Comparison of print quality between inkjet and laser printers. Difference between laser and inkjet printers. Which one is more effective for black and white printing?

1. Printer: functional features
2. Types of printing devices
3. Laser printer
4. Inkjet printer
5. Which color printer is better: laser or inkjet
6. Laser or inkjet printer: main conclusions

Today, a printing device is far from a luxury, but an important necessity. The range of such devices presented on the modern market pleases with its assortment. But, on the other hand, such a huge variety increases the complexity of choice. Some of the most frequently asked questions include: Inkjet or laser printer, which is better? How to understand the functionality and technical characteristics of the device? What are the disadvantages and advantages of certain models? All this is discussed in detail in our publication.

Printer: functional features

A color printer is a technical device, the main purpose of which is concentrated in transferring information from electronic to solid media, that is, to paper. Using this device you can print not only text documents, but also photographs. Among the most popular printers are MFPs; such multifunctional devices can combine several functions at once: scanning, printing, copying. A separate category consists of devices with telefax.

Types of printing devices

There are several criteria based on which different types of printing equipment can be distinguished:

Nature of work;
Specifics of color layout;
Type of ink and source material being printed.

Depending on the base of the ink used, printers can be:

Oil-based (in industry for marking);
Water-based (in domestic and office environments);
Pigment (used in photo printing, as they provide high quality images that are created);
Solvent (for outdoor advertising);
Thermal transfer (to apply an image to fabric).

Laser printer

Laser printing technology was first developed at the beginning of the last century. At that time it was called electrography, a little later another name appeared - xerography. An important feature of such printing is the high quality of the source material, good speed, and low cost per unit of printout.

The central link in the operating principle of this device is the photodrum, the main property of which is to maintain the electric charge corresponding to each point on its surface. A beam from a special scanner hits the mirror. As a result, the surface of the photodrum acquires a positive charge. These charged areas create an image. Coloring powder (toner) spills onto the drum and then creates a pattern, concentrating on charged points. After this, under the influence of pressure and high temperatures, the image is fixed on paper.

As a result, speed and quality increase significantly. In addition, the printed material has increased resistance to external influences. This pattern will not deteriorate due to moisture, and the color will not fade.

The important advantages of a laser printer are the following:

Low cost per printed page;
High speed;
Can be used for work that involves printing voluminous text material;
Can be used for increased loads;
Does not require frequent refueling;
Provides a print that is resistant to moisture;
You can print on virtually any type of paper without compromising quality.

The disadvantages of a laser printer are:

High price:
High energy consumption;
Inability to use for photo printing;
The possibility of refueling at home is excluded;
Intended for printing black and white images and texts;
Toner is harmful to health, so it is recommended to always ventilate the room after finishing work.

Jet printer

The technology of applying an image to a sheet is very similar to the matrix technology, but there is an important difference - instead of needles, a print head with a special liquid ink is used. The image itself is created using dots. In this case, the print head can be located in the device itself or attached directly to the cartridge.

The advantages of an inkjet printer are as follows:

Lower cost of the device;
Lower level of energy consumption (if a laser device requires 300-500 W, then, on average, an inkjet device requires 20-30 W);
Even inexpensive models are equipped with wide functionality - a card reader, printing photos directly from the camera without the use of a personal computer. Some devices support printing via WIFI.
Good color rendering quality;
Support for various digital media;
The ink used for refilling is environmentally friendly and does not harm health;
Large model range;
Compact dimensions.

The disadvantages of an inkjet printer are:

Relatively high cost of printed material;
Such a device requires frequent ink replacement under conditions of intensive use.
This device must be used systematically, otherwise the ink will become unusable;
Increased sensitivity to paper quality and selected print settings;
The operating speed of the device is quite slow;
Instability of the printed material to moisture.

Which color printer is better: laser or inkjet?

It is important for you to purchase a high-quality printing device, but you still haven’t decided which printer is better: laser or inkjet? In this case, carefully study the characteristics of both devices:

Price. Buying a cheaper printing device is easy. But it’s more difficult to calculate what the cost per page will be. In this regard, there is only one leader – electrographic technology. In fact, it is not more economical in terms of ink consumption and is not very sensitive to paper quality.
Speed. If we compare inkjet and electrographic printing, the latter is the undoubted leader. However, if you plan to use such a device periodically, for example, once a week, then this difference will not become any fundamental point for you.
Level of permissible loads. The load volume of inkjet printing technology is limited by the amount of ink that remains; this problem is partly solved thanks to a continuous ink supply system. For laser printers this issue is not too acute.
Character of the filling. Regardless of which device you choose, sooner or later you will face the problem of refilling ink. Refilling an inkjet printer is not difficult, the main thing is to learn not to spill ink on yourself. Over time you will be able to learn this. With toner everything is much more complicated. After all, it is toxic, so refueling can only be done in specially equipped rooms.

