Kelowna Printers - Laser vs. Inkjet

The decades old debate continues on as end users and organizations try to figure out which printer is the best for them. There are many reasons to go with Laser over inkjet, and just as many reasons to go with Inkjet over Laser. Here are a few pointers to help you decide:

• Do you require color printing? Even though inkjets seem to do a better job at printing, it is not always the case, for charts and graphs, a laser printer will print just as well as any inkjet printer.
• The cost of running Laser is cheaper than inkjets. To keep this statement true, you would need to consider that in the past it was cheaper to run laser printers, but now with manufacturers making changes to multi color cartridges the cost per page is getting pretty low.
• Do you print photos? Inkjets do have an advantage in printing photos and some even have the ability to spray a gloss finish on the photo to make it have that professional look.
• Space and size issues. Laser printers are traditionally larger and bulkier, so if space is a real issue, inkjets are typically a lot smaller than laser printers.

But both laser and inkjet printers have drawbacks – where one kind of printer is strong, the other is often weak. For instance, inkjets are significantly slower than lasers, while lasers (even color lasers) struggle with reproducing the subtle gradations of photographs.

Inkjets and lasers also have different strengths depending on the amount of work they do. Laser printers are more economical for those who do high-volume printing, while those who do occasional print jobs will generally save more with inkjets.

Even though laser printers have more moving parts, and therefore can be more prone to breakdowns, inkjet models wear out more quickly - especially the printing heads - and the quality of their output can decrease over time. On a laser, it's much simpler (though much more expensive) to replace certain parts, such as the drum or fuser, and restore the printer to its original performance. A lot of clients have printers that have pushed out more than a quarter million print jobs on a laser printer. History shows that customers tend to throw out inkjets if they break.

Generally inkjet printers have a price per page of around 20 cents, although this includes both black and colour cartridges — if you intend to print only black, ongoing print costs are generally 7-8 cents per page. Cheap black-and-white laser printers have a price of around 6c per page on average. If you spend more on a laser printer, the cost per page generally drops quickly.

Not everyone can determine which printer is the correct one to go with, but the sales team at northern computer can help you make the right choices. We can service and repair your existing printer too.

- Ken H, Account Manager

Northern Computer - Your Trusted Partner #1 - 495 Banks Road Kelowna, BC V1X 6A2 Phone: 250.762.7753 Fax: 250.861.1861 Toll-Free: 1.877.257.2896 Email: sales@northerncomputer.ca or service@northerncomputer.ca http://www.northerncomputer.ca/