Inkjet Wholesale News aims to provide updates on the latest significant occurrences in the field of printing. Whether it’s the launch of a new technology or volatility of market prices, we’ll be here to give you the lowdown on what happened, when it happened, and what it means!
Third Party, Independent Tests Prove Generic Cartridges Match Genuine Cartridges in Output Quality
So, the world finally knows what you’ve known for a very long time i.e. generic cartridges are as good as genuine cartridges from Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) provided the generic cartridge provider is reliable and responsible for his business. How has this open secret been found out? Well, you see an independent third party lab has gone and tested some generic cartridges against genuine ones.
The laboratory in question goes by the name of Buyers Laboratory and what it has done is tested generic cartridges from an aftermarket manufacturer called Clover Imaging Group (CIG) under ISO conditions against OEM cartridges. While it is true that it was CIG that commissions the Buyers Laboratory to do the tests, it is also true that Buyers Laboratory is an independent entity not connected to CIG in any way.
The point here isn’t that some aftermarket company had a third party test the output quality of its cartridges against an OEM’s cartridges but that an aftermarket manufacturer has finally decided to take on the might of OEMs in a calculative manner. More importantly, these results also show the aftermarket industry and indeed some buyers like you that what you see in your homes and offices is actually the norm as opposed to the exception.
The test results were announced by CIG itself. In the announcement, CIG claimed to be the first aftermarket manufacturer to try to debunk what it terms as “rhetoric” from OEMs. The rhetoric they were referring to was that original branded cartridges are far ahead of remanufactured cartridges when it comes to output quality and yields. According to the announcement, the testing methodology involved evaluating page yields of competing genuine and generic toner cartridges on the basis of a number of criteria including reliability, image quality, and ISO protocols.
It looks like the tests targeted HP specifically since they were done on HP LaserJet P3015, HP LaserJet M402n, and HP Color Enterprise M651. Resultantly, HP toner cartridges were matched to CIG’s generic toner cartridges deemed fit for the mentioned printer models. As per the company, the tests not only showed that generic cartridges were a match for genuine cartridges but that they also had an equally good success rate.
BLI used 54 generic cartridges straight out of the box and found each of them to be in perfect working condition. There were no hard failures or for that matter any toner based defects in any of the cartridges. This is something that hasn’t been seen in similar tests conducted in the past. What was even more flattering for the aftermarket was that the average continuous yield of generic cartridges exceeded the stated yields of all OEM cartridges used.
We reiterate that even though the commissioning of these tests by the manufacturer of the cartridges being tested brings the results under suspicion, it’s not like you can’t test for these things at home. A simple purchase from Inkjet Wholesale and a comparison with the genuine cartridge at home should give you a good idea. We’ll even publish your tests on this blog if you feel so inclined. What do you say?
OEM Introduces Ricoh MP 601SPF and Ricoh MP 501SPF MFPs Along With Two Single Function Printer Models
Last time we spoke about Ricoh, we were introducing the Ricoh MP 402SPF to you. Now, all its brethren have been released out of their pen by the OEM. Ricoh MP 402SPF is a part of a series of printers from Ricoh which includes two multifunction printers in the form of the Ricoh MP 601SPF and the Ricoh MP 501SPF and two single function printers such as the Ricoh SP 5300DN and the Ricoh SP 5310DN. The entire series is designed to have a very small footprint without compromising on output productivity and quality. The entire series can be said to provide high volume, high quality, and high-speed printing at low maintenance and operational costs.
For instance, according to Ricoh, each printer in this series has been designed and manufactured in a way that they can go through their entire lifespan with minimal maintenance costs. Furthermore, the entire series has been designed to save users space with some of them even capable of being fit on desks as opposed to beside them. It is the single function printers i.e. the Ricoh SP 5300DN and Ricoh SP 5310DN that have the distinction of being able to fit on a normal desk.
These printers not only save you space and money but also time. Ricoh MP 601SPF and Ricoh SP 5310DN have a maximum print speed of about 62 pages per minute (ppm) while the other two can print up to 52 pages ever minute. What is notable is that the Ricoh MP 601SPF and Ricoh SP 5310DN are the first A4 printers from this OEM to boast of such high speeds. What this marriage of speed, small size, and low costs does is that it makes these printers ideal for users in sectors such as pharmacies, retail banking, education, and even healthcare.
The OEM has somehow managed to keep output quality decent despite all these other benefits. The Ricoh SP 5300DN and the Ricoh SP 5310DN printer models also provide impressive output quality with a maximum resolution of 1200 x 600 dots per inch (dpi). The maximum amount of sheets these printers can hold is 2,600. The MFPs i.e. the Ricoh MP 601SPF and the Ricoh MP 501SPF both have similar statistics as the single function printers but they offer more features.
These features mainly revolve around making their use more intuitive and digitally compatible. For instance, both MFPs come pre-loaded with applications designed for boosting workflow and tracking which is a direct result of the OEM using its proprietary Workstyle Innovation Technology. Ricoh has also provided compatibility for legal documents along with an Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) capable of holding up to 75 sheets.
Focus on Workstyle Innovation Technology also means that the Ricoh MP 601SPF and the Ricoh MP 501SPF boast of Smart Operation Panels. These panels make it possible for the user to use the screen in the same way that he uses his phones and tablets i.e. through swipes and pinches. Further, Workstyle Innovation Technology also means that these devices have NFC capability. On the ground, this means near seamless access via phones and other similar devices.
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