The printer is one of the most necessary devices for a modern user. These devices are issued in a wide range of technological types. What is the difference between a laser and an inkjet printer? When can a matrix device be preferred? What are the main criteria for comparing printer performance?
Differences in Technology
A key aspect of how a laser printer differs from an inkjet printer is printing technology. The devices of the first type involve two main elements of the effect on paper. This is a laser - a light beam of high temperature, as well as a toner - powder, consisting of very small solid particles dye. In turn, other basic elements are involved in inkjet printers: it is a dosing type print head, as well as ink, which, unlike powder toner, is usually liquid. Note - most IT professionals find it not entirely correct to ask themselves whether a laser or inkjet color printer is better. Both have advantages and disadvantages. They are just different.
And therefore, one of the key criteria that determines how a laser printer differs from an inkjet printer is its adaptability to the tasks performed by the user. And therefore, in our article we will try not only to determine the advantages and disadvantages of each type of device, but to find out how this or that one is optimal in terms of the intended purpose.
Technology Features
Let us consider in more detail how the printing process on devices of various types is carried out in the technological aspect. This will allow us to more clearly compare the inkjet and laser printers, as well as to understand for which tasks the first or second is optimal. So first, laser printing technology.
As we noted above, it uses laser and toner. This powdery substance is applied to the paper, then it is immediately heated by the light flux, as a result of which it changes color or shade.
The peculiarity of laser printing technology (if we talk about its domestic implementation, and not industrial) is that the range of dispersion of toner particles is quite high. As a result, when playing digital images on paper, their quality is not the most ideal. That's why laser printers are not well suited for printing pictures and photos. But they are ideal for printing texts, tables, graphs.
In an inkjet printer, as we said, ink is used. The principle of applying them to paper is generally similar to the process of painting the canvas with a brush. The image on the inkjet printer is built line by line.
There is no chemical effect on the ink - getting on paper, they, like paint, simply have to dry. In many printers, this process is accelerated by heating mechanisms.
This technological aspect allows the efficient use of inkjet devices just for printing pictures and photographs. The color depth and overall quality of the images obtained on paper are usually significantly higher than when using laser technology.
Ink Color Factor
Consider an aspect that may affect the answer to the question of which is better - a laser or inkjet printer in relation to the user's tasks. The fact is that the ink and toner used in the devices can be color or black and white. But the printer itself can only support some of them. This can be a significant factor in what to buy - for example, a black and white laser or inkjet color printer. And that's why.
Many IT experts believe that the classification of printing devices into "laser" and "inkjet" is not detailed enough. The fact is that both those and other printers are legitimately subdivided, in turn, into a large number of subtypes. The basis for the corresponding additional classification will be the color of the ink. Above, we determined how the laser differs from the inkjet printer in key points. Now let’s try to study what a more detailed classification of devices can be within the framework of one technological type.
Printer and cartridges
First of all, let's determine what a cartridge is. This is the main printing element of the printer. It is with the cartridge that the toner is sprayed or ink is applied to the paper. This element is almost always removable and replaceable.
In many cases, it is the cartridges that determine the color of the print, not the printers themselves. But this is not always the case - we will see later why.
Black and white and color laser printers
There are black and white laser printers. In them, as a rule, a single type of cartridge can be installed. It is capable of printing text and pictures using black and white toner particles. Which, lining up in a certain sequence, can also form one of the shades of gray - with the help of this feature, in particular, printers print photos and pictures.
Note: most models of laser devices for home use - in particular those that are in the budget price segment - relate specifically to those that only support black and white cartridges. They can print any type of text and pictures, but on paper they will look in appropriate colors or shades of gray.
There are laser printers that can work with color toner cartridges. But they are significantly more expensive than black and white. Technologically, printing is carried out in them in the same way - with the help of light flux and toner. But in this case, the color of the photographs and pictures on paper will correspond to the original tones that are present in the digital image format. In some cases, printers capable of working with color cartridges may be compatible with the corresponding printing elements in black and white. But such compatibility is quite rare.
We also note that color cartridges are technologically designed so that they can also print in black and white. Therefore, if the printer supports them, then pictures on it can be printed in virtually any color. The only question is whether the user wants to overpay for a more universal type of device. And here again everything rests on the specifics of the tasks being solved. If you are going to print mainly text - it is not necessary to overpay for a color laser printer.
