Buying a printer is not the end of your worries. Sooner or later, you will have to buy the first printer cartridge. And if words like cartridges, toner, printer ribbons, and filaments sound all Greek to you, let’s try to make sense of it all. We will also learn more about original and alternative printer cartridges.
Printer Cartridges - Do You Have an Inkjet or Laser Printer?
Inkjet and laser printers dominate both home and corporate printing. When it comes to consumables, we distinguish between ink cartridges for inkjet printers and laser printer toners.
Cartridges - Inkjet Printer Ink
Inkjet printer cartridges are easy to recognise. They deliver great results with both normal and photo printing, though their printing costs per page make them more expensive than toners.
Toners - Laser Printer Consumables
Toner is basically a powder mixture that is applied on the paper. Toners are very cost-effective per page, making them particularly suitable for bulk printing. The printing is also faster. If you want to print some photos, there are colour laser printers available, though you will get better results with inkjet printers.
Original or Alternative Printer Cartridges?
We offer both original and alternative consumables for most major printer brands, regardless of whether they use cartridges or toners. What are the pros and cons of original and alternative cartridges?
Cartridge and Toner – Pros and Cons of Original Cartridges Compared to Alternative
Printer manufacturers generally discourage people from using alternative cartridges, while alternative printer manufacturers emphasise their advantages over original cartridges. What are the pros and cons of original printer cartridges over alternative printer cartridges?
Compatibility guaranteed.
Highest print quality.
Seamless printing.
No risk of increased printer wear.
Higher purchase price.
Usually compatible only with a specific printer model/series.
Printer Ribbons for Cash Registers and Terminals
Ribbons are printer cartridges that can be found mainly in ATMs, cash registers, or point of sale terminals. This is a relatively old technology that still works well. They are used in dot matrix printers or typewriters.
Printer Filaments – Consumables for 3D Printing
Printer filaments are printer cartridges that you really can’t mistake for anything else. They are used for 3D printing, and they are basically wound strings of printing material. When choosing your filaments you will encounter a number of specific parameters, so it’s a topic better discussed in the category separately.
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Looking for compatible printer consumables, whether original or alternative, but still not sure what to choose? Try our handy Cartridge, Toner & Refill Finder.
In the category Printer Supplies (Cartridges, Inks & Toners) on Alza.de, we currently have a total of 2700 products, which you can easily buy online and get quickly delivered. See all of your purchases and make orders on our easy-to-use app.
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