These two printer brands use two very different types of printer ink cartridges, which both produce the same result. Epson ink cartridges use an ink tank system where each cartridge slots into a fixed print head on the printer. HP ink cartridges use a system where the printhead is fixed to the cartridges, meaning each cartridge has its own print head. Each system has its own advantages and disadvantages for example the ink tanks system in the Epson printers means that the cartridges are cheap to manufacture and makes compatible Epson ink cartridges excellent value for money. An advantage of the system used in the Lexmark printers is that each time you change the cartridges you are changing the print head and the makes reliable keeps print quality to a high standard. A disadvantage of the ink tanks system is that because the print head is fixed in means that the print head is never changed and if it gets damaged it is usually cheaper to buy a new printer rather than try and repair it. A disadvantage of the print head being fixed to the cartridge make them expensive and difficult to manufacture being the print head is a complicated component to manufacture and requires specialist machinery to do so. As a result compatible inks cartridges for Lexmark printers are not new manufactured cartridges, they are remanufactured OEM products.