Laser or inkjet printer: main conclusions

When thinking about what is best for your home, be sure to take into account the specific purposes for which you plan to buy this device. Regardless of which type of device (laser or inkjet) you like best, the selection factors will be the same:

Manufacturing company. It is better, of course, to opt for time-tested brands that have proven themselves well in the market.
Warranty obligations. When purchasing, check whether the manufacturer is ready to fulfill warranty obligations, what the warranty period is and whether there is an appropriate service center in your city.
Availability of consumables and spare parts. Consider whether the high cost of spare parts and consumables will become a real burden for you.
Character of performance. As a rule, the packaging of printing devices indicates the maximum number of prints per month. If you plan to use your printer very often, then roughly calculate how many pages you will print per month. For example, if you need about 5,000 pages, then it is better to choose a printer that indicates a higher number - 6,000, no less.
Functional. Do not buy a printer on the principle of “it’s good for what it’s worth”, that is, if you don’t need some functionality, it’s better not to buy this type of device, you don’t need to overpay.
Features of service. It is important that you can refill the device yourself and not spend money on buying new cartridges every time.

There is no clear answer to the question of which printer is better, laser or inkjet. After all, everything depends on individual characteristics. So, as always, the choice is yours.

A printer is one of the most needed devices for modern users. These devices are produced in a wide range of technological types. What is the difference between a laser and an inkjet printer? In what cases might it be preferable to purchase a matrix device? What are the main criteria for comparing the efficiency of printers?

The differences are in technology

The key aspect of how a laser printer differs from an inkjet printer is that the first type of device uses two main elements of influence on the paper. This is a laser - a high-temperature light beam, as well as a toner - a powdery dye consisting of very small solid particles. In turn, inkjet printers use other basic elements: a dosing-type print head, as well as ink, which, unlike powdered toner, is usually liquid. Let us note that most IT specialists consider it not entirely correct to ask the question of whether a laser or inkjet color printer is better. Both have advantages and disadvantages. They're just different.

And therefore, one of the key criteria that determines how a laser printer differs from an inkjet printer is adaptability to the tasks performed by the user. And therefore, in our article we will try not so much to determine the advantages and disadvantages of each type of device, but to find out how optimal one or the other is in terms of its intended purpose.

Technology Features

Let's take a closer look at how the printing process on various types of devices is carried out from a technological aspect. This will allow us to more clearly compare inkjet and laser printers, as well as understand for which tasks the first or second is optimal. So first, laser printing technology.

As we noted above, it uses a laser and toner. This powdery substance is applied to paper, then immediately heated by a light flux, as a result of which it changes color or shade.

The peculiarity of laser printing technology (if we talk about its household implementation and not industrial use) is that the range of dispersion of toner particles is quite high. As a result, when digital images are reproduced on paper, their quality is not the most ideal. This is why laser printers are not very well suited for printing pictures and photographs. But they are ideal for printing texts, tables, and graphs.

An inkjet printer, as we said, uses ink. The principle of applying them to paper is generally similar to the process of painting a canvas with a brush. The image on an inkjet printer is built line by line.

There is no chemical effect on the ink - once it gets on the paper, it, like paint, simply has to dry. In many printers, this process is accelerated by heating mechanisms.

This technological aspect makes it possible to effectively use inkjet devices specifically for printing pictures and photographs. and the overall quality of images produced on paper is usually significantly higher than when using laser technology.

Ink color factor

Let's consider an aspect that may influence finding the answer to the question of which is better - a laser or inkjet printer in relation to the user's tasks. The fact is that the ink and toner used in devices can be color or black and white. But the printer itself can only support some of them. This can be a significant factor in what to buy - for example, a black and white laser printer or a color inkjet printer. And that's why.

Many IT specialists believe that the classification of printing devices into “laser” and “inkjet” is not detailed enough. The fact is that both printers can be legitimately divided, in turn, into a large number of subtypes. The basis for the corresponding additional classification will be Above, we determined how a laser printer differs from an inkjet printer in key points. Now let’s try to study what a more detailed classification of devices within one technological type could be.

