As our printing requirements keep increasing, we are compelled to buy compatible ink cartridges. These compatible ink cartridges are excellent alternatives to OEM cartridges because of their low- pricing. Actually, pricing is just one of the factors, the other factor being the quality of prints that they produce.

It is necessary to purchase the cartridges from an authorized supplier; otherwise one could end up with fake ink cartridges. Fake cartridges not only produce inferior quality prints but are potentially harmful for the printers. To start with, one is advised to look for authorized ink cartridge dealers to make the purchase. Printer manufacturers usually have information about authorized dealers on their website. This could help in getting a list of such dealers in one’s local area.

The other way to know whether the ink cartridge is real or counterfeit, one is recommended to take notice of the packaging. The fake cartridges packaging is recreated like the original packaging but are likely to have some flaw in them. By paying attention to the finer details like spelling errors and abnormalities in the packaging one could tell the difference between the real and the fake. Even pricing could be a clue too. If the price is suspiciously low, then there is a good chance that they are not real.

However, if one is not so lucky and ends up buying a fake cartridge, then it is better keep a check on their productivity. Most counterfeit cartridges dry out faster when compared to genuine ones. The other factor to look out for is the quality of print-outs. The fake ones are certain to give a shoddy result. These fake ones also have the tendency to leak, spit, pop and cause blots. If one finds all these problems with their ink cartridge, then it is better to remove it from the printer immediately before it causes damage to the printer.