How Do I Choose the Best Toner Cartridge?

There are many toner cartridge options on the market, which can make it difficult to find the best cartridge for your needs. Most printer companies offer several toner cartridge units capable of handling a varying number of prints, and people generally consider it best to get more prints out of a cartridge. You can choose cartridges that come from the manufacturer or refilled ones. While there may be several similar looking cartridges, you should only buy one that is specifically made for your printer. There may be varying quality levels, and getting the better quality is sometimes better and sometimes frivolous.

Depending on your printer, your choices may include several different toner cartridge units with varying print amounts. For example, the printer may have two cartridges with one that prints 1,000 sheets and one that prints 1,500 sheets. Cartridges with higher print values usually cost more, but the extra cost is normally slight and may actually help you save money.

There are two main types of toner cartridge units; one is from the manufacturer and the other is refilled. Cartridges from the manufacturer often have consistent quality but tend to cost more. Refilled cartridges often cost less but may have varying or lower quality, and some manufacturers may invalidate your machine's warranty if you use refilled cartridges. If cost is a priority, then refilled cartridges may be better; if quality and the warranty are priorities, then cartridges from the manufacturer may be better.

Printer companies often make similar looking toner cartridge units, but you should not buy cartridges that simply look right. If the cartridges are not correct, then they may be unable to fit in the printer or they may have poor print quality. You should check the model number on the cartridges and buy cartridges with the same number. Some companies do not categorize their toner cartridges by model number but by printer. In this case, it is best to ensure that the cartridges are made for your exact printer.

Some printer companies offer several different quality levels in their toner cartridges. For example, there may be cartridges made for text printing and others made for photo printing. Depending on your printing needs, the higher quality may or may not be better. If you are just printing plain text and the occasional image, then normal-quality cartridges may be best; if you print professional photos and lots of graphics, then high-quality cartridges may be best.