- Technology

Ink Vs Toner – Which Is The Right One For Your Specific Needs?

Printing is a fast and cheap way to get desired text or images on paper. However, choosing the right printer for your specific purpose is important as it is a long-lasting commitment and also involves a lot of expenses in buying the consumables all through the year. One wrong choice and you would have wasted hundreds of dollar bills on the printer and its consumables. 

In this article, we will make the work of choosing the right printer easier for you by discussing the various features of the 2 printer technologies that are used today.

HP cartridges and HP toners are easily available at most local stores selling printer accessories and even at online marketplaces like Need More Ink. Their focus is to provide a support base to their customers to make their shopping experience a wonderful one. It is a perfect place to shop for all forms of office supplies at very competitive prices and get them delivered at your doorsteps anywhere in the United States.

Ink cartridges for Inkjet printers

The inkjet printers use a dye-based cartridge that uses heat to deliver ink to get print on the paper. Most of the inks are made up of 2 main elements – the liquid base and the coloring agent.

Pros of ink cartridges

  1. These are simple to use, install, and are relatively cheaper. 
  2. It is very easy to replace an ink cartridge because of the simplicity of its design. 
  3. You receive more resilient and smudge-free prints.

Cons of ink cartridges

  1. There is a delay in the time it takes to get a color printout from these printers. 
  2. It can be used efficiently only when you need low-print volume throughout the day.
  3. If the cartridge is not used regularly, the cartridge gets clogged easily, which then needs a cleanup of the printer head or replacement of the cartridge. 
  4. While the inkjet consumables are cheaper, the cost-per-page of printing with inkjet printers is higher in the long run.

Toners for Laser printers

Instead of a liquid, a toner uses a powder medium that is made from granulated plastic. An electrostatic charge is imparted by the laser to the printing drum which then transfers the toner onto the paper. The paper is then heated to set the print by melting the toner particles. 

Depending on the cartridge configuration you can get black-white prints or color images. 

Pros of toner

  1. It gives you fast and precise printing.
  2. The picture quality is also superior to ink printers. 
  3. These printers have a longer life as there is no risk of ink drying out. 
  4. It is best to use these printers when there is a high volume of printing involved in your office regularly. 

Cons of toner

  1. Toners are much more expensive than ink cartridges.
  2. Initial purchase and replacement of its components such as printing drum is also a very expensive deal. 

While the laser printer gives you better mileage, if you have a very tight budget and the use of the printer is limited, go for an inkjet printer. You will have to follow certain safety tips to prevent the ink cartridge from any damage otherwise you will end up spending more on its replacement.