Inkjet or a laser printer ?

Printer toner: what is it and how could it save you money and time in the long run? Although this may not be a question you have asked yourself before, taking the time to understand a little bit about the printing process could see your productivity increase and your outgoings shrink.

Indeed, whilst many of us own a computer and printer, for professional and personal reasons, there are very few who actually understand how they work. By learning the basics of their operation, you are in a much better position to evaluate whether they are right for the job or not.

For example, if you are a large company and need to print off hundreds of pages at a time, on a regular basis, it is important to know that an inkjet printer won’t be able to competently handle the job. Conversely, if you want your printer to produce high quality photographs, a laser is not the right tool for you.

So, what exactly is the difference between an inkjet and a laser printer, and where does toner fit into it all?

Inkjet printers operate on the principle of spraying small particles of ink onto a page. They are the most common type of printer and usually produce a high quality of finish, especially when printing photographs and colour documents. However, they are not suitable for high volume printing and if the ink is not left to dry properly, can smudge easily.

Laser printers, on the other hand, employ the use of printer toner. Traditionally used in photocopiers, it was first utilised in commercial laser printers in 1978. Taking the form of a powder, the toner was initially comprised of carbon. However, over the years, and to increase the quality of the print, its composition changed to also include a polymer (either a styrene acrylate copolymer or a polyester resin).

The toner particles, which are electronically charged, are permanently bound to a paper’s fibres after being melted by a fuser. This holds the advantage over the liquid inks found in inkjet printers in that it doesn’t smudge or bleed once printed. Not only that, but toner printers are also capable of printing on almost any type of paper.

Using printer toner, in comparison to ink, additionally makes it a much more cost efficient option for printing large quantities of text. In fact, one toner cartridge is capable of printing up to 2000 pages before it will need to be changed. This is in contrast to an inkjet printer, whose average lifespan doesn’t last past a few thousand pages.

As a result of the differences between inkjet and laser printers, it is very important that you understand their role and how they work. If you expect to use your printer to regularly produce a large volume of work, then you should have a laser, which utilises toner technology and not an inkjet, which will be more costly and time consuming in the long run.

|