The vast majority of businesses need printers. But, with multiple types of printers to choose from, like inkjet and laser printer varieties, many business owners aren’t entirely sure which one suits their needs the best.
If you’re in a similar situation, this guide is here to help break down the inkjet vs. laser printer debate.
An Introduction to Inkjet Printers
We’ll start with a look at inkjet printers.
An inkjet printer, as the name implies, sprays ink onto the paper to form text and images. It has little nozzles inside that emit drops of ink from a cartridge. This is known as a “wet” form of printing, as opposed to the “dry” variant used in a laser printer.
The Pros of an Inkjet Printer
As with any type of printer, inkjet models have their plus points and their downsides. Here’s a look at the pros:
Cheap Up-Front Costs
Price-wise, at least in terms of actual device costs, inkjet printers tend to be cheaper than their laser printer counterparts. That means you won’t have to spend quite as much on the printer itself, which is handy if you’ve got a limited business budget.
Great for Detailed, Colorful Printing
The wet printing process used by inkjet printers tends to produce very vivid, colorful, and bright output. They’re especially good for printing the likes of photos or promotional materials, with lots of detail and boldness in the final design.
Relatively Compact and Lightweight
Most inkjet printers, even high-end office models, are quite compact and lightweight. They shouldn’t take up too much space in your office, especially when compared to bigger and bulkier laser printer equivalents.
The Cons of an Inkjet Printer
Next, the downsides:
Costly to Run
While inkjet printers are cheap to buy, they’re not so cheap to maintain. Ink cartridges run out fast, and have to be refilled or replaced. That’s where the real cost of owning an inkjet model starts to appear, as brands have control over the cost of their cartridges, which are often very expensive.
Not the Fastest
This depends on the precise model you buy, but many inkjet printers simply aren’t as speedy as lasers. It can take quite a while to print out a single document, especially if it has lots of text and detail. That’s a problem if your business needs to print dozens or hundreds of docs daily.
An Introduction to Laser Printers
Next, a look at laser printing. A laser printer uses static electricity and toner powder, in a process called dry printing, to form text and images on paper. Toner is basically a powdered form of ink. In simple terms, it sticks onto certain parts of the paper where a negative charge has been applied with the aid of a laser.
The Pros of a Laser Printer
A laser printer brings many unique advantages to the table, including:
Cheaper to Run
Laser printers may not be as inexpensive up-front as inkjets, but they’re certainly cheaper to run. Toner cartridges last much longer than average inkjet cartridges. That means fewer replacements and the ultimate cost per printed page is significantly less.
Lightning-Fast
Super speedy, laser printers deliver page after page of printed text in a matter of seconds. Their average print rate – measured in pages per minute (ppm) – is notably higher than that of inkjet models. This is perfect for businesses that have heavy-duty printing responsibilities.
Consistent Quality Output
A problem with inkjet models is that, when ink is running low, the output can suffer. You may find that certain colors don’t appear quite right or printouts have alignment problems. That’s not an issue with laser printers. They’re much more consistent and reliable in their output.
Business-Oriented Features
A lot of laser printer models also come complete with business-focused features and functions. They may offer advanced security features to encrypt your data and prevent unauthorized access to printouts, for example, or even have extra built-in accessories like optional paper trays for bulk printing.
The Cons of a Laser Printer
There are also a couple of downsides to consider.
More Expensive Up-Front
If you want a laser printer, and all the benefits it brings, you’ll need to pay the price. As touched on earlier, when it comes to up-front costs, laser models tend to be more expensive than inkjets. But you will save in the long run on toner.
Better at Black and White Docs than Color Images or Photos
Laser printers excel at printing black-and-white documents. They’re a dream for printing business letters, contracts, and so on. But, for color documents, they’re not quite as good. They can still get the job done but without much of the depth and brightness that inkjets provide. Also, they’re not good for printing photos on glossy paper.
Inkjet or Laser: Which to Choose?
So, we’ve seen arguments on both sides of the debate. Now, the big question: which to pick between an inkjet and a laser printer for all your business printing needs?
Well, the simple fact of the matter is that there’s no single answer to that question. For some businesses, inkjet will be the right choice. For others, laser printers are the way to go. It all depends on a vast array of factors, like what kind of printing you do, how many docs you print per day, and how much you have to spend on your printer and its upkeep.
To make the right call, you have to take your time and ask the key questions, like:
- How many docs do we have to print each day?
- Will we mostly print in color or black and white?
- How fast do we need our printers to be?
- How might our printing needs evolve over the next few years?
Another great way to choose the right printing solution is to turn to the pros, like the team at Buckmaster. A trusted and experienced office technology company, Buckmaster has helped many businesses around Sacramento make the best possible selection in office printers, copiers, and beyond. We can do the same for you! Reach out today to learn how.