Ink vs. Toner: The Pros and Cons
Being knowledgeable about your printer and printer cartridges is essential to help with your cost-saving initiatives in the office. Buying the wrong product may cost you delays and inconvenience in replacing the products.
In this article, we will differentiate toners from inks and identify its advantages and disadvantages.
Ink cartridges can be dye-based or pigment-based. However, dye- based is commonly used in businesses. Graphic designers as well as professional photographers usually prefer using pigment-based because it is more water and UV light resistant than dye-based inks. Pigment-based are also known for its longevity and quick dry-time. Though dye-based inks are not waterproof and easily smudged, many would still prefer it because it produces more vibrant photos.
Ink Cartridges Pros
- Excellent for all around use at home or in the office. Aside from its quality outputs, Inkjets are preferred because of its multi-functional capabilities such as scan, copy and fax.
- Great for small volume print jobs that need quality photos. Thus, these are commonly used at home, professional photographers and even small offices.
- Can accommodate different paper sizes and printing materials such as fabrics, photo papers, and card stocks.
Ink Cartridges Cons
- Cartridges may be easily clogged if unused for a long time already which is one of the struggles for printers at home.
- Has lower print yield around 200 to 300 pages depending on the size of the cartridge.
Toners contain a powdery substance that is used in laser printers. Toners vary from black toners solely for monochrome laser printers and separate color toners for cyan, magenta and yellow. Moreover, laser printers also need a drum unit which transfers the powder from the toner into the paper during the printing process. Some printer brands have a separate drum unit while others have a built in drum unit on the toner. Toners with built in drum units are generally more expensive, but many users find it convenient since you no longer have to worry about replacing the drum unit separately.
Toner Pros
- Toners have better printing mileage thus, it is more cost efficient in the long run particularly when you need bulk printing on a daily basis. Many large offices prefer to use laser printers.
- Prints faster and meets demand in a fast paced work environment.
- Toners do not stain compared to ink cartridges.
Toner Cons
- More expensive. Drum units have to be replaced after consuming at least four toners.
- Limited and smaller paper size may only be used.
- Does not produce quality photos. Thus, the images appear to be dull.
Indeed, laser printers cost higher compared with the Inkjet printers. However, when you factor in future expenses on cartridges and drum units, you might reconsider getting the laser printer instead. Laser printers are highly recommended for larger printing volumes with black, plain texts. On the other hand, Inkjet printers are excellent for your personal printing needs and color prints at home.
Big brands are indeed quite expensive, but you may also want to consider the generic ones as they are also known to provide quality print outs yet in a much more affordable price.
Thanks for reading! Leave a comment if you have any questions. Looking to save money on your printing projects? Check out www.compandsave.com for some great deals on printer ink and accessories! Remember to follow our blog for more interesting printing related tips and guides.
About the Author
Sheena Jacutin is the Customer Service Manager at Compandsave.com Inc. CompAndSave is a large eCommerce retailer of print and office supply products in the United States and Canada. With over 8 years of experience working in the printer ink industry, her articles can be quite helpful to those wanting to learn more about getting the best outcome from your printing projects. A proud wife and mother of two, Sheena understands the value of DIY and is here to shine light on the best tips and tricks when it comes to printing the best photos, creating stickers for scrap booking and much more!
