Buying a printer is the easiest job. But buying the right printer is up to you. Would you go for an inkjet printer or a laser printer? This article attempts to make it clearer about which printer to buy. First, we need to clarify between the two. An inkjet printer uses ink while a laser printer uses toner. An inkjet printer is great for small printing quantities, especially if you need to print in colour. However, the biggest drawback in using an inkjet is that the ink dries up. Whether the printer is in use or not, the ink eventually evaporates.
On the other hand, a laser printer uses a drum which fuses the toner powder on the paper using heat. All you need to ensure a better print quality is to let the paint dry. Using a high absorption paper also helps.
If you are looking at similar price points, the only advantage of an inkjet printer is that you can print colour printouts. Inkjet Printers now start at $100, with a so-called starter cartridge. However, this starter printer comes with a capacity of only 250-300 pages after which you need to buy the full capacity cartridge, as it will go dry.
Also Read: Different Types of Printer Toner Cartridges
The advantages of buying a printer with Toner are:
a) Print Speed and Text Quality: Inkjet printers can clog easily, resulting in smudgy prints and they often have a lesser paper capacity.
b) Longer Usage Time: A laser printer can be used over a longer period with infrequent usage as the toner does not dry out.
c) Less Expensive Over Time: An inkjet cartridge needs to be changed frequently whether it is used or not. This is the biggest drawback of an inkjet printer.
d) Faster Printing: A typically good laser printer like a Brother or an HP laser printer can reach speeds of up to 100 pages per minute, while an inkjet printer cannot outstretch more than 20 pages per minute.
e) Longer life Span: A laser printer has a lifespan of close to 5 years as compared to an inkjet, which has a life span of approximately 3 years.
One must be aware of aftermarket cheaper inkjet cartridges. Not only do they last must less, but the print quality can also be pretty bad. You will eventually land up paying a much higher cost per page. If your printing needs are limited to a few pages every week, a couple of photocopies or a home office use, it is highly recommended to go
with a laser printer. An inkjet printer is not worth it to be able to print just a couple of high-resolution photos.
Deciding which type of printer you should but eventually comes down to your printing needs. The reduction in the cost of a laser printer and more importantly the toner cartridge makes the option of going for a laser printer so much better. It becomes much more efficient in the long run when our printing needs change, or the kids require lengthy school projects to be printed.
The most significant cost associated with a laser printer is the cost of the cartridge. Using a site like Toner4less.ca can help reduce the cost. They offer Brother toner cartridges as well as HP toner cartridges with discounts of up to $25.