Printer is the most commonly used output device essential for office work. Before your purchase, you need to know the differences between the two types of printers and then make your choice.

Inkjet Printers

Inkjet printers is suitable for family use. One of the advantages is light-weight. It is easy to transport. The other advantage is the cheap price. Most of inkjet printers are not very expensive. If you don’t have enough money, you can choose the cheapest type of inkjet printers and it can meet the demands of most computer users. The inkjet printers spray ink from the print head and then print it on the printing paper. A typical inkjet printer can produce copy with a resolution of at least 300 dots per inch ( dpi ). If you plan on printing lots of photos, inkjet printer will be a better choice. You can also use some color lasers, but the effect and quality will not as good as inkjet printers.

Laser Printers

Laser printers mostly used for office use because of the expensive price and fast printing speed. Laser printers are known for excellent text-printing abilities, faster printing speeds, sharp output, and a low cost per page. It can meet most office users’ needs. The laser printer is linked to a computer using a laser to form a pattern of electrostatically charged dots on a light-sensitive drum and produces good-quality printed material, which attract toner (or dry ink powder). During the heating process after been transferred to the paper, the toner is fixed . Because the general use of such printers is black toner, it can only print the black words. It is very economical if it is in black and white printing.

Let’s compare the other two printers used in our daily life:

• Printing Definition: The printing resolution of inkjet printers is much higher than laser printers, as laser printers is generally 1200dpi at most, but inkjet printers can reach above 4000dpi. So inkjet printers have the absolute advantages in printing.
• Applicable Paper: Inkjet printers can use many kinds of paper like ordinary printing paper, envelope, photo paper, and so on. Laser printers can only use ordinary paper and can’t use photo paper. Typical papers can not stand the heat or high temperature of laser printing machines due to its printing consumables.
• Consumptive Material: The ink cartridge may have a higher price than the printer itself and the universal printing pages (A4 5% coverage) is only 200 to 300 in theory. So as for economical printers, although the price of the laser printer’s toner cartridge is slightly higher, the laser printers can have more printing pages than inkjet printers.
• Printing Speed: The inkjet printers’ printing mode is one line at one time, and the laser printer is a full page output. Therefore, the printing speed of the inkjet printer cannot be compared with the laser printer.

So, inkjet printers are best for family use and laser printers are better for office use.