Deciding Between Ink and Laser Printers

When setting up a home office, one of the most important purchases you'll make is the printer. Consumers have two basic options when it comes to home printing: inkjet and laser. Both types have their advantages and disadvantages, and neither is necessarily better than the other; it depends on your specific needs.

If you aren't sure which type of printer you should buy, this article will explain the key differences that matter most. You should also visit an eletronics store that will let you test different models so you can see for yourself whether you prefer an inkjet printer or a laser printer.

Color ink printers and black and white laser printers sell in the same price range, whereas color laser printers are the most expensive of all. So if you absolutely need color printing, an inkjet printer is the better value. Most printer manufacturers no longer make black and white only ink printers; if you want such a model, you can check garage sales and Craigslist.

The typical cost of a color inkjet printer and b/w laser printer is $100 - $200. The higher the price, the better the page quality and the lager the capacity. HP makes some of the best laser printers in this price range. Read a review of the HP LaserJet Pro Wireless Printer (P1102w).

For the same price, a laser printer outputs much better quality than an ink printer. With a laser printer, there is no waiting for the page to dry, so you can never risk smudging the image or text. Ink printers do not produce text and images as clearly and sharply as laser printers do. Although the difference in quality is noticeable, if you mostly need to print text you probably won't mind an inkjet printer.

On the other hand, if you need to print high-quality color photos, you should invest in a high-end inkjet printer, which may cost around $300. A color laser printer costs $400 - $500.

The main difference between inkjet and laser printers is how the media is transferred to the page. Ink printers use cartridges with liquid ink; laser printers use compressed powder called toner. You can use a color ink printer as a black and white printer simply by loading with black ink only, and this will save you some money since color ink cartridges are expensive. Toner cartridges cost more than ink cartridges, but they last much longer, so in the long run, black toner is cheaper than ink. Colored toner is very expensive.

Buying replacement cartridges is one of the most confusing aspects of owning a home printer, since it's not always clear with brands and models will work with each printer. Most office supply stores make it easy to find the exact cartridges that work with your printer.

Laser printers can print one page in one second or less, while ink printers may need two or three seconds per page. However, since laser printers use heat to bind the toner to the paper, they also get much hotter and use more energy. If you are looking for an energy saving product and don't care about speed, you should buy an inkjet printer.