Laser Printers or Inkjet Printers? A Buyers Guide

Often people buying a new printer are confused about whether to buy a laser printer or inkjet printer. This article helps answer that question by highlighting the pros and cons of each.

Should you buy an inkjet or a laser printer? Often people buying a new printer are confused about whether to buy a laser printer or inkjet printer. The short answer is it depends on what you’ll be using it for, and how much you’ll be using it.

Inkjet printers have a lower initial purchase cost but cost more to run because the ink is more expensive when measured on a per page basis. Laser printers cost more but their running costs are lower and they have a better print quality because in general they have a higher resolution (expressed in dots per inch - dpi).

If you want to print photos at home however, you are best to choose a photo quality inkjet printer.

Inkjets are great for home use and for photo printing. Lasers are good for high-volume applications, like offices, or for applications that need high print quality.

Inkjet printers transfer tiny droplets of ink directly to the page. A laser printer creates an electrostatic pattern on a drum that attracts ink powder that is subsequently fused onto the paper. This is more complex technology so means a higher price than for an inkjet printer.

If you examine the same page printed on both a laser printer and an inkjet, you will be able to see that the characters on the laser printer produced page are sharper. That said however, inkjet printers are getting better all the time in terms of the sharpness of printed characters.

Another aspect to consider is how heavily you will be using a printer. Printer manufacturers express the durability of a printer in terms of duty cycle in pages per month.

For example, a typical laser printer will be capable of a duty cycle up to 7,000 pages a month while a typical entry level inkjet printer is capable of up to 500 pages per month.

Some of the more recent inkjets provide excellent color clarity and brightness, and are very well suited for printing photographs.

While inkjet printers themselves are cheaper, their ink is more expensive per page printed. Ink cartridges need to be replaced fairly often if you print a lot, especially if you’re printing pictures or photos.

The manufacturer’s stated pages per cartridge measurements are very much dependent on what you printing. They are based on only a small percentage of the page actually being covered in ink.

Toner cartridges for laser printers have a higher unit price than inkjet cartridges, but have a higher capacity so that the cost per page is lower for lasers.

Unmatched Toner Cartridge Quality 20% Less Than OEM Price!

For business professionals caught between high OEM price and mediocre print and graphic output, there's a solution: Business Express's Eclipse line of compatible laser toner cartridges that meet or exceed OEM quality for 20% less than typical OEM price. While even brand name OEMs display "This cartridge may contain recycled components" on packaging, only Business Express, a leading U.S.-based toner cartridge remanufacturer, uses all new internal components on its Eclipse line...

For business professionals caught between high OEM price and mediocre print and graphic output, there's a solution: Business Express's Eclipse line of compatible laser toner cartridges that meet or exceed OEM quality for 20% less than typical OEM price. While even brand name OEMs display "This cartridge may contain recycled components" on packaging, only Business Express, a leading U.S.-based toner cartridge remanufacturer, uses all new internal components on its Eclipse line of compatible toner cartridges, and offers a guaranty on the cartridge and printer.

To ensure the blackest blacks and sharpest colors on every print job, the Eclipse OEM-compatible toner cartridges use just premium toner and all new internal components on every remanufactured toner cartridge.

Because this includes a brand new photoelectric drum, primary charge roller, magnetic rollers, wiper and doctor blades, as well as seals and end foams to prevent leaking, each toner cartridge prints at optimum quality to the end of is life cycle. In contrast, lower quality toner cartridges and even some OEM brands may reuse internal components over and over, diminishing print quality and reliability.

Before Business Express ships any Eclipse toner cartridge, rigorous print tests are conducted to ensure quality. This includes a solid page of black and a series of halftones to make certain that text prints crisp and clear. Color tests of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, including full solid prints and gradations, further ensure that up to 256,000 shades of color appear their best for photos, graphs, and other graphics.

"It's untrue that remanufactured toner cartridges can't as good as OEM or will void the warranty," says Business Express owner Dean Gutch. "By law OEMs can't force you to buy their brand any more than a car dealer can force you to buy their oil filter. We're so certain that Eclipse toner cartridges will meet or exceed OEM print quality that we guaranty not only the cartridge but also the printer."

