An Inkjet or Laser Printer?

Now that entry-level laser printers are priced under $100, you might be agonizing over whether a laser or an inkjet is the best printer choice for your business. The answer depends on the type of printing you do and your volume of output. Purchasing any printer based solely on its price tag can end up costing your company a lot of money and aggravation in the long term.

Usage Considerations

Inkjet printers generally yield better quality photo and image prints. A good-quality inkjet printer would be an ideal choice for a business or department that prints a lot of image-laden marketing materials or photos. Inkjets are also a better choice for printing on different types of media, such as fabric and fancy paper products. Inkjets facilitate printing on label stock because the heat generated from laser printers during heavy use can melt label adhesive and cause internal damage. On the other hand, if you print mostly text documents on plain paper, laser printers provide sharper, higher-quality rendering of text. Inkjet printouts on standard copy paper are often fuzzy and easy to smudge.

Print Volume

Laser printers generally print faster than inkjets and are designed for heavy use. Even some desktop laser printers feature paper trays than can hold over 100 pages. Typically, Inkjet paper trays hold no more than 50 pages. Inkjets aren't well-suited to heavy office use, whereas even entry-level laser printers are capable of printing 10,000 pages a month.

Cost of Ownership

With some inkjet models available for less than $40, you might be tempted, but don’t be. Ink cartridges for many printer models often exceed $20 and offer a low page yield. Similarly, the toner cartridges for some lower-end laser printers are also expensive and have lower page yields. Before deciding on a printer, check the page yield of its toner or ink cartridges to determine whether the printer's low cost is truly a bargain. An inexpensive printer can end up costing you more money in ink and toner than a more expensive model. Many people automatically assume that cost of ownership is cheaper with a laser printer, but that depends on your print volume. If you print a lot, a laser printer will generally be cheaper to run over time, but if your printing requirements are light, an inkjet may be more cost-effective over the same period.


The only parts on an inkjet that will ever need to be replaced are the ink cartridges and possibly the paper intake rollers. On the other hand, a laser printer contains a photo-conductive drum that transfers toner to the paper. The drum is usually good for several thousand copies before requiring replacement. Some printer manufacturers include the drum in their toner cartridges so you don’t have to worry about it, while others make you purchase the drum separately. Drums in smaller laser printers are not difficult to replace – usually, the toner cartridge snaps into it. If you purchase a multifunction laser printer intended for use in a large office, drum replacements are usually included in the service maintenance agreement provided by the manufacturer.