Ever wonder why the printer in your office differs from the printer you have at home? Office printers are heavy duty and are used non-stop. They are capable of printing hundreds and hundreds of pages without heating or freezing up. If you use your home printer the same way you use your office printer, then be ready for it to crash and run out of ink in just a few hours.

There are specifically designed cartridges compatible to these two kinds of printers: the heavy-duty toner cartridges and the lightweight ink cartridges. The toner cartridges have a metal container as housing and consist of a dry powdery material designed to stick to your paper. These toner cartridges are usually available in black and white and are highly popular for office use.

Ink cartridges on the other hand are designed to be less expensive and fun to use. Unlike the toner cartridge, the ink cartridge is housed in a plastic container and is available in different colors. Ink cartridges are available in a single, four color cartridge that already includes black, a tricolor cartridge that has three of the major colors used to mix together to form other shades, and a separate blank ink cartridge.

Although you have the option to choose, still bear in mind that the most compatible ink cartridges for your printer are the ones made specifically for your printer. Some ink cartridges may introduce foreign material to your printer which may result in poor quality printing and even clog up your printer. Some printers also do not work without all the cartridges in place so make sure to know your printers features first before you buy them.