Business Express remanufactures OEM-compatible laser toner cartridges for most major brands including Hewlett Packard, Minolta, Lexmark, and others. In addition to color and black and white toner cartridges, the company offers Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) toner cartridges, suitable by banks to print checks. They also build custom cartridges for those with special needs.

In addition to remanufacturing to satisfy the latest OEM microchip requirements, they ship nationally with next day delivery as well as internationally.

Printer Toner Safety: The Dust Musts

When changing printer toner, one's first priority is often getting the printer running as quickly as possible to finish the project at hand. But it's best to slow down and take the time to follow necessary safety precautions.

While printer toner itself isn't a health hazard, its fine powder in high concentration can be. This powder can stay in the air for quite a while, and is similar to dust when it comes to its effects on our body, resulting in irritations like sneezing ...


When changing printer toner, one's first priority is often getting the printer running as quickly as possible to finish the project at hand. But it's best to slow down and take the time to follow necessary safety precautions.

While printer toner itself isn't a health hazard, its fine powder in high concentration can be. This powder can stay in the air for quite a while, and is similar to dust when it comes to its effects on our body, resulting in irritations like sneezing and coughing. Add any respiratory conditions like bronchitis or asthma and these effects worsen.

How can this dust become airborne? You'd be surprised at how easy it is. Improper disposal of printer toner in waste baskets can quickly spread dust through the air. Machine spills can cycle through the ventilator fan. Over-filled waste toner compartments can overflow within the machine.

Some laser printer toners are considered carcinogens, or cancer causing, increasing the risk of those individuals facing extremely heavy and long-term exposure. Nevertheless, typical office and personal use is deemed safe.

So take precautions. Vacuum, don't sweep or brush, spilled toner dust. Clean up desktops or surfaces with a damp cloth. Should toner get on your hands, wash them thoroughly and immediately with soap and cold water, which keeps your pores closed and protects your hands from becoming stained. Avoid any contact with your eyes or mouth, and never ingest. To play it extra safe, put the toner in a zipped plastic bag to avoid possible dust emissions.

If you experience shortness of breath or persistent coughing, stop working with the printer toner, if applicable, and get fresh air immediately. Then seek medical attention if your symptoms persist.

Since 1999, http://www.TonerDealers.com has been one of the largest toner resources online, saving customers up to 60% on nearly 4,000 unique toner and cartridge models everyday.

Ink Cartridges

Ink was invented by the Chinese over 5000 years ago, and was used to write on paper. Ever since, ink has been used extensively in all cultures to depict ideas, thoughts and in education.  Today, everyone from school children to corporate executives use ink. However, the way ink is used differs greatly the past.  On modern-day fountain pens, the ink is stored in a small container within the pen, known as a cartridge. Ink cartridges are not restricted to fountain pens. Printers have become common in most offices and institutions. These devices also use of an ink cartridge to get the printing job done.

Ink was invented by the Chinese over 5000 years ago, and was used to write on paper. Ever since, ink has been used extensively in all cultures to depict ideas, thoughts and in education.  Today, everyone from school children to corporate executives use ink. However, the way ink is used differs greatly the past.  On modern-day fountain pens, the ink is stored in a small container within the pen, known as a cartridge. Ink cartridges are not restricted to fountain pens. Printers have become common in most offices and institutions. These devices also use of an ink cartridge to get the printing job done.

Ink cartridges use one of two types of inks. The dye-based inks offer a wide variety of colors but take time to dry. Moreover, these inks may fade over a period of time and are not water resistant. Pigmented inks are less susceptible to being washed away and are fade resistant and quick drying. Nowadays, the term ink cartridge is primarily used to signify those used in the printers. These cartridges also come in various varieties, from dot matrix and inkjet cartridges to those used in laser printers.

Ink cartridges can be broadly classified into 3 categories. Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) ink cartridges are made by the manufacturer of the printer and are the most reliable. The downside to these cartridges is the price, as they tend to be very expensive. Compatible ink cartridges are those that are manufactured by a company other than the original manufacturer. They are new, but somewhat cheaper because of the lack of a brand name. Remanufactured ink cartridges are the cheapest option available. These are refilled cartridges and while they can be reliable at times, they also have a tendency to leak after a certain amount of usage.

The prices of ink cartridges vary greatly, depending on the brand and type of printer. Care should be taken to pick the correct cartridge, as a wrong choice may damage the printer.