Printer Types Comparison
Inkjet printers are generally cheaper, smaller, and have the versatility to print both text-based documents and high quality images, especially photos. BUT be wary of cheap inkjet printers as those will end up costing you a fortune later on.
Laser printers, on the other hand, may be expensive upfront and uses pricier toner cartridges but still offers an overall lower cost per page, faster print speeds and typically involve a lower total cost of ownership.
Let’s take a closer look at the strengths and weaknesses of laser and inkjet printers so you can make your next purchase with confidence.
What Will You Use The Printer For?
If you’re looking for a home printer for occasional printing, most people would advice you to get an inkjet printer. However, a common complaint with inkjet printers is that the ink dries up if you don’t use it often. With that said, if you have the budget for it, I strongly suggest you get an affordably priced laser printer instead; the toner used by laser printers doesn’t dry up.
But if you’ll be printing a small volume of documents and colored images regularly, inkjet printers will get the job done. Laser printers are known to be more durable and can print large quantities of monochrome and colored documents frequently. Though laser printers were originally built for office use, they are now growing in popularity as a home printer for economical reasons.
What about for printing in color? Color laser printers are good for everyday color printing but if you’re looking to print professional high resolution photos, go with a photo inkjet printer.
High quality photo inkjet printers are specially engineered to produce vividly detailed photos with the tonal variety and deeper blacks that photographers and creatives need. Many professional photo inkjet printers use pigment-based ink which is more fade-resistant and works with a wide variety of art paper types as well as a range of paper sizes but you can also find dye-based photo inkjet printers if you don’t require the longevity of pigment ink.
Inkjet vs. Color Laser Printer – One of the most popular questions we get from buyers is: should I get a color laser printer or an inkjet printer? It boils down to what you need color printing for.
If you need gallery quality photos, get a photo inkjet printer.
But if you need to print medium quality colored images that don’t require color depth and tonal range, we recommend color laser printers over inkjet printers for two reasons:
laser toner does not dry up if left unused
you print more pages from laser toner cartridges than inkjet cartridges
