Laser printers and inkjet printing have their own advantages and disadvantages. But which is right for you?

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Release time: Tuesday, August 24, 2021, 11:52 AM

Since the lockdown was imposed last year, millions of people have found themselves setting up home offices, and sales of laser and inkjet printers have skyrocketed. But which is the smarter purchase? Well, it depends.

Home printers are not particularly costly technology in the business plan. But one thing to keep in mind is that the printer is more than just a one-time payment: you also promise to spend more on ink cartridges or toner to replenish its ink supply. With this in mind, choosing a printer should be a wise decision.

In this article, we will delve into the differences between inkjet printers and laser printers, their respective advantages and disadvantages, and their comparison in terms of price, speed, space, and print quality.

After reading this article, we recommend that you review our selection of the best printer deals of the month, as well as our guide to the best printers and best budget printers. Then, head to the place where you can buy printer ink online.

The working principle of laser printers is to use a powdery substance called toner instead of liquid ink to print. The laser generates an electrostatic charge, transfers the toner to the paper, and then fixes the toner on the surface of the paper by heating.

Read our laser printer review:

Inkjet printers use liquid ink to distribute the ink onto the page through a series of micro-nozzles in the print head. You can get black and white inkjet printers and color inkjet printers, although since inkjet printers are often used for photo printing, you will find that there are very few former on the market. Honestly, it is difficult to justify the purchase.

Read our inkjet printer review:

This is a difficult question to answer clearly, so we will solve it according to several different criteria.

This is good and simple: for documents and text, laser printers are the best; for photos, inkjet printers are the best. Yes, there are color laser printers on the market that are better at printing high-quality photos, but they are usually also very expensive, priced between 200 and 400 pounds.

Laser printers are the faster of these two printers—and to some extent. They are usually able to generate hundreds of printouts within a few minutes, which makes them suitable for office tasks and paper management.

As we have explained, in terms of upfront costs, inkjet printers are significantly cheaper than laser printers-but in the long run, their costs may be higher. Inkjet printers pass ink much faster, and annoyingly, they need to be used up during the cleaning cycle.

Laser printers are much larger than inkjet printers and, out of necessity, are made of plastic metal parts in inkjet printers. Because of this, they are not only bulky but also heavy. Although you will find compact options like Brother LT-6500 and Lexmark Imprimante Laser B2236dw, they are harder to put away than inkjet printers and take up more desks. Space.

The widgets below will show some of the cheapest prices for printers we have tried and tested. We have listed RRPs, so you can see if they are currently on sale.

Printer discounts are very popular during Black Friday, so if you can hold on for this long, please bookmark our Black Friday 2021 and Cyber ​​Monday 2021 guides for later use.

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Looking for a new broadband provider? Don't miss our selection of the best broadband deals this month. Buying a printer but not sure which model is best? Be sure to read our guide to the best printer. 

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