{"id":2021,"date":"2014-11-09T06:20:40","date_gmt":"2014-11-09T14:20:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/computertechsreno.com\/tips\/?p=2021"},"modified":"2025-05-06T06:58:15","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T13:58:15","slug":"need-a-new-printer-why-you-should-consider-getting-laser-vs-inkjet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/computertechsreno.com\/tips\/need-a-new-printer-why-you-should-consider-getting-laser-vs-inkjet\/","title":{"rendered":"Need a new printer? Why you should consider getting laser\/LED vs. inkjet"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/computertechsreno.com\/tips\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/printer-g306ac49b0_1280.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"660\" src=\"https:\/\/computertechsreno.com\/tips\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/printer-g306ac49b0_1280-1024x660.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4106\" srcset=\"https:\/\/computertechsreno.com\/tips\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/printer-g306ac49b0_1280-1024x660.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/computertechsreno.com\/tips\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/printer-g306ac49b0_1280-500x322.jpg 500w, https:\/\/computertechsreno.com\/tips\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/printer-g306ac49b0_1280-150x97.jpg 150w, https:\/\/computertechsreno.com\/tips\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/printer-g306ac49b0_1280-768x495.jpg 768w, https:\/\/computertechsreno.com\/tips\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/printer-g306ac49b0_1280.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Updated 11\/16\/23 to add LED:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When purchasing a new printer, there are several reasons you should consider getting laser vs. inkjet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We are often asked to troubleshoot printing problems with inkjet printers. With Nevada&#8217;s dry climate, if you don&#8217;t frequently print something the ink in inkjet printers often dries out and clogs the ink cartridges and print heads, thus reducing print quality or completely rendering the printer useless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When shopping for a printer you may be inclined to get an inexpensive printer because you don&#8217;t print very often. Though inkjet printers are usually less expensive, the cost of the ink and repair can make it a more expensive investment in the long run. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&#8217;s look at the pros and cons&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Pros of laser\/LED printers:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The toner powder that&#8217;s used in laser printer toner lasts longer than ink &#8211; typically thousands of pages (vs hundreds of pages for standard ink cartridge printers). You may only have to buy more toner cartridge(s) every few years.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cost-per-page of toner vs. ink is lower.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The toner isn&#8217;t susceptible to drying up or clogging the printer.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Laser printers print faster.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cons of laser\/LED printers:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The initial equipment cost of a laser printer is usually more expensive. Color laser printers are usually hundreds of dollars more than their inkjet alternatives.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Laser printers don&#8217;t print high-quality photos.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>All-in-one laser printers are usually larger and may not fit if you have a small space to place your printer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>More information about the choosing a printer can be found in the <a title=\"Click to read the external link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.consumerreports.org\/cro\/printers\/buying-guide\/index.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Consumer Reports Printer Buying Guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The technical differences between inkjet and laser\/LED printers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Inkjet and laser printers operate on very different technologies, each with their own strengths. Here&#8217;s a breakdown of how they work:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Inkjet Printers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Technology:<\/strong> Inkjet printers spray tiny droplets of liquid ink directly onto the paper. These droplets can be as small as a few microns, allowing for precise details and vibrant colors.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Process:<\/strong> They use one of two methods: thermal inkjet (heating the ink to create bubbles that force the ink out) or piezoelectric inkjet (using vibrations to eject ink).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Best For:<\/strong> High-resolution photo printing and documents requiring vivid colors. Inkjet printers are generally slower and more suitable for low-volume printing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Laser Printers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Technology:<\/strong> Laser printers use toner, a powdered ink, and static electricity to transfer the image or text onto the paper.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Process:<\/strong> A laser beam &#8220;draws&#8221; the image on a drum inside the printer, creating an electrostatic charge. The toner adheres to the charged areas, and heat is used to bond the toner to the paper.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Best For:<\/strong> Fast printing of high-volume, monochrome documents. They are great for efficiency but less suitable for detailed photo printing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re debating which one suits your needs, it boils down to what you&#8217;re printing and how often.<\/p>\n\n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/computertechsreno.com\/tips\/need-a-new-printer-why-you-should-consider-getting-laser-vs-inkjet\/print\/\" title=\"Print This Article\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"WP-PrintIcon\" src=\"https:\/\/computertechsreno.com\/tips\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-print\/images\/printer_famfamfam.gif\" alt=\"Print This Article\" title=\"Print This Article\" style=\"border: 0px;\" \/><\/a>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/computertechsreno.com\/tips\/need-a-new-printer-why-you-should-consider-getting-laser-vs-inkjet\/print\/\" title=\"Print This Article\" rel=\"nofollow\">Print This Article<\/a>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Updated 11\/16\/23 to add LED: When purchasing a new printer, there are several reasons you should consider getting laser vs. inkjet. We are often asked to troubleshoot printing problems with inkjet printers. With Nevada&#8217;s dry climate, if you don&#8217;t frequently print something the ink in inkjet printers often dries out and clogs the ink cartridges [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2021","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-computing-tips"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/computertechsreno.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2021","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/computertechsreno.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/computertechsreno.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/computertechsreno.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/computertechsreno.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2021"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/computertechsreno.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2021\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4107,"href":"https:\/\/computertechsreno.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2021\/revisions\/4107"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/computertechsreno.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2021"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/computertechsreno.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2021"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/computertechsreno.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2021"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}