OEM ink cartridges are made by the product manufacturer rather than a third party. Manufacturers recommend OEM ink cartridges as they have lowest probability of leaking ink into the printer. Manufacturers also claim that the life of the printer could be adversely affected by the use of other cartridges.

OEM ink cartridges can provide benefits such as higher yields, better quality prints, reliability, minimized downtime and guaranteed compatibility with specific models. In most cases, OEM ink cartridges are expensive compared to other alternatives, including remanufactured cartridges, which can provide similar performance. The high cost is often cited as due to the heavy investment in the technical know-how, expert technologies and man power.