by Alexander Darracott

Created on: July 21, 2011

Arguments and debates over which is the better printing technology, laser or inkjet, are continuous.  They are continuous because inkjet printers have increased in sophistication and performance during the past few years to be similar to the cheaper models of laser printers.  However, no matter how good inkjets are becoming, professional people and businesses are still using their laser printers, and for good reasons. 

Larger volumes of printing per cartridge

Laser printers are able to handle larger print volumes per toner cartridge compared to inkjet ink cartridges.  Black ink cartridges can only handle a couple of hundred sheets at the most whilst toner cartridges can handle quantities in their hundreds and even thousands.  This leads to laser printer’s running costs being much lower than inkjet printers.  Laser printers therefore are perfectly suitable for environments where there is high text printing requirements.  

Fusion technology

Due to the fusion technology of laser printers, text output is far better than inkjets.  The text is much crisper and the individual words are better defined, even on the cheapest laser jets.  Because of this, lasers are much better at supporting tasks that involve lots of small text sized printing.     In addition, because the text output is not ink based it is impossible to cause smudges or any running ink.

Cheaper running costs

Lasers are cheaper to run than inkjets, because there are more pages supported per toner cartridge than an inkjet cartridge. Therefore, the cost of printing per page on a laser is much less than an inkjet.  Lasers can also work with cheaper paper, and still produce good quality text output.

Suitable for the business environment

Lasers are better prepared for business environments than inkjets.  Business managers can rely on laser printers to print out large quantities of business reports, product information documents, product advertising documents, brochures and catalogues.  Students can rely on laser printers to print out large volumes of work without worrying about the toner running out.  Lasers are also better for the business environment due to lower running costs. 

Built to work for a long time

Lasers are built to work for a long time, sometimes for over ten years.  Inkjets, on the other hand, will not function properly if not used often, commonly because the ink inside the cartridges can dry up.

Duty cycle

Laser printers offer more value to professionals and those with other high requirements for printing due to its duty cycle.  The duty cycle is the expected amount of pages that is expected of a laser printer before it needs maintenance, such as giving it a general clean to remove residue and keep things clear using compressed air.   The duty cycle reported on many printer advertisements run into their thousands, though realistically the figure can only be achieved by following good maintenance and use practices. 

Laser printers are still popular due to their stability, robustness, cheaper running costs and reliability, all of which are said to be at a higher level than inkjets.  However, this high level of performance and long running usage can only be achieved if the laser printers are maintained often and are treated with care.

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