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Let's see how the laser printer stacks up against the more common ink jets. Both laser and inkjet printers allow you to print professional-looking documents, such as flyers, spreadsheets and brochures. Each has its pros and cons.

Laser printer pros

Speed: A laser printer can turn out pages more quickly than an inkjet printer.

Quiet operation: A laser printer is generally quieter than low-cost inkjet printers - which is a big deal in a quiet office, where the printer usually occupies a central location.

Low cost: Over time, toner costs for a laser printer will total far less per page than refilling/replacing inkjet printer cartridges if large printing volumes are considered.

Best-quality text: Impeccable quality; inkjet printers - no matter how much you pay for it, can hardly be able to turn out black text and line graphics as crisp as a laser printer.

Laser Printer cons

The total cost of ownership of a laser printer would be more compared to an inkjet printer if the print volume is low. While the cost of the toner appears to be less, there are other consumables apart from the toner that have to be replaced, which add on to the cost.

Inkjet printer cons

Contrary to popular perception, the main drawback of an inkjet printer is cost. Except for low-use situations inkjets typically result in a higher cost of ownership over the long term. Most ink cartridges result in a higher cost per page figure when compared to laser toner. Cheaper models typically use a cartridge with less ink than those for more expensive inkjets, thus the more expensive models are cheaper in the long run. Others use a 3-in-1 cartridge that requires users to replace the entire cartridge even when only one color is empty. Some models require special paper for quality color output.

Inkjets also provide lower print speeds than laser printers. Many are not suited to print multiple copies of one page. Ink will tend to smear when wet, and also can fade over time, leading to the introduction of printers using higher cost "archival" ink. Finally, many inkjet printers cannot be shared on a network.

Inkjet printer pros

Inkjets are nice if you are not doing much printing, best suited for home users and small businesses with light printing needs. You can find an acceptable colour inkjet printer for under $100 anywhere in the world.

Other advantages of inkjet printers are:

Versatility: A colour inkjet can print on many types of media, including craft paper, T-shirt transfers, and even printable CD/DVD discs.

Smaller size: This saves you space on your desktop.

Larger paper sizes: If you spend more, you can add a large-format inkjet printer to your system that can print 11-x-17-inch or larger items at a lower cost of ownership.