Image via WikipediaQ: Should I use aftermarket toner cartridges? Or should I only use original manufacturer toner cartridges for my laser printer?

A: This is a tough question as the quality of aftermarket toner cartridges, i.e. "refills" or "remans" vary greatly from outfit to outfit. Please note, we're talking about laser printers, not ink jets. And I can only tell you what my personal experience is.

I have a Samsung all-in-one that takes a relatively small cartridge. The original Samsung carts are like $75-90 at Office Depot and such stores. The aftermarket ones are about $50 online through various vendors.

The Samsung one prints both text and pictures perfectly. There is a little banding but overall the result is acceptable.

The reman one prints text fine, but the picture printed is significantly darker and shows excessive banding.

So, if you print a lot of pictures, and care about print quality, then please use original toner carts. If you print mainly text, then it doesn't matter if you use original or reman.

Ink jets have the same concern.