Alternate Possibilities

The primary disadvantage, according to Goswamy, is that all alternative inks are not the same and there are some inferior inks out there. “If a printer does not work with the right ink company and has a bad experience it can unfairly taint their view of all alternative inks,” Goswamy explained. “This is really a detriment to the printer since they are not able to take advantage of good alternative inks that can allow them to have lower costs and better quality. If a printer works with the right ink company, there should not be any disadvantages.”

Consistency is a constant challenge and can be a problem for many alternative ink providers. “Many third-party inkjet manufacturers purchase low volumes of raw materials, which creates a challenge to the end user,” said Witte. “There are times when the color will drift or the drying times will change from batch to batch. That’s why it’s absolutely necessary to do your homework and insist on reliability. Otherwise, it will cost you somewhere down the line.”

Payne says the biggest challenge a user may face is just deciding to switch to an alternative-to-OEM ink. “Alternative inks have gotten a bad rap over the years because of inferior products being produced by some manufacturers,” he said. Today, there are many good alternative inks available with excellent quality and consistency.”

Making the switch to an alternative ink is a big decision. The user depends on that printer as a source of income. If the user is not comfortable with the performance or post-sale support, then getting that user to switch is a challenge.

Additional challenges with some alternative inks, according to Payne, are technical support, consistency from batch-to-batch, dependable supply chain and ease of conversion. “This is why it is extremely important to consider the manufacturer of the alternative ink.”

One fear that printers may have should not be a fear at all, according to Igoe. “Some OEMs may use coercive tactics that make end users afraid to make the change by stating incorrectly that their warranty will not be supported,” he said. “This is illegal! Unfortunately, though, this fear has prevented many end users from converting.”

Payne believes that printer manufacturers will increase their efforts to thwart alternative ink usage. “As the acceptance of alternative ink grows, so grows the need for printer manufacturers to increase efforts to retain the OEM ink business,” he said. In recent years, printer manufacturers have enticed users to keep using OEM ink by offering longer original equipment warranty periods. “One year used to be the standard equipment warranty period. Now, as long as the user buys OEM ink, that warranty period is extended to two-years (three years in some cases).”

Payne also believes that equipment manufacturers have started putting more pressure on distributors to push OEM ink sales. “Distributors who offer alternative inks are being threatened with smaller discounts (lower margins) or not having distribution agreements renewed,” he claimed. “Printer manufacturers will exhaust all means available before lowering ink prices. As the use of alternative inks continues to increase, printer manufacturers will surely have to re-examine pricing strategies. The market isn’t there yet, but it very well could be in the near future.”

Environmental Protection

Overall, the existence of alternative ink companies does affect the OEM, as it negatively affects their bottom line. But, as Andreottola pointed out, OEMs have nothing to fear. “Alternative inks are not for everyone, so there are only a small percentage of companies using such inks.”

One issue that should not be overlooked, according to Andreottola, is the affect on the environment. “If it were not for the alternative ink manufacturers, who supply companies that remanufacture the OEM cartridges, there would be millions of empty cartridges in our landfills,” he noted. “One of the OEMs is very aware of this problem and has initiated several programs to collect and recycle spent cartridges. There are many additional uses and applications for ink jet printers. The OEM can’t address many of these and the existence of alternative ink manufacturers allows some of these projects to come to fruition while creating new jobs, helping the economy and protecting the environment.”