Inkjet printers use replaceable cartridges that spray tiny drops of ink onto a page. While inkjet printers cost less than laser printers and output attractive color pages, some of which can rival photos, inkjets tend to be slow and cost more to operate, by the page.
Laser (and LED) printers rely on a technology that is similar to that used by photocopying machines. Here, laser printers rely on light-sensitive drum rolls that are electrostatically charged and attract particles of toner, and then fuse the toner onto paper in the form of the original image. The result are fast and clear, and per page costs are less than those for inkjet printers.
Laser
Versus Inkjet
Businesses tend to rely more on laser printers because of their fast output;
lower cost per page; and clear, attractive output. Laser printers output at
600 dots per inch (dpi), which results in crisp documents (the more dots per
inch, the higher the resolution and the better the output). Some higher-priced
laser printers for businesses can output at resolutions of 1,200 or 2,400dpi.
Generally, if you want to print in color, buy an inkjet printer. While there are color lasers on the market that offer fast color printing, they are very expensive. These printers are designed for businesses that need to print large volumes of color documents.
Inkjet printers claim output resolutions of 1,200dpi and 2,400dpi, which initially sound high, but because of the inkjet process that relies on distributing drops of ink, the output is never as sharp as that of a laser printer. We recommend that you always evaluate the actual output from an inkjet printer before you buy it. Photo-quality inkjets are a type of inkjet printer that output better photographs, but are usually slower.
As mentioned earlier, inkjet printers cost less than laser printers, but are more expensive to operate. As a result, don't purchase an inkjet printer to save money. While the cost of an inkjet printer is lower, the cost of those color cartridges quickly add up.
Other
Considerations
Printer memory is a consideration, particularly with laser printers. As with
PCs, the more memory, the better. Laser printers render entire pages in memory
before they print. Many personal and lower-end business models cut costs by
relying on the memory of a PC to manage their print jobs. Workgroup printers
for offices and businesses often come with 32 or 128MB of memory, or more,
and will hold multiple pages. In comparison, inkjet printers usually require
only a small amount of memory.
Print speed is measured in pages per minute (ppm). The faster, the better, and the more expensive the printer. Laser printers are faster than inkjet printers. And keep in mind that customers rarely obtain the print speeds that are touted by the manufacturers. You're mileage is likely to vary.
The monthly duty cycle is a specification that estimates the number of pages a printer can handle in a month. Most households won't print enough documents to get close to a printers' monthly duty cycle, but offices and businesses may.
Another consideration for offices, while most consumer printers connect to USB ports, offices may want to purchase printers that connect directly to the network through an Ethernet port.
Other considerations. Be sure that you purchase a printer that works with your operating system. Also, most printers come with warranties that cover the device for one or two years. It's important to understand your options should something go wrong.
peripherals - Buying a Printer
