Inkjet and laser printers are the essential types of printers you can select to complete your daily heavy printing tasks. It’s not easy to finalize which one is best for you, until you know the difference between the inkjet and the laser printer.
This article will assist you with all the details of these two printers to easily select which printer you should select.
Here we mentioned some crucial differences, including their functions, designs, and cost that can help you to narrow down your choice.
Let’s know more about inkjet printers vs. laser printers!
Inkjet printer- A Short Overview
Inkjet printers use a fine mist of ink to spray onto paper. Inkjet printers are usually cheaper and smaller, so they can print all text documents and high-quality tested images. However, inkjet printers will ultimately cost you a lot in the long run because of the expensive inks.
Laser printer- A Short Overview
Laser printers are devices that make prints by dissolving laser powder over the paper. Toner printers are more costly than inkjet printers, requiring more precious ink refills. Still, they’re also a more cost-effective alternative in the long run, with easy operation per page and quicker print rates.
Inkjet Printer vs. Laser Printer- Complete Detail
After a complete overview of the inkjet and laser printer, there is a vast difference between both of these printers, which helps to select the best printer according to your wishes.
Let’s know the difference between laser and inkjet printers in complete detail!
Primary Use of a Printer
Inkjet printers and laser printers are examples of personal PC printers. Most professionals recommend getting an inkjet printer if you’re searching for a device at home for regular printing. And if you don’t use your inkjet printer often enough, the ink will stop flowing.
We recommend getting a low-cost laser printer instead of the inkjet printer if you have the resources.
Conversely, laser printers are the ideal choice if you routinely need vibrant, high-resolution photos and print a limited number of papers.
Color Printing or Black-White Printing
Monochrome laser printers are ideal for ordinary color printing; inkjet printers are better for producing professional high-resolution black and white images.
Photographers and professionals rely on high-quality black and white image inkjet printers to generate high-quality black and white pictures with explicit texts and photos. On the other hand, color photo inkjet printers are also available if you don’t need the lifetime of particle ink.
Working
One printer uses ink, while the other utilizes powder. Laser printers dissolve toner granules onto paper, and inkjet printers sprinkle fine ink drops on the form. A laser printer works on the principle of electric charge, which determines how much toner it should spray on a specific place for quality printing products.
Working of Laser Printer Video
While the inkjet printer works on the principle of spraying ink on the document, it has cartridges for inks that determine how much ink it should spray at the specific place on the paper for quality printing.
Working of Inkjet Printer Video
Also read: Difference between Ink and Toner
Quality of Printer
When it comes to quality, a laser printer is more accurate due to ink cartridges and the high resolution compared to an inkjet printer using a laser printer, you can print colored or white and black documents. In contrast, inkjet printers can usually perform only one type of printing. A laser printer is durable as compared to an inkjet printer. Moreover, it has high accuracy and fewer ink deterioration effects.
An inkjet printer also has good quality, but it’s not very accurate when we compare the little texts or images you want to see on a document. However, it has some edges, including borderless printing, which makes it considerable among many professionals.
Resolution
Most inkjet printers have a quality image of roughly 5,000 dots per inch (dpi). For example, the highest performance of most Canon Inkjet printers is 4800 x 1200 dots per inch. The optimum print quality of Epson photo printers is 5760 x 1440 dots per inch. The Pixma iP110 printer boasts a capacity of 9600 x 2400doots per inch, two times higher than standard PIXMA printers.
Typical laser printers offer approximately 2,400 x 600 dots per inch resolution. Still, the latest models, such as the Hp LaserJet Pro M479fdw, can improve their dots per inch to deliver an upgraded print quality of 38,400 x 600 dots per inch.
Printing Speeds
Laser printers print at a higher pace, up to 15 and 100 pages per minute. Thus they are designed to meet the needs of the office usage for professional workers. At the same time, inkjet printers have a speed of about 16 pages per minute. Because laser printers are quicker, they can print additional papers per month than ink cartridges in the inkjet printers, resulting in a greater regular output volume.
Cost per Page
The cost for laser printer vs. inkjet cost per page varies. Several factors determine the price besides the installation cost. As mentioned above, a laser printer costs more when you buy and install it than an inkjet printer.
When you consider long-term work, an inkjet printer costs more because of the everyday need to change the toner in the ink cartridges. For long-term use, a laser printer is highly cost-effective.
Difference between Inkjet and Laser Printers In Tabular Form
| Inkjet Printer | Laser Printer |
| Page production speed is 450 pages | Page production speed is 6,800 pages |
| Low (cost more for long term use) | High (cost effective for long term use) |
| It sprays ink on document with help of nozzle | Transfer ink on the document with helps of toner |
| Useful for professionals and students for high quality documents | Useful for common printing required at home or local place |
Inkjet vs. Laser Printer- Frequently Asked Questions
Do laser printers dry out?
Laser printers do not dry out, and only ink printers run dry.
What is the disadvantage of a laser printer?
Although laser printers are much more costly than inkjet printers and require more premium laser toner, they are a better outlay choice in the foreseeable future, owing to reduce per-page price and higher laser power.
Which lasts longer, laser or inkjet?
A laser printer is more durable as compared to an inkjet printer.
Wrapping Up- The Difference between Inkjet and Laser Printer
Above is complete detail on the difference between inkjet and laser printer. Laser printers have more importance and reputation due to their additional features, i.e., speed and heavy-duty printing jobs. It’s costly but effective for long-term and professional work.
To be short, this is how it goes:
- Laser printers in monochrome are ideal for printing text and documents.
- LaserJet printers are great for printing documents and family photos for personal use photos, intermediate color graphics, and text.
For more information on printing tips and printer selection ideas, keep reading our latest blogs.
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