Laser Printer vs Inkjet: What Kind of Printer Do I Need

Laser Printer vs Inkjet:

Buying a printer is always easier in comparison to purchasing a laptop or a computer. This is because you don't need to do thorough research work before buying a particular model. There are only a few specifications that a person is required to take into consideration.

However, there is one important technology choice that you need to make when you are out for purchasing a new printer i.e., whether to buy an inkjet or laser printer.

This is an important key factor that every potential buyer needs to keep in mind. Here, we are going to talk about laser printer vs inkjet. Let us first discuss how both these printers work so that it becomes easier for you to make a choice.

What is an Inkjet Printer and How does it Work?

An inkjet printer is a printer that uses ink to produce printouts. It uses ink cartridges to print documents. Let us discuss in detail how an inkjet printer works.

• The printer processes the document or photo from your laptop or smartphone.
• The nozzles positioned in the machine spray ink droplets on the paper. Thousands of ink droplets are released by a hundred nozzles in a machine.
• The nozzle needs electrical energy so that enough heat gets generated to release a drop of ink. Due to this heat, the ink expands into a bubble and it keeps on expanding in the nozzle itself before it is poured onto the paper.
• When a bubble of ink falls on the surface of the paper, a vacuum gets created, which draws more ink from the nozzle to release another ink droplet.
• Many drops of ink combined together form a character.
• The nozzles on the printhead move right and left across a sheet to form new characters.

What is a Laser Printer and How does it Work?

A laser printer is a printer that uses a laser to print a document. Let us discuss in detail how a laser printer works.

• The printer processes a document or an image from a computer or a mobile phone. It makes use of high-voltage circuits to send electric charges to a few components.
• The photoreceptor drum is the one that has been given a positive electric charge.
• When the laser beams, the mirror makes movement in a manner that it "draws" the image on the photoreceptor drum.
• When the laser hits the photoreceptor drum, a positive charge gets replaced by a negative one. Basically, the mirror draws or sketches a negatively-charged shape on a positively-charged mirror.
• The toner gets released onto the drum. The toner is positively charged and attract to those parts of the drum which are negatively charged.
• A sheet of paper is rolled in the printer and it is given a negative charge.
• When the paper passes from the drum, the negative charge attracts grains of toner from the drum to the sheet of paper. The toner grains then sit on the paper's surface.
• The electric charge of the paper gets removed. After that, it passes through hot rollers, which use pressure and heat to fuse the toner grains into the paper.

Inkjet Printer or Laser Printer Which One is Better?

If we talk about inkjet printer, then they are not as quick as laser printers in terms of printing. They are too pricey as well. Moreover, their paper tray can't hold as much paper as a laser printer. This type of printer is a better choice for those who don't print often or those who print only a few pages at once. This is also a great choice for those who need more colored photos.

On the other hand, laser printers are quicker in terms of print speed. The paper tray capacity is higher in comparison to inkjet printers. Therefore, they can print more pages in comparison to inkjet printers. A laserjet printer can print thousands of pages without wear and tear.

However, they are heavier in size as compared to inkjet printers. Plus, they are not as good as inkjet printers in printing colored photos. If your work requires you to print large volumes of paper, then this is an apt choice for you.