| In the early days there was a vast difference | | | | are not recommended when printing needs to be |
| between an inkjet printer and its laser version but | | | | done in large volumes. |
| with time the difference has narrowed down to | | | | They are known to throw up cartridge error |
| point where it is sometimes difficult to | | | | messages even though the cartridges might be |
| differentiate between the two. Most individuals | | | | working just fine. This is not to say that Inkjet |
| continue to use the inkjet printers, as they are | | | | printers are always problematic but these are just |
| less expensive and nearly all of them are colour | | | | a few errors that do crop up once in a while. |
| capable. The quality of the inkjet printers has | | | | The print can also start going haywire sometimes |
| improved over time and now there is not a huge | | | | and it may start printing in endless loops. |
| difference in printing quality with the Laser | | | | It is often difficult to minimize and regulate the |
| printers. It's for this reason that small or home | | | | amount of ink being used in the Inkjet printers. |
| business can use an inkjet printer without having | | | | There is a difference in quality of an Inkjet print |
| to worry about documents looking unclear or | | | | and a laser print. Often the laser print is of better |
| looking cheap. | | | | quality. |
| The laser printer is capable of printing much faster | | | | It is for these reasons that the laser printers |
| and usually produces better quality image, it is far | | | | sales have taken off in a very big way in spite of |
| more expensive as compared to the Inkjet | | | | being a more expensive buy. |
| version. Laser printers are usually used for black | | | | However, in comparison to the laser printers, |
| printing but there are colour laser printers available | | | | there are a few positives about the inkjet |
| now. | | | | printers, which are more suitable to the |
| Having pointed that out, it is also useful to note | | | | requirements of a small or home business where |
| that the general rule of the thumb for printers is | | | | they do not need to print as many in terms of |
| "the lesser the cost of the printer, the more | | | | volumes. |
| expensive the running cost". This could however | | | | Colour laser printers have been around for some |
| depend on the volume of printing the printer is | | | | time but they were frightfully expensive a few |
| being used for. If the printing volume were | | | | years ago. A recent study found that last year |
| minimal, it would be more cost effective to use | | | | nearly 1.85 million colour laser printers were sold, a |
| an inkjet printer. It is very easy to get carried | | | | substantial growth from the previous year. A |
| away by the initial price of an inkjet printer but | | | | large number of offices are going in for the colour |
| people buying them are often not aware that the | | | | page printers. This is however not recommended |
| running cost of the machine would play a huge | | | | if you do not need to print fliers or brochures in |
| part and should be factored into the decision | | | | large volumes consistently. |
| making. This would be better understood with an | | | | There are a few other advantages that come |
| example. Let us consider a Canon i320 colour | | | | with a laser printer, for example: |
| bubble jet printer. It usually does not cost more | | | | Using a duplex unit: This would enable the user to |
| than ?30 obviously subject to the discounts | | | | print back to back. This is particularly useful for |
| applicable at your store. The cost of a cartridge is | | | | creating brochures and leaflets. |
| usually in the ?10 range and on an average it | | | | Add a paper drawer: This would reduce the |
| prints 170 pages. Even if you print as few as 7 | | | | number of user interventions and in turn reduces |
| pages a day that works out to 2100 pages over | | | | the printer errors. |
| the year. This in turn works out to an annual | | | | Assigning different paper trays for different |
| expense of approximately ?135. The amount one | | | | drafts can be used to print different documents |
| spends on cartridges is approximately 4 times the | | | | without messing about with the tray each time. |
| price of the printer in the first year itself. This is | | | | An ethernet or a wireless network card can be |
| the reason the subsequent expenditure needs to | | | | added to the printer to attach it to a network. |
| be taken into consideration while buying a printer. | | | | This functionality can be availed in the laser printer. |
| Inkjet printers come with some added problems | | | | This is just to outline the benefits of using each |
| that need to be looked at and taken into | | | | kind of a printer. This is aimed at helping the user |
| consideration: | | | | to weigh the pros and the cons before buying a |
| To begin with they are not as fast as the Laser | | | | printer. |
| printers. This is one reason why Inkjet printers | | | | |