These days, there’s a wide range of third party manufacturers who offer ‘compatible’ printer cartridges that will fit different makes and models of printer. The compatibles generally cost considerably less than inkjet cartridges that are made by the OEM (original equipment manufacturer).
OEMs like Epson claim that their inkjet cartridges are made specifically to work with their own printers to precise specifications with high quality parts and supplies. For best results, they say, use Epson inkjet cartridges with an Epson printer.
The third party manufacturers counter that their products are made to exacting standards to fit and work with the printer for which the inkjet cartridge was made. Thus the inkjet cartridge that they create for an Epson inkjet printer will function just as well in that printer as an Epson inkjet cartridge.
Epson supports their claim that their Epson inkjet cartridges are the best choice to use with their printers with a number of studies that tested the print quality, permanence, usability and number of prints per cartridge of their own Epson ink and Epson inkjet cartridges against a number of third party inkjet cartridges.
Specifically, the tests showed that: In an article published in PC World Magazine, Epson ink cartridges consistently delivered higher quality prints than most third party ink cartridges.
In a study by Henry Wilhelm, a leading authority on photograph longevity, photos printed with Epson ink cartridges were projected to last up to 92 years without fading. The best performing third party ink was projected to last a year before colors showed noticeable fading.
In tests conducted by the Torrey Pines Research Center, the ink used in Epson printer cartridges was shown to clog the inkjet nozzles significantly less often than third party inks. In other tests performed by the Torrey Pines Research Center, Epson inkjet cartridges consistently printed more pages per cartridge than third party ink cartridges made for Epson printers.
Other factors are harder to quantify, though. If quality and permanence of your printed pages is important, it could well be worth it to you to pay a little extra to get genuine Epson ink cartridges for your Epson printer.
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