When looking for a printer for your business, you will likely come across two types of printers – a laser printer and an inkjet. Laser printers use a laser to add copy to paper, while an inkjet printer produces copies by spraying ink onto the paper.
Inkjet printers are generally used for high-quality prints. That is because the tiny droplets of liquid ink allow for precision and detail, the same way your screen renders high-quality images with thousands of pixels.
While you can buy monochromatic black ink jet printers, most people and businesses buy colour inkjets. Colour printers generally require four cartridges - black, yellow, cyan and magenta. These colours are used to print unlimited hues and shades.
When you print a document, the paper is fed into your business inkjet printer through a set of rollers. The printer head then moves back and forth, spraying ink onto the page.
If you’re deciding whether to invest in an inkjet printer for your business, there are a few things to consider.
- Quality of copies
Because inkjets spray ink onto the paper, they provide more variety of tones and blend colours better. However, they are also subject to smudging so you must let them dry and handle them carefully when removing them from the printer.
- Paper options
Laser printers are limited to certain types of paper. They cannot print on heat-sensitive paper and are not always effective on plastic sheets. Inkjets are more versatile, providing you with more base options for your projects.
- Printing speed
Precision and detail come at a cost and that is speed. If you are planning on printing a larger number of copies, you may find an inkjet printer slow. They’re also not able to hold as much paper as other printers.
- Ink
Ink cartridges for inkjet printers tend to cost more. This is because they must be carefully designed and manufactured to generate high-quality copies. They are also more expensive because the liquid ink is more expensive to ship and store than the powder cartridges used in laser printers.
Ink cartridges can also dry out over time, so if you don’t use the printer regularly you may find yourself wasting a lot of ink.
- Cost
The initial cost for a business inkjet printer starts at a low price. A basic inkjet with a starter set of cartridges can be $100 or less. This is substantially less than a basic laser printer. However, the operational costs can be higher as ink cartridges produce less pages than laser printer toners.
- Print subject
Inkjets are the better option if you will be printing lots of images and posters. While they can print text documents, the cost per page will work out to be more than copies from a laser printer.
Whether or not you need an inkjet printer for your business depends on the unique requirements of your company. For help choosing the right printer for your Ontario-based business, contact OT Group today. We supply new and refurbished printers and copiers to businesses across Southern Ontario, between Toronto and Ottawa.
.png)
