The Main Differences Between Inkjet and Laser Printers

There are so many options when it comes to office printers or home office printers but with this helpful guide we hope to address the main difference and answer any question you may have. If you still feel like you don’t have all the info then why not use the chat function on our site to speak to our knowledgeable staff or contact: sales@lowcostoffice.ie

Cost

Lets kick it off with the biggest difference and the one that is usually the deciding factor for most customers, the cost.  Inkjet printers are better at printing photos and colour documents, they're more expensive. Unlike inkjet printers, laser printers don't use ink. Instead, they use toner — which lasts much longer. The trade-off is that laser printers are generally more expensive. So the real answer will depend on what you wish to do with your printer. Do you have a monthly page count? Will you print more in colour or black and white?

Functionality

You can generally find a printer that will have all the functions you require. Some or multifunction devices that can also scan, copy and even fax so try and narrow down what you need the device to do before you purchase. The main difference between an inkjet and laser are the types of ink they use. Laser printers use toner cartridges while ink cartridges are used by inkjet printers. A laser printer uses an electrical charge to instruct where and when the toner should be dispensed onto the paper while the inkjet ink is dispensed accordingly, as the cartridge moves across the page.

Speed

If speed of printing is the main factor you are concerned about then you might want to consider laser. In addition to being slower an inkjet printer tends to have a smaller printer tray meaning you need to refill the paper more often. If you print monthly in large volumes and need them as quick as possible then laser is the way to go.

Quality of Prints

The major purpose of building laser printers is not always to handle printing of images. They rely on the halftone dots used for the creation of a limited number of colours on the surface of your documents. Even if you find a laser printer that is capable to handle colours of higher quality for image printing, it is highly probable that you will need special papers to get this job done. Laser printers, however, are more suited to print crisp and clear text.

Prints from inkjet keep on drying even once the text or image is printed on the paper. It leads to the problem of blurred documents. On the other hand, laser printer ink use a more complex heat transfer technology. The prints you take from them are absolutely smudge-proof from the moment to exit the machine.