Printer and cartridges

Let's first define what the main printing element of a printer is. It is with the help of the cartridge that the toner is sprayed or the ink is applied to the paper. This element is almost always removable and replaceable.

In many cases, it is the cartridges that determine the color of the print, and not the printers themselves. But this is not always the case - we will see why later.

Black and white and color laser printers

There are black and white laser printers. As a rule, they can only accommodate a single type of cartridge. It is capable of pictures using black and white toner particles. Which, when arranged in a certain sequence, can also form one of the shades of gray - with the help of this feature, in particular, printers print photographs and pictures.

Note: most models of laser devices for home use - in particular those in the budget price segment - are those that support only black and white cartridges. They can print anyone and pictures, but on paper they will appear in corresponding colors or shades of gray.

There are laser printers that can work with color toner cartridges. But they are significantly more expensive than black and white ones. Technologically, printing in them is carried out in the same way - using light flux and toner. But in this case, the color of photographs and pictures on paper will correspond to the original tones that are present in the digital image format. In some cases, printers capable of working with color cartridges may be compatible with the corresponding black-and-white print elements. But such compatibility is quite rare.

We also note that color cartridges are technologically designed in such a way that they can also print in black and white. Therefore, if the printer supports them, then pictures can be printed on it in virtually any color. The only question is whether the user wants to overpay for a more universal type of device. And here everything again depends on the specifics of the tasks being solved. If you want to print mostly text, there is no need to overpay for a color laser printer.

We noted above that in some cases it is the cartridge that determines the color of the print. And therefore, it is not always correct to call the printer itself “color” or “black and white”. It is better to classify only the cartridge as the appropriate type. However, as we defined above, laser printers that only support black and white print elements are generally incompatible with color print elements. And therefore it is quite acceptable to call them black and white. The same is true for color printers.

Black and white and color cartridges in inkjet printers

Let's immediately note a feature - it is very rare to find inkjet printers that are compatible only with black and white or exclusively with color cartridges. As a rule, these devices support both types of printing elements. Moreover, as with laser printers, a color inkjet cartridge can produce black-and-white text and images on paper. What is the rationale for using separate color or black and white cartridges in inkjet printers? We again note the fact that it reflects the dependence of the feasibility of using a device of a particular type on the tasks performed by the user. If these include printing predominantly black and white text and pictures, you should buy the appropriate type of cartridge. The same pattern applies to the colored financial element.

Let us note, since we touched upon the corresponding aspect above in relation to laser devices, that using the phrase “black and white inkjet printer” or “color” is not entirely correct. Since almost all modern devices of this type are compatible with both types of printing elements. In inkjet printers, it is correct to call only the cartridge “color” or “black and white”. But this rule is not always observed in informal conversations, even with the participation of IT specialists. The fact is that an inkjet printer is universal, and it is incorrect to call it “color” or “black and white”.

By studying the properties of inkjet and laser printers in relation to the types of cartridges used, we somehow touched on the economic criterion. We have determined that when printing primarily color texts and pictures, it is worth using the appropriate type of cartridge. And in the case of laser printers, buy a compatible device and not overpay for the fact that it supports color printing. However, we studied only one side of the economic criterion. It will be useful to compare inkjet and laser printers in more detail.

Economic criterion

We noted above that laser printers are especially good for printing texts and chart tables. How well do inkjet printers cope with the same tasks? In principle, not bad. And in no way are they inferior to laser samples in this component. However, why is it highly discouraged by experts to use inkjet devices if the user’s main task is to print texts? The answer is simple - it is unprofitable. If we consider the key advantages of a laser printer over an inkjet printer, then the very first in their rating will most likely be cost-effectiveness. Toner, regardless of the purpose of its use - printing texts, pictures, or anything else - carries a much greater resource than ink.

Another advantage of a laser device - and it is also of an economic nature - is the better compatibility of the cartridges installed in them with refilling procedures. This is the main printing element of the printer. It is the cartridge, as we said above, that sprays that same toner; it is the most technologically complex and expensive component of the device. Many printer manufacturers try to design these hardware components so that when they run out of toner, the owner of the device has to buy a new one. Although, from a technological point of view, the cartridges are designed in such a way that it is quite possible to add new printing substances to them instead of those that are running out.

