Before you can determine what type of filter you will need, you need to identify what type of contaminates you are removing:

• Is it a tiny particulate or a large solid?
• Is it hard, fibrous, gelatinous?
• Is it a liquid such as a solvent, oil, or ink?

The three main filter types are:

• Depth Filters work best on liquid contaminates such as gels, solvents, ink and oils.
• Bag Filters designed to work best with large contaminates.
• Pleated Filters are most efficient for filtering particulates.

Remember: a low-cost filter that needs frequent replacement costs more to use than a higher-cost filter that rarely needs to be changed.