Inkjet vs. Laser Printers: Which one is Best for your Small Business?

Productivity is extremely important for small businesses. On average, an employee prints 34 pages daily. No business can afford slower printing machines that will consume significant time of employees on printing those 34 pages every day. However, due to budget limitations, small businesses can’t buy super-advanced gadgets. That’s where inkjet vs. laser printer debate comes into play. Every small business owner wonders which printer can offer quick, high-quality prints without breaking the bank. 

This article will discuss the inkjet vs. laser printer differences and their respective advantages for small businesses.

However, understanding the fundamentals before discussing the advantages and disadvantages of inkjet vs. laser printers is crucial. Let’s get straight into the basics;

Inkjet vs. Laser Printer: Definitions

Inkjet Printers

As a printing medium, such as paper or fabric, moves through the machine, tiny ink droplets are applied. High-quality, high-resolution photographs with vivid colors are produced using inkjet printers. 

Laser Printers

These printers use an electromagnetic canvas to trace a picture or document, and then toner cartridges discharge electrically charged toner particles onto the surface. Then, the particles are applied and adhered to a printing substrate, such as paper. Large corporations and busy offices with high print volumes frequently favor these printers.

Inkjet vs. Laser Printer: Costs

Initial Expenses

Because inkjet printers are easier to make and less expensive to produce than laser printers, they can be found for as little as $100. On the other hand, laser printers include parts like imaging and fuser units, they typically cost approximately $200 or above.

Price of Printing

The majority of printing expenses are made up of ink and toner. Black-and-white inkjet printouts typically cost 5 to 10 cents per page, whereas colorful prints cost 15 to 25 cents per page.  These cover the price of the paper, ink, and toner used in printing.

In contrast, the upfront cost of toner cartridges for laser printers is higher than that of ink cartridges. However, given that a single toner cartridge can print hundreds of pages and outperform the print yields provided by inkjet printers, they are often less expensive per page than ink cartridges. As a result, color printing on laser printers usually costs approximately 15 cents per page, whereas black-and-white printing typically costs less than 5 cents per page.

Ink cartridges may dry up if not used regularly or handled correctly, but toner cartridges arrive in powder form and have a longer shelf life.

Inkjet vs. Laser Printer: Printing Caliber

Inkjet printers are superior for producing high-quality photos because they can reproduce complex color combinations more easily.

However, compared to inkjet printers, laser printers are unable to create colorful pictures that are as vivid. Even laser printers that enable higher-quality color for picture printing need to use specialist laser printer-ready photo paper, making them less convenient and more expensive. 

Overall, laser printers are recommended for normal document printing. The result might change if you use colored paper. 

Inkjet vs Laser Printer: Printer Size 

Because inkjet printers are often lighter and smaller, they are perfect for homes or small offices. These are usually portable. In contrast, laser printers are of bigger sizes compared to their counterparts. 

Inkjet vs Laser Printer: Duty Cycle

Inkjet printers have usually a lower-duty cycle. This means these are preferred for lower consumption businesses or, ideally, for homes. In contrast, the heavy-duty cycle allows laser printers to perform well in the business environment where consumption is generally higher. 

Inkjet vs. Laser Printer: Which One to Use?

The answer is based on how frequently and for what purposes you will use your printer. Inkjet printers are accessible if you rarely print. Ink refills are less expensive than toner, even though ink will cost more per page. Laser printers are perfect for high-consumption places where text-based documents are printed frequently. 

Whatever printer type you use, paper quality is unquestionably important for getting the desired outcomes. If you want premium quality paper at the industry’s best prices, PaperPapers can be your most reliable option.