There is a fairly consistent trend: printer manufacturers really don’t like making cartridges refillable. This is understandable - this approach is unprofitable for them. But there is another trend: even more manufacturers do not like to make refillable cartridges specifically for inkjet printers. If you try to pour new ink into the corresponding printing element, it will simply refuse to work. In this regard, manufacturers are much more loyal to laser devices. You can refill cartridges for most printers of the corresponding type.

Nuances of calculating benefits

Let's look at a simple example that will clearly show how a laser printer differs from an inkjet printer in the economic aspect.

The cost of a budget custom, but good quality inkjet printer model is now 5-6 thousand rubles (after the rise in price, due to the dollar exchange rate, it was previously 1.5-2 times cheaper).

Laser, as we have defined, there are two types - those that support only black and white cartridges, and those that are compatible with color ones. The first ones cost 7-8 thousand. The second ones are much more expensive, about 15-20 thousand.

Yes, of course, at the “initial investment” stage, the inkjet option looks preferable. But a lot depends on the pricing policy of a particular dealer, which is again tied to the ruble exchange rate. It may well be that at certain points in time, a dealer and representative of an inkjet and laser printer under a certain brand will consider it expedient to sharply increase or decrease the price of devices in catalogs.

The resource of a "factory" cartridge for an inkjet printer is approximately 25-30 standard size photographs, or 300-400 pages of text in small font. What are the indicators for a laser cartridge? Many times higher. This is about 100-150 images and 1000-1200 pages of text. To this we add the fact that after an inkjet printer runs out of ink, the cartridge will most likely have to be replaced. It costs about 400-500 rubles. Thus, the cost of maintaining an inkjet printer can soon exceed the difference in the amount of the “initial investment”. At least in terms of cost comparison between an inkjet device and a black and white laser.

Thus, if the question is which is better - an inkjet or a laser printer to buy in an economic aspect, most likely, the second option will be preferable. However, do not forget that the quality of pictures and photographs printed using devices of this type is much lower. And therefore, when comparing inkjet and laser printers in terms of price, you need to know what kind of tasks will be performed on the device. If you plan to print mainly texts, you can safely buy a laser device. If you are taking photographs, the inkjet option will most likely be more suitable. It is quite possible that it will be somewhat more profitable than a laser printer that supports color printing due to the high price of the latter.

Of course, there are examples of laser printers that, due to technological features, are capable of printing excellent image quality. However, they are not classified as custom. The technological properties of inkjet and laser printers used at home, as well as the principles of their operation, are extremely simple in comparison with those that are typical for the devices in question - aimed at professional digital studios and printing houses. They cost several times more than devices in the category we are considering. It is advisable to purchase them if subsequent commercial payback is expected. Which can only be achieved by turning photo printing into a separate business. The profitability of which, by the way, has not been the highest in recent years.

Dot matrix printers

Above we tried to answer the question of which - inkjet or laser - printer is better suited for solving certain problems. However, it will be useful to supplement our short study with information about another remarkable type of device. Once very popular, now considered obsolete. We are talking about dot matrix printers. What are they?

If you study the technological side, dot matrix printers are closer to inkjet printers than laser ones. They print by applying ink to paper. They do not use laser or toner. But the structure of their print head is completely different from that of inkjet printers: it arranges a picture or text on paper in the form of a matrix. While in inkjet devices, as we noted above, it is done line by line.

Despite the fact that matrix printers are technologically closer to inkjet printers, their scope of application is more compatible with the tasks typical for using laser devices. That is, they are better suited for printing texts, tables, graphs, but not so much for pictures and photographs. If we compare printers - laser, matrix, inkjet - in an economic aspect, then the second type of device will be less preferable in relation to modern market conditions.

The fact is that refilling a matrix cartridge is much more difficult - not all technical centers have the necessary equipment for this. But, it must be said, a printing element of the appropriate type has a significantly greater resource than its technological competitors - about 2 thousand pages of text. However, matrix devices are usually more expensive than laser devices used for similar tasks - a budget model will cost 15-20 thousand rubles.

Therefore, the economic feasibility of purchasing a matrix device will be most obvious if almost all user tasks involve printing large volumes of text. This type of printer purpose is more typical for office needs.

conclusions

So, we have determined how a laser printer differs from an inkjet printer. It's time to draw key conclusions regarding our small study. Let's try to summarize in what aspects a particular difference between a laser printer and an inkjet printer will become a clear factor influencing the user's choice. We will also correlate the available information with the features of matrix devices.

