reliability are also uncertain. Many components in a cartridge have an inherent ability to last longer than the toner amount originally provided, but they are certainly not certified for twice the duty cycle or more! Many people that experienced problems with remanufactured cartridges and lost their faith in them have been using refilled cartridges without knowing these facts. So, when the price seems quite low compared to other remanufactured cartridges, ask questions and make sure you compare apples to apples.

• Remanufactured Cartridges
• Remanufactured cartridges are the types of cartridges we sell at NextDay Cartridges. A remanufactured cartridge is a cartridge that has been:
  Completely disassembled
• All components inspected, separated and cleaned
• New drum installed
• New wiper blade installed
• New magnetic roller installed
• Toner container filled with new toner to original specifications
• Toner container sealed with pull-out strip to prevent leakage
• Cartridge reassembled and tested on proper equipment
• These cartridges are in effect rebuilt from the ground up to give you the same quality and reliability you are accustomed to for your valuable equipment.
  

Compatible or Generic Cartridges
Compatible means that the cartridge will work with the specified equipment even though it is not made by the manufacturer of the equipment in question.

In most cases this situation exists when the manufacturer of the original equipment does not have a patent on the design of the supplies or that patent expired. As with generic prescriptions, this allows manufacturers of generic supplies to make brand new compatible or generic cartridges. Examples of these are many ribbons for dot matrix printers, many Epson ink cartridges as well as many Canon ink cartridges. In our highly competitive and ever changing market, there are companies that will label remanufactured cartridges as compatible. It is hard to tell in all cases, but as a guide, here is a list of products where you can expect compatible or generic supplies to be available: copier toner, printer ribbons, fax ribbons and film, Epson and Canon inkjet cartridges. Most HP, Lexmark, Canon, and Xerox laser toner cartridges can only be remanufactured.

Our Commitment
NextDay Cartridges believes you have a right to use whatever you choose for your equipment. That's why we carry original, remanufactured, and compatible supplies. We further believe that you have a right to know exactly what you are purchasing and that's why we clearly label and mark all compatible and remanufactured products.

Keep in mind though, those original manufacturers such as Hewlett-Packard, Canon, Xerox, Lexmark, etc. do not sell at heavily discounted prices. Their trademarks and brands are very valuable assets. When someone claims to have a "special" deal that affords them such low prices, they are probably hiding something from you. Some companies do not even clearly label their products as remanufactured or compatible. When the price seems too low, ask directly: "are these products original from the manufacturer or are they remanufactured or compatible in any way?" You have a right to know and they have the responsibility to tell you. If they fail to properly disclose this, do not do business with them but report their unfair business practices.

Ultimately, NextDay Cartridges believes that, when properly used, remanufactured and compatible products play a vital role in your office equipment supply strategy. They can lower your overall cost of ownership, keep prices in check for original products, help small businesses, and help the environment. If you have not used remanufactured products before, or if you have used them and were disappointed, we suggest you give our brand a try. Select a business machine that is not mission critical for you and purchase a remanufactured cartridge plus an original for backup in case you are not happy with the results (we know this will not happen but you do not yet!) When you see that our products are reliable, you can gradually switch to remanufactured products.

We want all buyers to be a better-informed buyer.

Tips For Your Inkjet Cartridges
NextDay Cartridge carries more than 1,000 different ink and toner cartridges. This will ensure that we have your cartridge and can deliver it to you the next day.

Follow these tips to keep your printer and cartridges in top condition. This will help you continue to save money in the long run:

• Never let a cartridge run out of ink completely. Your inkjet will burn out if it continues to fire while the supply of ink is cut off.
• Always have a replacement cartridge on hand. If the cartridge is showing 'empty,' have it replaced soon.
• Since ink is a liquid, the cartridges do have a shelf life, they cannot be stored for an indefinite period.
• When lines and/or missing dots form on your text or graphics it's time to clean the printhead. Do not touch the copper plate on the printhead with your fingers. Use the printers cleaning cycle (refer to your printer manual). If this fails to clear the problem, call us for the best solution.
• Do not leave the cartridge in a hot car. This causes the ink to expand and leak.
• Keep color cartridges upright. The colors will cross contaminate if left on its side.
• After installing a cartridge, print at least 2 test pages to settle the new cartridge.

Tips For Toner cartridges and Laser Printers

• Do not attempt to open the cartridge.
• Do not leave the cartridge in motor vehicles for any length of time, as even on a cool day the temperature can exceed safe levels. Doing so may distort the plastic in the cartridge.
• Store cartridges in normal room temperature.
• Some parts in these cartridges are light sensitive and can be damaged when exposed to excessive light.
• When empty, store your laser cartridge in its original plastic bag and cardboard box.
  

Note: If your hands or clothes become stained with toner, wash them with lukewarm water and soap. For clothes, simply brush off outside in the open air. Do not wash toner-stained clothes in hot water as the toner will set into a permanent stain. Use cold water only because toner is designed to “melt” with heat.

How the Ink and Paper Work with Each Other

Ink On Paper
With bubble jet printers, liquid ink is projected onto the paper to form an image. Before we see how the ink and paper interact, let's look at the structure of ink and paper.

The Composition of Ink
Ink is made up of a coloring agent, a carrier body, a solvent that keeps it liquid until it leaves the print head, and various chemical stabilizers.

The Coloring Agent may be either a dye or a pigment, regardless of the color. The difference is that a dye is a chemical solution, and the pigment is a mineral oxide, ground exceptionally fine, and put into a chemical compound, both then added to the carrier body.

The Structure of Paper
Paper is made up of cellulose fibers from trees and other like materials. During the making of the paper the fibers form a mesh, with a 60:40 ratio, 60% of the fibers run in one direction, and the other 40% lie at right angles.

Paper is also 5% (average) water. If it weren't it would be as brittle as an autumn leaf. Paper is also chemically treated and finished depending on the end use. For example, newspaper is a very coarse paper, where Bond paper, frequently found in office letters, is a high-grade paper with many finishing chemical additives.

How the Ink and Paper Work with Each Other
Dye-based ink actually soaks into the cellulose fibers, giving a far richer color. The trade-off is that absolute sharpness in not achievable.
Pigment-based ink behaves completely differently. The ink is projected at the paper, the carrier body then evaporates, and the pigment adheres to the paper fiber. This results in a clear image, but the color doesn't have the saturation of dye-based ink.

Note: If you have any problems with the ink not drying, or soaking through the paper, change to a different type of paper.