Ink Cartridge Dictionary Brand-name HP. Epson. Canon. Lexmark. Ink cartridges made by big companies for their own printers. Also known as OEM. Safe and reliable, but also the most expensive. For more on individual companies, see entries. Brother Founded in Japan in 1934 as a sewing machine company. Brother entered the inkjet wars in 1992 and continues to make high quality printers, copiers, and office machines. Bubble jet One of two main types of inkjet printers, the other being piezoelectric. Developed by HP and Canon. In bubble jets, an electric current heats a piece of metal within the inkjet cartridge, causing a bubble to form and push ink through the nozzles. Canon Pioneer of bubble jet printers, along with HP. Started in Japan in 1933 as maker of cameras and continues to be a top camera company, as well as maker of many other machines, such as copiers and camcorders. Compatible Generic inkjet cartridges made from new material, as opposed to recycled or remanufactured inkjet cartridges. Dell A recent entry into the world of computer ink. The world's top direct supplier of computers and in battle with HP for title of Computer King. Founded by Michael Dell in 1984. Epson A giant in the printer ink world. Founded in 1961 as part of Japan's Seiko Group to make precision watch parts. Pioneered piezoelectric inkjet printers. Generic A non brand-name cartridge. Divided into two main groups: compatible and remanufactured cartridges. HP The largest printer company in the world. Started in 1939 in a California garage for $500. A pioneer in many fields, including personal computers, laser printers, and inkjet printers. Manufactures a wide array of office machines, including copiers, scanners, and multifunction machines, and battles with Dell for world domination in computers. Also known as Hewlett Packard, after its founders. Inkjet Printer Printer that sprays ink directly onto paper. Introduced by Epson and HP in 1984. By the 1990s, inkjet printers overtook dot matrix and daisy wheel printers to dominate the printer ink market. Laser Printer Big, expensive, tough, and heavy, the laser is the sumo wrestler of printers. Uses toner (dry ink), static electricity, and heat to print. Best suited for printing large numbers of pages. Toner cartridges can be expensive. Lexmark Spun-off from IBM in 1991 and now one of the leading makers of inkjet ink, with sales in over 150 countries. Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act US law that forbids companies from canceling a warranty if a consumer uses another manufacturer's ink. OEM Short for Original Equipment Manufacturer. A brand-name. HP. Epson. Cannon. Lexmark. Piezoelectric One of two ways inkjet cartridges spray ink, the other being bubble jet. Electric current causes Piezo crystals to vibrate and bend, pushing ink out of the nozzle. Patented by Epson. Recycled Also known as remanufactured. Recycled inkjet cartridges have been thoroughly inspected and cleaned, tested, and reassembled to meet OEM standards. Refill Kit A do-it-yourself kit that lets you inject ink directly into the cartridge. Printer refills can save money, but they can also be messy and time-consuming. Follow all directions! Remanufactured A recycled ink cartridge. The printer cartridges have been disassembled, cleaned, inspected, reassembled, tested, sealed, and packaged. Toner Cartridge Cartridge for a laser printer. Laser toner cartridges contain dry ink (toner). Laser toners are much larger and more expensive than inkjet ink and more difficult to recycle.