Product Definitions

What is OEM?

OEM stands for 'Original Equipment Manufacturer'. It is the primary company which manufactures products such as printers and cartridges. It then sells these products using its own company brand name for example Canon, Epson, Hewlett Packard, Lexmark and Brother. These brands are often called the 'printer OEM'.

What is a compatible cartridge?

This is simply a replacement cartridge which has been manufactured through another company not the OEM.

What is a remanufactured cartridge?

This is a cartridge manufactured or reprocessed out of new and recycled parts. In other words, it has been 'rebuilt' for the exact design and purpose of its original cartridge. However, there are a lot of OEMs which also produce products containing recycled or recovered materials which of course are listed on the package in fine print. Also, some remanufactured cartridges can fall under the brand of an OEM.