|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You are here:
Future Shop /
Home Office /
Other Home Office /
Re: Do laser printers need ink?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Re: Do laser printers need ink?
[ Edited ]
|
|
hb 
Emerging Expert
Posts: 177
Registered: 05-11-2009
Message 2 of 3
Viewed 216 times
|
|
|
No, laser printers do not need "ink". Instead, laser printers use a very fine powder called "toner". In laser printers that print only black text, the powder particles are of course black in color. A laser printer melts (the proper term is "fuses" ) these tiny black particles to the paper in the process of printing a page. This fine powder is stored in a toner cartridge, and it is the entire cartridge that gets replaced when the printer has consumed all the toner within the cartridge. Just a little toner goes a long way - a typical toner cartridge costing under $150 can provide enough toner to print up to 10,000 pages of black and white text - which explains why the per page operating cost of a laser printer is significantly less expensive than an inkjet printer. Message Edited by hb on 11-04-2009 08:28 PM
|
|
|
|
11-04-2009 08:28 PM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Re: Do laser printers need ink?
|
|
Snapshot 
Exalted Expert / Community Ambassador
Posts: 3821
Registered: 07-11-2007
Message 3 of 3
Viewed 170 times
|
|
|
Laser printer toner does not clog over time like ink does and the page yield is a bit higher too for toner. Inkjets have better picture printing but then some lasers are very good too and cost 2 or 3 times what a typical inkjet does. I'm considering a switch to laser later on, I'm fed up with my cartridges (which are VERY expensive) clogging. So in one sense laser toner may cost a lot until you factor out how many pages it will yield versus an inkjet. In the long run I believe laser is the best option. Now for photo printing, well, I tend to lean towards inkjet but then I have not seen the quality of color lasers. Plus good quality lasers are rather expensive. I can't see an avergae laser being able to compare in photo quality to an average inkjet. Really depends on your printing needs.
___________________________________
"Come to the lightside, we have milk..."
DESKTOP ___ Gateway DX4820-07H, Logitech MX5500, Sharp 40E77U TV, Altec Lansing 2.1
|
|
|
|
11-06-2009 04:45 PM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
