The war between the two most dominant types of printers is far from over. On one hand, the inkjet printer enthusiasts cannot hear a word against it; while the pro-laser fanatics believe they have the best device. In essence, both printer types are purposely to help reduce the workload at home, school, and offices to a considerable extent. And although serving the same purpose, each possesses distinct features that differentiate one from the other.
Weighing the Pros and Cons between Inkjet Printers and Laser Printers
Inkjet Printers can produce different types of printing requirements but it is a more popular choice when printing photos, graphs, diagrams, and illustrations due to its unmatched output quality. Listed below are the pros and cons of this type of printer. This should help you decide if it is a better machine than the laser.
Pros of Inkjet printers
- Small Size. Inkjets are typically smaller than lasers, easily fitting small spaces. The all-in-one types are larger though but still relatively littler than lasers.
- Low machine cost. This machine type is cheaper with devices carrying price tags as low as $99.
- Best option for digital images. As mentioned above, this is the best choice for printing photos. May it be printed on fabric, glossy photo paper, or textured stationery, expect exceptional print quality that only inkjet printers can offer.
Cons of Inkjet Printers
- Slow Printing. Image is reproduced on paper through the integration of ink droplets. The technology has been perfected but despite the development, the printing process is still slower. Know that millions of ink droplets are dispensed per second to create the digital image, yet that is still not enough to compete against laser printer technology.
- Expensive replacement ink cartridges. The cost of replacement consumables is pricey. Depending on your printer, you will need to change cartridges monthly, which complicates ones budget. The good thing is that other replacement options are available including cheaper remanufactured ink cartridges that can be bought roughly 30% less than OEMs.
Laser Printers can likewise produce various printing needs but it is much preferred for generating professional-looking text and documents. Itemized below are pros and cons of laser that makes it a worthy competition for inkjets.
Pros of Laser printers
- Fast Printing. Only laser printers can deliver an exceptional print speed. This feature is important for businesses and organizations with heavy volumes of printing requirements. It is for this reason that most offices have shifted to lasers.
- Improved printing quality. Output quality is acceptable especially in busy working environments, which do not require superior prints.
- Quiet Printing. The technology of this machine allows noiseless printing. A soft and distinct sound can still be heard while in operation but the noise is far from inkjet printers.
Cons of Laser printers
- High Machine Cost. The technology is still expensive, hence, it follows that machine cost is high. To cite an example, the money you will spend on a high-end inkjet is equivalent only to a low-end laser printer.
- Expensive replacement toner cartridges. Like the ink replacements, toner cartridges are costly too. But of course there are also dependable third party manufactured printer consumables that can be use as an alternative.
Which one is better – inkjet or laser printers?
Dependent on the listed pros and cons of each printer type, it can be concluded that one cannot outweigh the other. They may have differing features that cater to certain markets, but what remains firm is that they both deliver exceptional performance. The decision on which printer to use will now lie on what the user or organization needs.