Is it Okay to Mix Genuine, Compatible & Remanufactured Cartridges?

At Good Egg, we often hear questions like this from customers:

"Can I use a genuine black cartridge with compatible magenta, yellow and cyan cartridges in my printer?"

When considering what cartridges to use in your printer, it’s natural to wonder if mixing different types - genuine (OEM), compatible, or remanufactured - is okay.

While it might seem harmless, combining them can sometimes affect print quality or even cause printer issues.

Here we explain why mixing cartridges - whether ink or toner - isn’t always the best idea.

Different Types of Printer Cartridges

• Genuine (OEM) Cartridges
  Genuine or OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) are cartridges made by the printer’s brand (e.g. HP, Brother, Canon). They’re precision-designed to work flawlessly with your printer.
• Compatible Cartridges
  Made by third-party aftermarket brands, compatible cartridges are engineered to work with your printer at a lower price. 
• Remanufactured Cartridges
  These are OEM cartridge shells which have been refurbished and then refilled with third-party ink or toner. 

Key Differences Between OEM, Compatible and Refurbished Cartridges:

• Inkjet Cartridges: Differences in ink chemistry, viscosity, and colour profiles.
• Toner Cartridges: Differences in toner particle size, fusing properties, and drum unit tolerances.

What Can Go Wrong When Mixing Cartridges?

Mixing genuine, compatible and/or remanufactured cartridges within the same printer (e.g. OEM black + compatible colour) can result in unwanted complications - whether you’re using ink or toner.

Each manufacturer uses unique ink and toner formulas. Mixing genuine cartridges with third-party compatibles or remanufactured cartridges introduces different ink chemistries into your printer. Even though remanufactured cartridges are made from OEM shells, they contain third-party ink or toner. These chemical differences can cause inconsistent print quality, colour mismatches, or streaks.

1. Inconsistent Print Quality

• Colours may look uneven, especially in images or charts.
• Text and graphics may show varying sharpness between colours (especially noticeable in toner-based laser printers).
• You may spot ghosting, banding, or slight misalignment due to variations in cartridge calibration.

2. Ink & Toner Chemistry Mismatch

• In inkjets, OEM, compatible and remanufactured inks may dry at different rates or interact poorly on paper, leading to smudging or colour bleeding.
• In laser printers, OEM, compatible and remanufactured toners may have different melt points or particle sizes, causing fusing issues or toner flaking.

3. Increased Error Messages

• Some printers detect mismatched cartridges and may display error messages or stop printing altogether. Using a consistent set - whether all OEM, all compatible, or all remanufactured cartridges from the same supplier - reduces the risk of frustrating printer alerts.

4. Warranty Complications

• Some manufacturers may reject warranty coverage for print quality or hardware failures related to cartridge mismatches.
• Support teams might require you to replace all cartridges with OEM ones before offering troubleshooting or repairs.

Why Staying Consistent Pays Off

Whether you're printing invoices on a laser printer or photos on an inkjet, using a matched set of cartridges from the same brand (OEM or compatible) ensures:

• Harmonised colour balance and uniform print quality.
• Fewer firmware conflicts and chip recognition errors.

We recommend sticking to one type of cartridge whenever possible. However, there’s one exception. If you’re using high quality compatible and remanufactured cartridges produced by the same third-party manufacturer, they are usually designed to work well together. 

Final Thoughts

To keep your printer performing at its best, we recommend sticking to a single cartridge type -OEM, compatible, or remanufactured. The only exception is when using compatible and remanufactured cartridges made by the same third-party supplier.

At Good Egg, we’re all about giving you options. We offer you a choice of OEM, compatible and remanufactured cartridges for inkjet and laser printers. The high quality remanufactured and compatible cartridges we supply are from the same manufacturer and engineered to function as a system, helping you avoid the issues typically seen when mixing brands.