When deciding between an inkjet or a laser printer, it is a good idea to evaluate several factors before proceeding with the purchase. Here are some things to keep in mind to help you decide if an inkjet or a laser printer would serve you well. One of the main considerations when looking at both inkjet printers and laser printers is the amount of usage you anticipate with the device. An inkjet printer works very well for relatively low demands that are primarily text documents. Also, usage that may require some type of color on an occasional basis can be handled very well with an inkjet printer. However, inkjets are not designed for a large amount of production each day. Also, the cost of new ink cartridges can be prohibitive when the volume of printing is higher. Ink cartridges for inkjet types of printers simply do not last that long. Inkjet versus Laser A decent inkjet printer can pump out quality documents and photographs, and you can buy one for under $50. The catch is the ink cartridges, which often cost nearly as much as the printer. Some PC vendors give you a "free" printer when you purchase a computer, but the cost of the ink refills may come back to bite you. By comparison, laser printers have a higher initial price tag but in the end can be more cost efficient. Choosing between an inkjet and a laser printer entirely depends on your printing needs. If you don't print that much but want good quality documents when you do, going with a high end inkjet printer will be less expensive than its laser counterpart. However if you run a business and print fairly consistently, your are going to save a lot in the long run with a laser printer. Depending upon the model, you can generally expect to spend around 24 cents a page with a laser printer compared with 16-50 cents a page with an inkjet. In just a short time you will spend the added cost of a laser printer buying refills for your inkjet. How Much Do You Print? It's best to base your decision on the types of documents that you print most often, namely photos or text. For example if you really only want to print black and white documents, you can get a laser printer that yields up to 3,000 pages during the life of only 1 monochrome toner cartridge. Compare this with a single black inkjet cartridge which generally yields just 400 pages in its lifetime. You can easily purchase a personal laser printer like this for around $100 plus the cost of the cartridge which runs about $50. An inkjet printer of this type may only cost $50 but the cartridges, (which would require 10 to do the same job of 3,000 pages) are about $20 each. Of course the cost increases for both printers when you add color to the mix. The great thing about laser printers is that they offer clearer and crisper graphics and text. They are durable and reliable and print pages at amazing speed. They are a must have for small businesses; far outweighing the expenses and sluggishness of inkjet technology. However, unless you are going to spend a fortune, inkjet printers currently produce truer colors and better images when it comes to photographs. If printing great lab quality pictures is important to you, an inkjet printer is probably the best option.
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