Laser Printers VS Inkjet

The history of printers dates back to 1938 when the first printing process was developed by Chester Carlson. Just like most electronic devices, printers too have evolved a great deal over the past decade or so. Printers are not an option anymore; they have become an absolute necessity for homes, offices, and schools. The question for today narrows down to: what kind of printer should you buy? Or more specifically, whether you should invest in a laser printer or an inkjet printer?

To give you a clear idea, inkjet printers use the concept of spraying ink onto paper, whereas laser printers use laser beams to control what is defined on the paper. Going over the specifications of each kind of printer can be helpful but in order to make the right purchase, especially if you are buying in bulk, it is important to base your decision on a few key factors. We have discussed those factors in detail to help you compare the two and make a better judgment for yourself.

inkjet printers use the concept of spraying ink onto paper, whereas laser printers use laser beams to control what is defined on the paper.

Cost

Generally speaking, both laser and inkjet printers can be bought at the same price. However, if you want to invest in A3 laser printers, then the upfront cost will definitely be more than the inkjet-printers. Although expensive, A3 laser printers are perfect to use if you need to print out larger images in schools and offices. In the long run, your laser will prove to be cheaper as its toner prints more pages compared to a cartridge of the same value used in an inkjet.

Speed

Regardless of the model you choose, inkjets are slower than the lasers. This is due to the mechanism used by inkjets. Additionally, inkjets have a lower tray capacity making loading and unloading a hassle. Therefore, if you are looking for a printer to use in a big office or school then inkjets are a big no.

Power Consumption

Lasers are less feasible when it comes to efficiency; they produce a large amount of heat and use up to 100Watts of power. On the other hand, an ink jet of the same size will dissipate less heat and use around 12Watts. The fact remains though that inkjets are slower and have a lesser capacity of printing as compared to laser.

Quality

Lasers are known to produce better quality text and graphic images, whereas ink-jet-printers are more capable of producing natural photographs. Again, it depends on your usage, if you are looking for text-based printing, then the laser is the perfect option while for better quality pictures you can opt for an inkjet.

Concluding, it is all about knowing your needs in terms of workload, quality, speed, cost, and power consumption. Whether you need one for the workplace, school or home, it is important to consider every factor I have described above to maximize productivity and minimize cost