The main criterion for choosing a particular device will be the difference between a laser printer and an inkjet printer, as well as a matrix printer, in terms of its intended purpose.

If we print mainly texts, tables and graphs, then the ideal option for us is a laser printer that supports black and white cartridges. If you plan to print a significant percentage of color documents or pictures, then it is advisable to purchase a device compatible with the corresponding type of printing element.

If we print mainly photographs or pictures, then the best option for us is an inkjet printer. Depending on which color of the image predominates, we will buy the most suitable cartridges for the device - black and white or color.

If we print mainly only texts, then we can try to purchase a dot matrix printer. Perhaps in economic terms this will be more profitable due to lower ink consumption. If you compare an inkjet and laser printer with this indicator, the difference can reach multiples. At the same time, matrix devices produce very mediocre results when printing pictures.

Thus, the main difference between a laser printer and an inkjet printer in terms of better compatibility with the tasks performed is its efficiency in printing pictures. It makes sense to compare the matrix one in terms of capabilities only with the first one. But he may well be competitive with him. When you compare the pure initial investment of a dot matrix, inkjet, and laser printer, the difference can be noticeable. But subsequent expenses can make the device that cost more more economically profitable. It also influences what pricing policy the store representing the inkjet and laser printer has chosen in relation to the exchange rate. The approaches of Russian retailers may differ in this regard.

This question is also asked by managers of small offices when choosing office equipment for printing documentation. Today, manufacturers have so saturated the market of printing devices that it can be very difficult to decide which is better for printing documents - an inkjet or a laser printer. To do this, you first need to study all the advantages and disadvantages of different models.

Many users do not know the differences between these products. To quickly sort out all the ambiguities, we suggest you carefully read this article, where you will find answers to numerous questions.

Before choosing a device for printing documents, you need to understand their operating principle:

A laser device is based on transferring content from cartridges to a sheet of paper. First, a magnetized roller applies toner to the main drum, and then the design is transferred to paper, where it firmly adheres to the surface when exposed to instantaneous heating in a special device. The whole process happens quite quickly.
The inkjet analogue works on special ink that gets to the right place through capillary nozzles, creating text or a complex image. The printing speed is noticeably lower, but the quality is much higher.

When comparing, it is necessary to take into account all indicators, and not just the positive and negative qualities inherent in each type. For example, the laser version is characterized by the following advantages:

easy to use;
quite high printing speed;
Duplex printing possible;
long operation;
low printing cost.

His opponent has his advantages:

fairly low sound impact on others;
high quality color printing;
low power consumption;
budget price of the product.

As a result: the choice of device remains purely individual, because for the office you need a fast and inexpensive to maintain option, such as a laser, and in a home environment, an inkjet, and even with CISS, will be a much higher priority.

Features, pros and cons of each

On a laser device, the surface of the drum is charged with a plus sign, and the coloring powder spills out of the cartridge during rotation, focusing on the plus points - as a result, the desired pattern is created. Then a quick, specific treatment fixes it to paper.

Advantages:

low cost per printed page;
high speed of drawing;
you can print voluminous text materials;
not afraid of increased loads;
no need to refill cartridges frequently;
prints are resistant to moisture;
Prints on any paper without loss of quality.

Negative qualities:

very high cost;
high energy consumption;
Cartridges cannot be refilled at home;
Toner is very harmful to health, you need to ventilate the room after printing.

The inkjet counterpart uses an ink head instead of needles, like a matrix printer, and the image is created using a set of dots.

Advantages:

low price compared to the laser option;
low electrical energy consumption - more than 10 times;
all models are equipped with a card reader that allows printing directly from the camera, without a PC, and some models can receive images via Wi-Fi;
excellent color printing quality;
supports various digital media;
ink is not harmful to health;
wide range of models;
compact sizes.

high cost of printing each page;
frequent replacement of cartridges during intensive use;
it is necessary to use the device frequently, otherwise the ink will dry out;
quite high sensitivity to print settings and the quality of paper used;
slow speed;
If exposed to moisture, the printed material will be damaged.

Based on the data provided, each user decides for himself which office equipment to buy for his needs.

Which one is more effective for black and white printing?

Printers come in various modifications, so choosing the best option for the home is quite a difficult matter; it is even more difficult to buy such a device for the office, where quality, speed, and most importantly, print clarity play a paramount role. The requirements for office equipment are improving and increasing every year.

