The difference between laser and inkjet printing
The difference between laser and inkjet printing
Many people walk into a store looking at two different types of printers. A inkjet printer and a laser jet printer. The question that always comes to mind is, "what is the difference between a laser and inkjet printer?" Many people will prefer one type over the other, but it is all personal preference. Some of the main differences are listed below:
Powdery toners are used in laser printers, in certain plain paper faxes, and in certain plain paper xerographic copiers.
Liquid ink is used in inkjet printers and in inkjet copiers and faxes.
"Laser Jet" is Hewlett Packard's name for its line of laser printers.
"Deskjet", "Officejet", and "Designjet" are Hewlett Packard's names for its lines of inkjet printers and plotters.
"Bubblejet" is Canon's name for its line of inkjet printers.
If the paper coming from the printer, copier, or fax you are using is warm, the system probably uses powdery toner.
If the ink on the paper is wet to the touch, the printer, copier, or fax you are using probably uses liquid inkjet ink.
If your cartridge is about as wide as a sheet of paper (9 to 12 inches or 225 to 400 mm) or larger, the system probably uses powdery toner.
If your cartridge is about 3 to 4 inches in size (75 to 100 mm) or smaller, your cartridge probably uses liquid inkjet ink.
The main thing to know is what you want to do with the printer? Are you using it in a work environment or personal use? Photo printing or document printing? To know which is best for you, let's look at both printers individually.
Inkjet Printers
The inkjet printer are the most common types of printers. They use inkjet cartridges that provide professional coloring quality. That is a big drawback for many people since the cartridges are expensive to buy and you can only have them refilled with color 3 times. Typically they print between 13 to 15 pages per minute.
One of the biggest things to look at is the printer's resolution or Dots Per Inch (DPI). DPI is the amount of ink that an inkjet printer can place in a one-inch section of your print document. The majority of the inkjet printers on the market today also print photographs with impressive quality.
The most obvious advantage to inkjet printers is cost. These types of printers range from very expensive to actually costing less than the ink cartridges that they use inside. They are ideal for producing self-adhering labels, brochures, and even iron-on t-shirt designs. While inkjets are subject to drawbacks like ink costs and potential messes, they are still the most affordable and versatile type of print technology.
Laser Printers
Laser printers are fast and accurate. Many offices and workspaces prefer laser printers due to the fact that they move very quickly for large document printing. Another reason people like laser printers are the upkeep costs.
Laser printers use toner, which because it exists in a solid state, lasts a long time and comes in larger quantities. They don't require cartridges like the inkjet printers which are expensive and run out quickly. High-end color laser printers are still expensive. However as newer technology is developed and prices continue to drop.
The best option to keep in mind is how quickly you want your documents printed, the quality you want these documents to be and how much you are willing to spend on the printer. Like most technology, a printer you buy today can be extinct in one or two years so it all depends on you if you want to spend a lot of the high-end most recent printer, or buy one the fits your needs now.