We noted above that in some cases it is the cartridge that determines the color of the print. And therefore, it is not always correct to call the printer itself “color” or “black and white”. Only the cartridge is best classified as the appropriate type. However, as we defined above, laser printers that support only black-and-white printing elements are generally not compatible with color printers. And therefore it is quite acceptable to call them black and white. The same is true for color printers.
Black and White and Color Ink Cartridges
Immediately, we note a feature - inkjet printers that are compatible only with black-and-white or exclusively with color cartridges are very rare. Typically, these devices support both types of printing elements. Moreover, as is the case with laser printers, a color inkjet cartridge can draw black and white text and images on paper. What is the advisability of using separate color or black and white cartridges in inkjet printers? Once again, we fix the fact that reflects the dependence of the expediency of activating a particular type of device on the tasks performed by the user. If among these - printing mainly black and white text and pictures, you should buy the appropriate type of cartridge. The same pattern applies to a colored financial element.
Note, since we touched on the corresponding aspect above with respect to laser devices, it is not entirely correct to use the phrase “black-and-white inkjet printer” or “color”. Since almost all modern devices of this type are compatible with both types of printing elements. In color printers, it’s only correct to name “color” or “black and white” in inkjet printers. But this rule is not always respected in informal conversations, even with the participation of IT specialists. The fact that the inkjet printer is universal, and it is incorrect to call it "color" or "black and white."
Studying the properties of an inkjet and laser printer in relation to the types of cartridges used, we somehow touched on the economic criterion. We determined that when printing predominantly colored texts and pictures, it is worth using a cartridge of the appropriate type. And in the case of laser printers - buy a compatible device and not overpay for the fact that it supports color printing. However, we studied only one side of the economic criterion. It will be useful to compare the inkjet and laser printer in relation to it in more detail.
Economic criterion
We noted above that laser printers are especially good for printing texts, graph tables. How well do inkjet printers cope with the same tasks? In principle, not bad. And in nothing in this component are inferior to laser samples. However, why is it highly discouraged by specialists to use inkjet devices if the user's main task is to print texts? The answer is simple - it is unprofitable. If we consider the key advantages of a laser printer over an inkjet, then the very first in their rating is likely to be cost-effectiveness. Toner, regardless of the purpose of its use - printing texts, pictures, or anything else - carries a much greater resource than ink.
Another advantage of the laser device - and it is also of an economic nature - is the better compatibility of the cartridges installed in them with refilling procedures. We are talking about the main printing element of the printer. It is the cartridge, as we said above, that atomizes the very toner, it is the most technologically sophisticated and expensive component of the device. Many printer manufacturers try to design these hardware components so that after they run out of toner, the device owner has to buy a new sample. Although, from a technological point of view, the cartridges are designed so that it is quite possible to add new printing substances to them instead of those that are running out.
There is a fairly steady trend: printer manufacturers really do not like to make cartridges refillable. This is understandable - such an approach is disadvantageous for them. But there is another trend: even more manufacturers do not like to make refillable cartridges specifically for inkjet printers. If you try to fill in new ink in the corresponding printing element, it simply refuses to work. Manufacturers are much more loyal to laser devices in this regard. You can refill cartridges for most printers of the appropriate type.
The nuances of calculating benefits
Consider a simple example that will clearly show how a laser printer differs from an inkjet printer in economic terms.
The cost of a budget user-friendly, but good-quality inkjet printer model now amounts to 5-6 thousand rubles (after rising in price, due to the dollar, it used to be 1.5-2 times cheaper).
There are two types of laser, as we have determined - those that only support black and white cartridges, and those that are compatible with color cartridges. The first cost 7-8 thousand. The second is much more expensive, about 15-20 thousand.
Yes, of course, at the "initial investment" stage, the inkjet option looks preferable. But much depends on the pricing policy of a particular dealer, which is again tied to the ruble exchange rate. It may well be that at certain points in time the dealer and the representative of the inkjet and laser printer under any brand consider it expedient to sharply increase or decrease the price of devices in catalogs.
However, we calculate further.