Experts assure that laser analogues have a fairly high resolution, unique contrast and high brightness. To test these judgments, you need to print a document with different fonts in the text, for example, the main one is 12, and the small one is size six. The inkjet version will merge small text together, and the laser version, which belongs to electrographic technologies, will print all the text clearly, preserving all the smallest details.

Laser printing technology is based on xerography technology, which was founded in the late 30s of the last century. The main emphasis was placed on the individual properties of the photosensitive material. We will not go into technical nuances, because there are too many specific terms that will not be clear to all readers.

The laser ensures ultra-high-speed movement of the carriage, and the resulting text is highly accurate and has a fairly high resolution, so you can print graphics and small explanatory text simultaneously on the page. An individual PostScript programming language has been specially developed for laser devices.

The language for describing pages (Postscript) is recognized by Windows and Linux operating systems, but the American company Hewlett-Packard (HP) has created its own separate development of a language for controlling PCL printers, which gives more options for printing unique texts. Therefore, devices from HP are distinguished by the best quality and reliability among the galaxy of laser products.

Color printing - what products are needed for it

Here, inkjet printing devices with CISS are undoubtedly the leaders; laser analogues in price and photo printing are far behind. If you are looking for a printer to print color photographs, simple text, so that the price is low, then you should choose the inkjet option, because in matters of color rendering it has no equal.

To really save on very expensive ink, install CISS, after which you can safely print any documents and color photos. The Epson XP-420 MFP is suitable for working at home with text documents, and the multifunctional XP-620 model is ideal for photo prints.

The Epson WorkForce WF-7610 or WF-7110 MFP with a maximum print format of A3+ is suitable for office work. For professional photographers, the Epson 1500W, Stylus Photo R2000 or R3000 models are needed.

Which MFP is better - color or laser?

Experts in this complex field of activity give the following recommendations:

If you have a small office, then you should purchase the Ricoh SP 3600SF model; it also scans documents well.
The Ricoh MP 305+SP is a little worse at digitizing documents; it is a fairly advanced laser printer, but it cannot print color copies.
If you need a laser unit for black and white printing at home, then the Brother DCP-L2520DWR is what schoolchildren, students, and those who work on the Internet remotely need.
To place an MFP-class color product in a large office, you will need the OKI MC853dn model - it uses LED-type printing.
The OKI MC342dnw color printer with a Wi-Fi text reception system will be suitable for installation in a small office.
The HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M177fw is suitable for home and small office work, but it is not recommended to load it heavily.

Each manager or user makes his own decision, but we only suggest considering the best models for different uses.

How to make a choice

The basic selection criteria are the same, no matter what type of printer you like best:

Choose a brand that has been proven over the years of operation, which has long proven itself on the international market only on the positive side.
Carefully read the manufacturer’s warranties, and also find your city in the list of service centers so as not to travel far away if the equipment fails during the warranty period.
Find out the cost of spare parts and consumables so that it is not burdensome for your financial capabilities.
Manufacturers indicate on the packaging the maximum number of prints per month, so it’s quite easy to navigate when purchasing, for example, if you need about 6 thousand pages per month, then purchase a device with a maximum of 7 thousand to create the necessary supply.
Functionality. You should buy a device only with those functions that you will use regularly, so as not to overpay for unnecessary options.
Service. There is no need to constantly spend money on refilling cartridges or purchasing them; buy models where you can change them yourself or install CISS right away.

No one can answer your question for sure which printer is better - laser or inkjet: it depends only on personal preferences and the characteristics of the product.

conclusions

If you want to choose an excellent printer, then first decide what you need it for printing: if only black and white options, then feel free to take the laser option, and for color photographs - only an inkjet unit with high print quality.

To choose a printer, you need to decide What And how often you plan to print. Some models are more suitable for the office, others - for the home. There are printers that are designed to print text, but not images. And there are models that are convenient for printing photographs, but not multi-page reports and articles.

All the features of laser and inkjet printers described below that will be discussed can also be taken into account when choosing MFPs (multifunctional devices). They work on the same principle.

Print speed

For office workers who are used to printing tens or even hundreds of pages every day, the main difference between a laser and an inkjet printer is speed. Models of the first type print on average 18-20 pages per minute, the second - about 7-8 pages. When it comes to color images, the print speed of both devices is approximately the same - 5 pages per minute.

