Monday 4 June 2012

Case Study: How To Get Better Printing

By George Sferrazza


When choosing a new printer, most people must decide whether to go for a laser printer or an inkjet printer. The advantages of laser over inkjet and vice versa are most easily assessed when you know how much you're going to need to actually use the printer.

The two different types of printers represent different costs when it comes to the cost of ink versus the cost of the printer itself. Do you plan to use this new printer in an office setting or do you just need to print things occasionally at home? Make an estimate of approximately how many sheets you might need to print per day, week, or month; you can use these numbers to compare the costs of replacing ink and toner cartridges.

The upfront cost of many printers these days is very low. These costs are low because printer companies know that you'll have to spend a lot more later on replacing inkjet cartridges or laser toner cartridges.

It's more important to consider the cost of replacement cartridges, since the bulk of the money you'll spend maintaining any printer will be on replacing the ink or toner. It's just as important--maybe even more important--to do a cost comparison of the replacement cartridges as it is to compare the costs of the actual printers. What's the number of sheets you are supposed to be able to print with a single cartridge? Assuming you end up using the printer as much as you think you will, how long then will one cartridge last?

As a general principle, ink jet printers aren't made to be used heavily, and the cartridges don't last long. However, if you don't anticipate using your new printer that heavily (say you just want one to have at your house in case you need it), then inkjet can be a good choice. On the flip side, if you know you're going to need to be using a printer very often, you might want to consider a laser printer.

For heavy duty use and over longer periods of time, laser printers tend to cost less to refill and maintain. Laser printers tend to cost more initially than inkjet printers. Toner cartridges for laser printers also last a lot longer than ink cartridges. Though one toner cartridge can cost three or four times more than an inkjet cartridges, it also prints that much more than ink cartridges. A high-end, heavy duty laser printer can print extremely fast, and since the cartridges last for thousands of sheets, laser printers are good choices for offices where you don't want to have to constantly order and replace ink cartridges.

It's possible to fulfill your printing needs without breaking the bank; carefully considering how you're planning to print will help you make the best choice between laser and inkjet printers.




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