Is A Laser Printer Right for Your Minneapolis Business?

When it comes to printing for your business, you have almost too many choices. There are countless printers and print services, and they can handle every specialty and niche you can imagine. Among all of those options, laser printers are a popular choice. Why is that? Would a laser printer work well for your business? Let´s find out.

Laser Printer vs. Inkjet Printer: What’s the Difference?

By and large, printers will either be inkjet or laser. How do they differ? Each represents a substantially different design and philosophy and understanding the core differences will help you decide how your business gets its printing done.

Wet vs. Dry Ink

The primary difference between these types of printers is the ink they use. Inkjet printers use wet ink. A “jet” system squirts ink on a page to create the words or images that are to be printed. All other differences stem from this.

A laser printer uses dry powder ink. The laser works with a drum to create a positive charge in the shape of the desired image. The toner is then rolled over the page, and the positive charge makes the ink stick to the page.

Performance Differences

Laser printers can create pages much faster than inkjets. This has a lot to do with dry vs. wet ink. Wet ink can only be sprayed so fast before there are issues with dripping and bleeding. The dry laser process can run over a page very quickly, and there is never a spillage risk so you can push the device’s mechanisms as far as possible.

Meanwhile, inkjets are usually able to produce higher-quality pictures. When photo realism is important, wet ink produces more precise and prettier images. It is also able to mix colors more brilliantly for improved aesthetics.

Is a Laser Printer the Right Choice for Your Business?

Now that you know more about the differences between the two primary types of printers, which one is best for your business? You can answer that by closely comparing their strengths and weaknesses.

Cost Per Page 

In almost every case, a laser printer will have a lower cost per page of printing. That means the laser printer will save you money over its lifetime.

Even though laser printers typically cost more to purchase (especially color, multifunction printers), this holds true. The toner and drums are also significantly more expensive than comparable inkjet printer ink cartridges.

Primary Uses

The best way to determine which printer is right for you is to base your decision on how you intend to use the printer. Laser printers are better at speed printing, volume printing, and typical office work.

Meanwhile, inkjet printers are superior for high-quality color printing, especially photos. Also, inkjet printers tend to do better with wider paper types. Heavier cardstock papers can slow down laser machines.

When it comes to copying, laser is better for volume, while inkjet is better for image quality.

Longevity

Lastly is longevity. This will depend heavily on the models chosen, but on average, laser printers last longer than inkjet printers. This has a lot to do with the ink types. Liquid ink can thicken over time, ultimately ruining the printer. This is never an issue with laser printers.

On top of that, laser printers are usually designed for higher volume work. Because of that, they tend to last a lot longer than inkjets performing the same functions.

Top Questions to Ask Before Adding a Laser Printer to Your Fleet

The best way to determine if a laser printer is right for you is to ask the right questions, such as:

Do You Need Color?

This is an essential question. Black and white inkjets are not really a thing. Virtually all of these printers can do color printing. Even cheaper inkjets will provide good photo quality compared to expensive laser printers.

On top of that, laser printers are substantially more costly when adding color printing to their repertoire. You can find monochromatic laser printers that are comparable in price to inkjets. But for a color laser, the cost will rise by hundreds of dollars. The cost savings in per-page printing is also less when you print in color.

If you only need black and white, a monochromatic laser is easily the right choice. When it comes to color, you will need to take a closer look at your options.

Are You Leasing or Buying?

This is another key factor. You can get professional-grade printers that can handle heavy-duty work day in and out through leasing. You can have a laser printing workstation that handles copies, color, faxing, collating, and many other functions for a reasonable price.

When purchasing, multifunction inkjet stations are substantially cheaper than their laser counterparts. You’ll save a lot of money on upfront costs, even if the laser option is cheaper to operate.

What Other Functions Are Essential?

Lastly, you want to consider functions. Are you scanning documents? How about photos? Do you need faxing, duplexing, networking, internet printing, or other resources? As you add functions, the cost of a printer rises. If you add enough, the price gap between lasers and inkjets shrinks, and you can decide solely on performance.

When it comes to printing, there’s no shortage of choice. Contact the professionals at DTS today if you’d like to explore the options for your Bloomington business in greater detail. We can discuss printing needs and show you several ways to meet them.