Compatible Cartridge, Original Cartridge or Toner refill Kit? What are they ?

What is a toner refill kit?

A refill kit typically includes a bottle of compatible toner, a reset chip (where required) and instructions - showing you how to refill your empty cartridge.

When your toner cartridge is empty it is time to refill it, not send it to landfill.

The method used to refill your cartridge will depend on the printer make and model number you own. To view our online refill instructions for your model - first choose your make of printer:

Our refill videos have had over 1.25 million views to date, so feel free to join our big family!!

Why would i want to refill?

  • Save money - up to 80% cheaper than buying an original cartridge.
  • Help the environment by re-using your empty cartridge.

Zinetic offers a wide range of toner refill kits for laser printers. Our toner refill kits will allow you to refill and reuse your empty toner cartridge . Since 2001, our kits have allowed our customers to keep printing whilst saving money and reducing landfill.

Additional Information On Refill Kits

We carry out extensive testing on all our products to determine whether a certain cartridge type can be refilled and whether reset fuses and chips are required.

Toner cartridges cannot be refilled indefinitely, eventually some internal parts such as rollers/blades will wear out. Certain cartridges also include an OPC drum, which becomes depleted and can be scratched. The general rule of thumb is that you can refill a cartridge three times before you should buy a new one.

Toner Powder

Printer manufacturers mainly produce toner to be used in their own brand printer models, and as a result toner powders do tend to vary in configuration. This means a universal toner powder may be less productive, than a dedicated toner solution.

Some companies claim that a universal toner will work across multiple printer engines of even different manufacturers. Other vendors dispute this (mainly due to varying particle size and fusing temperature), suggesting that every printer or copier model necessitates an individual toner type.

The basic types that share properties :

  • Apple/HP/Canon printers
  • Canon PC copiers
  • IBM/Lexmark
  • Epson EPL/NEC
  • Xerox/Sharp
  • Samsung/Lexmark /Dell
  • Brother
  • OKI /Xante/Intec

Many of the large printer and toner manufacturers (OEM’s) suggest that the end user or indeed a service company refilling cartridges can actually damage the finish and consistency of prints, cartridges and printers. For the OEM’s - recycling is indicated as the preferred option at the end of a cartridge life.

This stance is used purely to protect the repeat business and profit they gain from their huge consumable market. It should be treated with a high degree of scepticism.

It is true that the finish of third party toners can differ considerably, so it is necessary to ensure the toner powder and the printer are compatible, from a reliable and trusted local source.

Zinetic is here to instruct you on how to properly refill, reset and replace your toners. If this is not done correctly, or poor quality toner is used it could lead to fouling / harm of the cartridge mechanisms, clogging air filters and eventually overheating the machine. We fully understand the importance of productivity within the workplace; a technical difficulty such as a broken printer can delay hours of work.

This is why we invest heavily in research and development. Our customer service team have a great knowledge in the science behind printing so we can avoid common mishaps.

What is a compatible cartridge?

A compatible cartridge refers to a cartridge that is not manufactured by the original manufacturer of your printer (called an OEM cartridge), but will function and work in the same way that an OEM cartridge would.

Why would I want to buy a compatible cartridge?

Compatible cartridges are popular with consumers because of the lower cost to purchase, compared to an original cartridge.

Will purchasing and using a compatible toner cartridge void my printer's warranty?

No. Using compatible toner cartridges will not void your printer's warranty. This is due to antitrust legislation passed by U.S. Congress in 1975 titled the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.

Additional Information Regarding Toner Cartridges

There are several types of toner cartridges available on the market, including original equipment manufacturer (OEM), generic, or remanufactured (refilled cartridges).

Although there are many companies that sell cartridges online or even provide onsite services to refill your empty inkjet and laser cartridges choosing the correct supplier can be confusing.

Here is some information to help you choose a high quality replacement toner cartridge:

Remanufactured cartridges (also known as refilled cartridges)

Refillable toner cartridges date back to the 1980s when they were first patented by Fred Keen in the USA; the technique involves refurbishing and renewing the mechanical parts in a cartridge before refilling it with compatible toner.

When producing our refilled / remanufactured cartridges for sale, each cartridge first undergoes cleaning and testing to ensure it is suitable to be used and sold. Only pristine condition used cartridges make the starting grade.

Our remanufactured cartridges fit the specific printers just as well as a genuine cartridge would. Among remanufacturers, the quality of the toner and parts they use in the refill process differs - which can lead to differences in the print results. Lower quality cheaper refilled cartridges may cause damage to printers or printer parts, but with Zinetic cartridges you can give yourself peace of mind with our 100% guarantee.

Though the process has been around for over 25 years, the success of Zinetic’s cartridges is due to constant perfecting , tweaking and understanding of the cartridges’ engineering structure.

Generic cartridges

Compatible or generic cartridges are made by general manufacturers, rather than printer manufacturers. Generic cartridges tend to be popular because they are usually more cost-effective than genuine OEM cartridges.

We offer a wide range of high quality compatible toner cartridges. The intricate mechanical parts inside each cartridge come with an extended lifespan to ensure that the rollers and internal cleaning blades are long-lasting. Should you require a cartridge with an electro-optical drum (OPC) we ensure that they are durable enough to meet your printing demand and achieve the expected ISO page yield.

Our compatible/generic cartridges are all produced to ISO standards with the correct specification to ensure they are suitable for your laser printer and offer the same genuine quality as OEM cartridges.

In fact some of our generic cartridges are of such high quality that they offer more printed pages per cartridge than genuine OEM cartridges.

We do not sell cheap low quality generic cartridges. They can cause many of the same problems as a low quality refilled cartridge would - mainly due to the differences in the materials used. This could lead to low-quality printing and even damage to printers or printer parts. Zinetic’s cartridges are of the highest possible quality, so your printers will run seamlessly.

Genuine OEM cartridges

OEM cartridges are often seen as higher quality than other types of cartridges and are far more expensive. OEM cartridges are branded and produced directly by the same manufacturers as the printers they fit. Printer manufacturers recommend the use of OEM cartridges as they suggest other cartridge types may cause damage to their printers. This protects their market position and improves their profit margins.

There are a lot of benefits to using Zinetic cartridges. Here are a few:
  • • Our cartridges have sufficient toner lubricant, which preserves the drum, cleaning blade, and developer unit.
  • • Our cartridges use toner powder that has the correct melting point, which leads to a quality finish of your print-outs. This gives your print-outs that vital, professional impression for your staff and customers whilst ensuring that the fusing unit is not affected.
  • • In addition to the reliable and excellent printing quality of a re-manufactured /refilled laser printer toner cartridge, recycling cartridges benefits the environment greatly!

Despite all manufacturers using toner designs that are compatible with printers, there are still plenty in the market that are a disaster waiting to happen. It is important that you choose a supplier that is reliable. Due to the quality of the components used in our refill cartridges and the extent of the refurbishment process, the cartridges that we provide have the solution against blockages, contamination, and leaks that can be found in cheap, low quality cartridges.

At Zinetic, we only offer cartridges with the correct electrostatic properties and toner particle size which maintains print quality at a high standard. If you choose a high quality supplier there should be no correlation between your machine’s well being and the cartridge you use.

What is an original cartridge / drum unit?

An original is a cartridge or drum unit manufactured by the original manufacturer of the printer. Also known as OEM.

More expensive than compatibles or refills, but still popular.

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