If you do a lot of printing, another factor to consider is that inkjet printers run much slower than laser printers – you’ll have to wait a while for your print jobs to come out by taking printer rent.
What kind of documents or graphics do you print?
Multiple pages of black and white text: The laser printer will suit you best – but remember that if you want to print in any level of colour, the tasks that a laser printer can handle are very expensive. You may need cheap inkjets as well as lasers for the occasional colouring page.
Digital Photos: Inkjets are capable of virtually reproducing photographs – colour laser printers are usually out of range for home users, and inkjet cartridges can capture some beautiful photorealistic images!
A range of documents from a small office: Office is best served with a multifunction inkjet printer with copier, scanner and fax – but cheap should be avoided.
What media do you need to print on?
If you need to print on DVD and CD front, inkjet is usually your only option. However, you might consider printer on rent with black and white printing as well as an inkjet that only prints DVDs and CDs.
Questions to ask about both inkjet and laser printers
No matter what type of printer you decide which one is best for you, there are many questions you should ask the retailer before buying:
- How many pages will a laser toner or inkjet cartridge print for me?
- How much does a laser toner or inkjet cartridge cost?
- What paper size can it handle?
- How long is the warranty?
- How many dots per inch does it print? (This gives you an idea of how detailed your photos and photos will be)
- How many pages does it print per minute?
- How does it interface with my computer?
All of these questions, as well as the information you use, will give you an idea of what type of printer is best for you. Of course, the range of inkjets and lasers varies greatly for different applications but that’s another question!
Computer printers are so cheap these days that some are even cheaper than the ink they actually need. It is quite common to buy a new printer instead of an ink cartridge. However, many of these printers are cheap but quite poor in quality. Not only will you need to buy a new printer sooner rather than later, but your print jobs will often be awkward and spotty. Not exactly the desired result. You can find good quality printers that are cheap, however, you just need to know where to look.