For inkjet printers, this indicator directly depends on the intensity of the load: the more sheets you need to print, the lower the speed. When printing for a long time, the device begins to work intermittently. The fact is that the printer has to periodically throw a small amount of ink into a special tray to get rid of air bubbles and clean the nozzles. That is why you should not rely on the maximum performance indicated by sellers and manufacturers of inkjet machines. Most likely, by the third or fourth minute of printing, the speed of the device will decrease by 1.5-2 times.

The difference between a laser printer and an inkjet printer is that it does not need breaks. The laser printer can print 100 pages in a row without stopping for a second. If device performance is very important and you plan to print dozens of pages at a time, choose a laser printer.

Color print

Which color printer is better, laser or inkjet? The answer to this question, again, depends on what you plan to print.

To make the right choice, it is important to understand the difference between color inkjet printing and laser printing. Inkjet machines are equipped with cartridges with liquid paint of different shades. When printing color images, the device applies drops to the paper under high pressure, mixing the inks in the right proportions. This technology allows you to select tones as accurately as possible: a standard set of 6 color cartridges is enough to get about 16 million shades. Thanks to this, the quality of color printing on inkjet printers is very high.

Instead of paint, laser printers use toner, which has a powder-like consistency. The device applies it to a special drum using a laser, then prints it on paper, heats it to a high temperature and literally melts it to the sheet. Toner, unlike liquid paint, does not mix well. Because of this, the quality of color images when printed on a laser printer is mediocre. This is especially noticeable when printing photographs. In addition, using a laser printer it is not always possible to print several copies of a color document so that they are completely identical.

You also need to take into account the printer resolution - an indicator on which the contrast and clarity of the image depend. The lower it is, the more noticeable the grain of the picture, and therefore the worse the print quality. With the same cost of devices, the resolution of a laser and inkjet printer can vary greatly and averages 600x600 dots per inch (DPI) for the first and 2400x9600 for the second. For texts and graphics, a small resolution is sufficient, but for printing complex images, and especially photographs, this option is not suitable.

If you plan to print color graphs, charts, text, and simple drawings where shade is not an important factor, a laser printer is a good choice. If you want to print photos, only inkjet will do.

Ease of use

The tray of most inkjet printers is designed for 50, maximum 100 sheets, and laser printers - on average 150. This is why laser printers are more often used in offices: with their help you can print several large reports without adding paper. However, if you only plan to print a few pages at a time, this benefit may not matter to you.

Inkjet printers have a feature that is important to consider: if the device is not used for a long time, the ink can dry out and damage the print head. One solution to the problem is to purchase a model with a built-in nozzle cleaning function. The cleaning procedure takes only a couple of minutes and allows you to avoid expensive repairs and replacement of spare parts.

The process of refilling cartridges deserves special attention. Inkjet printers are much more convenient in this regard: if necessary, the owner of the device can replenish the ink supply himself, without turning to specialists for help. Refilling a toner cartridge is much more difficult, and there is a risk of spilling some of the powder. Cleaning up spilled toner is not an easy task, especially if it gets on the carpet or clothes. This is why owners of laser printers most often have to order cartridge refills from professionals.

Economical

For many buyers, the most significant difference between a laser printer and an inkjet printer is the price. With equal print quality, models of the first type are 2-3 times more expensive. The simplest laser printer with monochrome printing and a resolution of 1200x1200 dpi will cost the same as an inkjet device with color printing and a resolution of 9600x2400 dpi.

However, when answering the question of which printer is more economical, laser or inkjet, you need to consider not only the price, but also the maintenance costs. And in this matter, the laser printer leads by a wide margin. The fact is that the resource of laser cartridges is about 1500-1600 pages, and inkjet cartridges are on average 100-500 pages. Moreover, the cost of one inkjet cartridge is often 2/3 of the price of a new model. In addition, you need to consider the cost of repairing an inkjet printer if it has not been used for a long time and the ink has had time to dry. Owners of laser devices do not have such problems.

The conclusion is clear: the price of laser printers is higher, but printing on them is cheaper.

How to make a choice

Inkjet or laser printer: which is better in your case? Let's summarize.

The choice should be made in favor of an inkjet printer if:

You want to print photos, flyers or color drawings.
High print quality is important to you, but you are not ready to buy an expensive laser printer.
You plan to print regularly, but not too much.

You should choose a laser printer if:

You plan to frequently print text documents with a minimal amount of graphic elements.
High printing speed is important to you.
You print often and a lot. In this case, a laser printer will be much cheaper to maintain than an inkjet printer.
There is a risk that the printer will sometimes sit idle for a long time. Laser cartridges do not deteriorate even if they are not used for several months.

