What Are The Differences Between Inkjet And Laser Printers?

With the rise of working at home, many Malaysian households are considering either investing in a brand new printer, or upgrading their existing one to facilitate their work from home. Learn more about the differences between inkjet and laser printers, and see which one is best suited for your needs.

Inkjet Printers

Inkjet printers have been a staple of printing for decades, and are commonly used for printing at home. They spray thousands of tiny droplets of liquid ink from cartridges via nozzles onto a piece of paper, before utilising a print head assembly to move the print back and forth across the paper. Most inkjet printers also have a paper tray for users to load sheets of paper, as well as a roller to efficiently feed each sheet of paper for smooth printing.

Inkjet printers are popular for their affordability and ability to deliver high-quality colour prints with ease. With their compact design, they are ideal for both home and commercial offices where space is a premium, as well as for low-volume print processes. Multifunction printers, also known as all-in-one printers, are also growing in popularity; combining printing features along with faxing, copying, and scanning, making them an excellent investment for working from home.

While traditionally associated with expensive printing due to requiring constant replacement of ink cartridges, modern inkjet printers are both energy-efficient as well as ink-efficient to help users save on costs. Epson’s EcoTank printers utilise a large ink tank that is filled up with individual ink bottles instead of requiring constant replacement of ink cartridges. They greatly reduce costs of coloured printing per page, as well as being eco-friendly by doing away with waste generated by production and disposal of ink cartridges.

Many printer models also feature touchscreens for easier operation, power saving modes to reduce electricity consumption when not in use, as well as wireless printing that allows for remote printing by multiple users. They also feature self-cleaning functions, reducing ink clog ups and facilitating smooth printing.

Laser Printers

Laser printers rely on a more complex method to create prints, incorporating powdered ink in the form of toner as well as a metal drum charged with static electricity. After the drum is positively charged, the laser bounces off a mirror and onto the drum surface, creating regions of negative charge. As the powdered toner is released, it gets attracted to the negatively charged regions, before the drum rolls the toner onto the paper and a fuser unit melts the toner onto the paper.

Laser printers are chiefly used for their incredibly fast printing speeds and high volumes, making them ideal for businesses requiring large print jobs within a short time period. Their other major advantage is that their toner cartridges deliver low cost printing per page, leading to operational cost savings in the long run and a must-have for large companies. They are also reliable, as the toner used does not dry out and evaporate, allowing them to work efficiently for extended periods. In addition, laser printers feature high-capacity paper trays and offer superior print resolution for black & white printing, particularly for text and line graphics.

Contrary to popular belief, laser printers come in both monochrome and colour models, rather than just being able to only print in black & white. Monochrome models are perfect for printing corporate documents in large volumes, while colour models provide versatility when one requires to print graphics and illustrations of decent quality. Still unsure whether an inkjet or laser printer is ideal for your needs? Watch our printer buying guide to better inform and guide your decision.

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