Resource "factory" cartridge for an inkjet printer - about 25-30 photos in a standard size, or 300-400 pages of text in small print. What are the figures for a laser cartridge? Many times higher. These are about 100-150 images and 1000-1200 pages of text. To this we add the fact that after the inkjet printer runs out of ink, then most likely you will have to change the cartridge. It costs about 400-500 rubles. Thus, the maintenance costs of an inkjet printer may soon exceed the difference in the magnitude of the "initial investment". At least in the correlation of costs between an inkjet device and a black and white laser.
Thus, if the question is which one is better to buy an inkjet or laser printer in the economic aspect, most likely, the second option will be preferable. However, do not forget that the quality of pictures and photographs printed using devices of this type is much lower. And therefore, when comparing an inkjet and laser printer by price parameter, you need to know what kind of tasks will be performed on the device. If you intend to print mainly texts - you can safely buy a laser device. If photographs are most likely, the inkjet option will do better. It, quite possibly, will turn out to be somewhat more profitable than a laser printer supporting color printing due to the high price of the latter.
Of course, there are samples of laser printers that are capable, due to technological features, of printing excellent image quality. However, they do not belong to the user class. The technological properties of the inkjet and laser printer used at home, as well as the principles of their operation are extremely simple in comparison with those that are characteristic of the devices in question - oriented to professional digital studios, printing houses. They cost many times more than the devices of the category we are considering. It is advisable to acquire them if a subsequent commercial payback is expected. Which can only be achieved by turning photo printing into a separate business. Which profitability, by the way, is not the highest in recent years.
Dot matrix printers
Above, we tried to answer the question of which inkjet or laser printer is better suited for solving various problems. However, it will be useful to supplement our small study with information about another noteworthy type of device. Once very popular, but now considered obsolete. It's about dot matrix printers. What are they?
If you study the technological side, the matrix printers are closer to inkjet than laser. They print in the same way by applying ink to paper. Laser and toner are not used in them. But the structure of the print head is completely different from that of inkjet printers: it builds a picture or text on paper in the form of a matrix. While in inkjet devices, as we have already noted above - line by line.
Despite the fact that technologically dot-matrix printers are closer to inkjet printers, their area of application is more compatible with tasks specific to the use of laser devices. That is, they are better suited for printing texts, tables, graphs, for pictures and photographs - not very much. If we compare printers - laser, dot-matrix, ink-jet - in the economic aspect, then the second type of device will be less preferable in relation to modern market conditions.
The fact is that it is much more difficult to refill the matrix cartridge - not all technical centers have the equipment necessary for this. But, I must say, the corresponding type of printing element has a much larger resource than its technological competitors - about 2 thousand pages of text. True, matrix devices are usually more expensive than laser devices used for similar tasks - the budget model will cost 15-20 thousand rubles.
Therefore, the economic feasibility of buying a matrix device will be most obvious if almost all user tasks are reduced to printing large volumes of text. This purpose of printers is more typical for office needs.
findings
So, we have determined how a laser printer differs from an inkjet. It's time to draw key conclusions about our little research. Let’s try to summarize in which aspects a particular difference between a laser printer and an inkjet printer will become a clear factor affecting the user's choice. We also correlate the available information with the features of the matrix devices.
The main criterion for choosing this or that device will be the difference between a laser printer and an inkjet printer, as well as a matrix printer in the aspect of the intended purpose.
If we print primarily texts, tables and graphs, then the ideal option for us is a laser printer that supports black and white cartridges. If you intend to print a significant percentage of color documents or pictures, it is advisable to purchase a device compatible with the corresponding type of printing element.
If we print mainly photographs or pictures, then the best option for us is an inkjet printer. Depending on the color of the image prevail, we will buy the most suitable cartridges for the device - black-and-white or color.
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Thus, the main difference between a laser printer and an inkjet printer from the point of view of better compatibility with the tasks performed is the efficiency when printing pictures. Matrix makes sense to compare the possibilities only with the first. But he may well be competitive with him. If you compare in its pure form the initial investment in the matrix, inkjet and laser printer, the difference can be noticeable. But subsequent expenses can make the device that cost more expensive. It is also influenced by what pricing policy the store representative of the inkjet and laser printer has chosen in relation to the exchange rate. The approaches of Russian retailers may vary in this regard.