There are several types of printer ink replacements that you can consider when searching for refill or replacement cartridges. Here are a few.

OEM cartridges

Original Equipment Manufacturer’s or OEM’s make products that will bear the manufacturer’s name on them. Companies such as Epson HP and Canon for instance are name brand products that are made by OEM’s. Since these are brand name products, they are of good quality and tend to be higher priced. 

Remanufactured cartridges

A remanufactured cartridge is basically one that has been reconditioned as though it was brand new. It is stripped down and its worn parts are replaced then refilled with fresh ink. It is tested to guarantee good print quality then repackages and resold. Think if it in terms of recycling old ink cartridges, this is basically what happens. It is far more cost effective than buying a refill kit and doing it yourself. Despite what you may hear, the use of remanufactured cartridges does not void the warranty on your printer. Legislation is in place to prohibit this.

Compatible or Generic Cartridges

Compatible or generic ink cartridges are basically clones of the more popular name brands available. They are made 100% with new parts to exceed OEM requirements for quality and reliability, but are far cheaper than name brands. They are an alternative to their higher priced cousins. Again, despite what you may hear, the use of compatible or generic cartridges does not void the warranty on your printer. Legislation is in place to prohibit this.

Inkjet Refills

Another cost effective alternative to higher name brand ink cartridges is what is called a refill kit. Refill kits can be found for basically any brand of printer on the market. These kits come equipped with everything you need to refill your printer cartridge on your own. You get all the ink necessary, both colored ink and black ink, a syringe for injecting the ink into the cartridge and an air balance clip to balance the amount of air inside the cartridge. This is by far the cheapest solution for ink replacement but is time consuming and can be a messy operation.