Different printers will use different types of printer ink in their cartridges. The different types of printer ink will not only mix differently with the other colours but they are specifically designed to mean that they do not damage the computer. So, by going out and buying cartridges not intended for your printer you not only risk getting completely the wrong colours coming out as a result, but you could also risk completely ruining the printer you have bought.
Ironically though, you can now often get printers with all the cartridges present for less that the cost of a full set of original cartridges, so if you did find that the ink you were using damaged your printer, you can actually simply buy a new printer and not have lost anything. That isn’t to say you should just throw caution to the wind though and buy whatever is cheap. Instead, if you use a reputable company, you will be able to find ink cartridges that have been specifically designed to produce the best results for your computer at much reduced prices to the ones that the printer’s manufacturer will sell.
So not only will you make sure that you are getting cheap cartridges, but you will be doing so at absolutely no risk to your printer. The important thing is to make sure you buy the ink cartridges from the right places. Reputable online stores are the best bet as generic and potentially damaging cartridges often turn up at car boot sales and markets.
So, if you want to avoid damage or quality issues, it is indeed important to get the right cartridge for your printer. But just remember that this doesn’t have to be an original one – the best quality compatibles will do exactly the same job for much, much less.