Buying a printer - laser or inkjet?

You are in the market for a new printer? If you are unsure of what to buy, you probably have been checking out the prices on printers and have noticed that some lower end laser printers are about the same price as some of the inkjet printers. So how do you choose? Laser or inkjet? Color or black only? Inkjets with only two cartridges (black and color) or separated cartridges for the primary colors? The first thing you have to ask yourself, just like any hardware you might purchase, is what will you use it for? The second question is always your budget. If you don't work in an office and do not plan to print out thousands of copies a month, then you are not going to need a high-end, expensive office printer. But you might like to print out your photographs or student projects. There are several things to keep in mind when deciding on a laser or an inkjet printer. Inkjet printers, as you probably aware, use small cartridges filled with liquid ink. Once you open the cartridge and install it in the printer, air can get to the liquid. This means that if you don't use your printer on a regular basis, the ink will dry up and you will have to buy new ink. That is money down the tube because ink is the most expensive thing about printers. Whereas, lasers use a fine powder called toner that does not dry and you can leave a printer sitting for years (I have) and then use it again with little to no problem (provided the software driver that helps your computer recognize the printer is still available for your operating system or OS and the connection ports are still current-anyone remember parallel ports?). The other thing to be aware of is the quality of printing. Some laser printers are sharper than others so you will get a crisp image or text document. Color lasers are nice if you have some simple pictures (not photos) to print such as cards and name tags or signs for class. As far as pictures or photographs, most laser printers will not do as well as inkjet printers unless you have a higher priced model for an office. Inkjet printers are generally better at photos. But even among inkjet printers there is variation so do your research and check for reviews. Better yet, ask for a demonstration at the store. If you are buying one mostly for text documents and such, laser is the way to go. You will get more miles for your money because the cost of per page printing will be much less. Ink for your printers is not cheap and does not last once opened. Laser toner is more expensive up front but lasts forever. If you decide on an inkjet printer check out how much the cartridges by themselves cost because that's where your money will go. If you plan on lots of photo printing you might want to go with a printer that has separate cartridges so that you only have to replace the one color you need and not the cartridge that has all the colors in one. They also tend to be slightly cheaper in the long run. But check the PRICES OF INK. I can't stress this enough. You can buy a really cheap printer and find that it is less expensive to replace the entire printer that comes with new ink rather than buy just the ink itself. Again, check the reviews for printers. There are also a lot of different types of papers that you can use with the inkjet printer: card stock, glossy, mat finish, even canvas that looks like a painting (it's neat). These papers won't work with most laser printers and they probably won't feed into the printer well and might jam. The last question to ask is do you want a wireless printer? To get a wireless printer you need a wireless network at home or work or wherever you want to use the printer. Then you will set up your printer on the network and can print from anywhere on that network. These can sometimes be quirky but they are great to use because there's no fooling with cables and you can be in any room and print. No hassles. However, I do not use the wireless in my room at school because other teachers may accidentally print to my room and that would use my ink if it happened. But at home is an ideal place. I have a Cannon all-in-one inkjet(scanner, fax, printer, window washer, vacuum cleaner - ok, not the last two) but it works great and the photos and other color printing come out great. I will leave it up to you if you need a fax and scanner with your printer. The fax is not as handy as the scanner and I have an all-in-one in my classroom. The prices for all-in-ones are around the same as the inkjet printers but laser all-in-ones are slightly higher. So now you have some questions and homework to do before you buy your printer. Don't forget to always, always check the reviews and, if possible, go to a store and get a demo. Then check the price of the toner or ink. That is where you will be putting your money as long as you have your printer. I have no partiality to brands. I have used Samsungs, Cannons, Epsons, HPs and Brothers. Samsung has the cheapest color lasers that I know of and they are pretty good. HP and Cannon are probably the most well known and highest rated, followed by Epson. But it all depends on your preference and needs.