What is an inkjet printer?

Inkjet printers are machines that spray microscopic droplets of ink onto paper. Inkjet printers are generally cheaper, smaller, and can be used to print both text documents and high quality colored images, especially photos. BUT be wary of cheap inkjet printers as those will end up costing you a fortune later on.

What is a laser printer?

Laser printers are machines that melt toner powder onto paper to create a print. Laser printers are more expensive than inkjet printers upfront and uses pricier toner cartridges but is still a more economical option in the long run with its overall lower cost per page, faster print speeds.

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 require high resolution 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.

What is a monochrome printer?

A monochrome printer is a printer that prints only in black and white. Monochrome printers only need a black printer cartridge to print. 

Though laser printers were originally built for office use, they are now growing in popularity as a home printer for economical reasons.

If you’ll be printing large volumes of documents, a laser printer is the best machine for you. Laser printers can print high volumes of documents daily without even batting an eyelash (if a printer ever had one…or many).

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