Which printer to choose, inkjet or laser - it's up to you!

Modern printers are very affordable - you can choose a completely economical model for 4000-5000 rubles. But this is not so easy to do, especially if you are planning to buy a color printer: which is better, laser or inkjet?

The difference between a laser printer and an inkjet printer: which one is better?

Inkjet printers use liquid ink sprayed through microscopic holes (nozzles) onto the paper, while laser printers use a cartridge of toner (fine powder) that is heated by a fuser. The difference in approach to printing also determines the different set of tasks that these two types of printers can perform. How do you know whether an inkjet or laser printer is best for you? We need to dive a little into the design features.

Inkjet printers

There are three types of inkjet printers: document printers, photo printers and MFPs. They all print using the same technology: liquid ink from a cartridge is applied to paper in the form of tiny dots, from which an image is formed.

The inkjet MFP prints color images very well.

Printers for documents are the cheapest, their cost rarely exceeds 6 thousand rubles. They work best when printing text documents. It can be either black and white or color.
Photo printers are slightly more expensive and are aimed at high-quality color printing of small photos (up to 8x10 in size). As a rule, this is enough for home printing or a small photography business.
Multifunctional devices (MFPs) at a relatively low price combine the functionality of a printer, scanner, copier, and sometimes fax.

The advantages of inkjet printers include the following:

Small size. Most inkjet printers are relatively small and can fit into tight spaces. MFPs are slightly larger, but they are generally smaller than a laser printer and much smaller than a standard office copier.
Low cost. Inkjet printers, in general, are much less expensive than laser printers. If an inkjet printer breaks down, it is much easier to replace it with a new one.
Inexpensive consumables. Inkjet printer cartridges have become cheaper in recent years. An ink cartridge costs about half as much as a laser toner cartridge. In addition, it is easier to replace.
Excellent photo print quality. Inkjet printers designed for photo printing can produce stunning results, producing images with vibrant colors and high contrast with virtually no pixelation.

Inkjet printer: inside view.

Among the disadvantages of inkjet printing are the following:

Wasteful ink consumption. To print one page, an inkjet printer requires much more consumables than a laser printer.
Slow printing. An inkjet printer can print multi-page documents much more slowly than a laser printer.
Cartridge problems. At times, ink cartridges can leak, causing the printer, hands, and paper to get dirty. In addition, ink cartridges tend to dry out if not used regularly.

Overall, an inkjet printer is a popular consumer choice for home use. Buy an inkjet printer if you:

choosing a printer for your home;
want to print photos;
intend to print small documents frequently;
limited in funds.

CHIP recommends: Inkjet MFPs

Laser printer

Laser printers are divided into document printers and MFPs. To print, they use a dye powder (toner) that is heated by a laser and adheres to the paper to form an image.

A laser document printer allows you to print text documents quickly and very clearly.

Laser MFPs, just like inkjet MFPs, combine printing, scanning and copying functions.

Some of the advantages of a laser printer include:

Economical use of toner. Consumables for a laser printer are more expensive, but they last longer than for an inkjet printer. In general, printing one page with toner costs less than printing with ink.
High printing speed. A laser printer can print multi-page documents much faster.
Clean and neat printing. Toner is a dry powder, it does not leave stains and does not smear if, for example, you put a freshly printed document in a folder.
Clearer document printing. A laser printer prints fine print and detail more accurately, so documents printed with toner appear much more readable.

Laser printer from the inside.

However, there are also plenty of disadvantages.

Expensive consumables. Toner cartridges are very expensive, at least twice as much as ink cartridges. But, as already said, they last much longer.
Big size. A laser printer, and especially an MFP, is quite bulky. It's not easy to squeeze it into a tight corner.
Noise. Laser printers make noise during operation that cannot be drowned out (inkjet printers have a silent operating mode).
Very expensive color printing. A laser printer is not the best choice for printing photos; color toner is very expensive. Many inexpensive laser printer models do not support color printing at all.

It can be said that laser printers are the best choice for printing large volumes of text. Therefore, they can often be found in offices, libraries, and educational institutions. A laser printer is worth purchasing if:

you need a device for the office;
you want to print large documents;
you want a printer for your home, but will rarely use it;
you don't really need color printing capabilities;
you are ready to spend more money.