Anyone who needs a new printer is often at a loss: laser or ink, and what’s the difference? Should you access particularly cheap printers? And is it true that many devices automatically break down after a certain period of time? A Guide to Buying a Printer.
More and more people are working from home. In the course of these changes that the corona pandemic has brought to us, many users have had to upgrade. In addition to a laptop and monitor, they often also need a printer, for example to print out worksheets or other documents. But buying a printer is difficult for many: there is a large selection and the market is confusing. The models often vary in price, features and print quality. So which printer is the right one for your own needs?
Buying a printer: ink or laser?
What do I want to print and how much? – that is the crucial question when buying a printer. The follow-up costs should also be as low as possible. With laser printers and inkjet printers, the market is divided into two categories. Both printer types are available as black and white as well as color devices. The combination of copier and scanner, so-called multifunction devices, can also be found in both laser and inkjet printers.
laser printer
A black-and-white laser printer is recommended for those who mainly print text and the occasional PDF with a few graphics. The biggest advantage of such devices is that the ink cannot dry out, since the toners of laser printers work on a powder basis. They are therefore particularly suitable for people who probably only rarely use their printer. Even after months without use, they still work reliably.
With laser printers, colored powder is heated and fixed to the paper. The devices are now very compact and work with conventional printer paper. Unlike inkjet printers, laser printers do not print line by line, but in one step. The printing process is therefore particularly fast and text and graphics are pin sharp on the paper.
Black and white laser printers are now quite cheap. Recommended models from Brother, Kyocera or HP can be found for 100 to 250 euros. There are now also color laser printers for home use, but they are significantly more expensive at an average price of 200 to 400 euros. However, compared to color inkjet printers, color laser printers do not offer such a high quality when printing complex graphics or photos.
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consequential costs and health
Laser printers are the right choice for users who either rarely print or print a lot of documents. What sounds strange can be easily explained: Infrequent users have the advantage that their laser printer does not dry up, so the device cannot break down so easily or the toner has to be replaced. Users with high printing volumes, on the other hand, save on the follow-up costs. Although the toner in a laser printer is more expensive than a classic printer cartridge, it usually lasts longer. A color toner for a color laser printer creates at least 645 pages, a black and white toner even more. The printing costs per page are therefore significantly lower compared to inkjet printers.
In connection with laser printers, many buyers also look at the health aspect. Since the devices work with powder instead of ink, they eject a small amount of toner particles via the built-in fan. The manufacturers counteract this fine dust emission with filters in order not to exceed the so-called LGA limit value. Nevertheless, it is advisable not to operate a laser printer in the immediate vicinity of the workplace and in a well-ventilated place.
inkjet printer
If you often want to print colored graphics or even photos from time to time, it is better to use an inkjet printer. The devices are also ideal for users who print regularly but only print a few pages. Inkjet printers print text particularly quickly and, above all, more quietly than laser printers. And photo prints on special photo paper are usually of better quality.
Inkjet printers spray ink onto paper through nozzles. This allows the printing of photos or greeting cards. But it also makes the printers vulnerable: If the devices are not used regularly, the nozzles can become clogged. As a result, the inkjet printers only print very pale or incompletely, in extreme cases not at all. Modern inkjet printers want to prevent this problem with integrated cleaning programs. At regular intervals, they start a print head cleaning, during which the dried-up nozzles of the print head are flushed with fresh ink from the printer cartridges. However, this puts a strain on the printer cartridge, which empties more quickly as a result of the cleaning processes. That can cost money. It should also be noted that inkjet printers must be connected to the power supply for automatic printhead cleaning. If users want to store their device without electricity for a longer period of time, a laser beam printer is recommended.
Inkjet printers are significantly cheaper than laser printers. Simple devices for color printing are already available for less than 50 euros. Such cheap models sometimes cause high follow-up costs, since the appropriate cartridges have to be bought at great expense. Therefore, users should find out in good time which cartridges can be used in the devices and whether there are cheap alternatives to the original cartridges from the manufacturer.
Appropriate: These are the most economical inkjet printers
What good are replica cartridges?
Replica cartridges are an alternative to expensive original ink. With them, users can often save up to 90 percent with the same print quality. However, some printer manufacturers are opposed to these third-party cartridges. For example, HP caused trouble a few years ago when, after activating a security function on some models, printing with replica cartridges was suddenly no longer possible. After customer protests, the manufacturer allowed the third-party cartridges again.
Buyers should check whether third-party ink can be used in the desired printer. However, if the manufacturer’s service is sent in for repairs, it can recognize that third-party ink has been used and may refuse the guarantee. In general, it is also advisable to rely on established manufacturers for replica cartridges.
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