So, you are in need of an ink cartridge and are thinking about purchasing it online. It should be easy right? Well, the purchasing part is easy. However, deciding on which type of ink cartridge to buy can be confusing.

There are three basic types of ink cartridges for your printer. They are OEM cartridges, compatible ink cartridges and remanufactured cartridges. OEM is an abbreviation for original equipment manufacturer. It is the brand name cartridge that will have the printer brand name on it. It is made by the maker of the printer. Compatible cartridges are made by third party manufacturers to be compatible with brand name printers. Remanufactured cartridges are usually refilled brand name cartridges.

A lot of what you will find sold on the internet, usually at relatively very low prices, are compatible ink cartridges. These can be a very good deal. Or they can be poorly made and not be a good deal. The best cartridges that you can find in terms of quality are the OEM brand name ink cartridges. This is because they are made to perform optimally with a specific printer. These however are relatively more expensive.

Which one should you buy? No one can make that decision for you. But it is important to know what you are buying in advance. In addition to these choices, there are also ink refill kits that make it possible to refill an ink cartridge.

Read more about the various printer ink cartridge options