Advice and Deals on Inkjet and Laser Printers

There are 2 main types of printers today: inkjet and laser. An inkjet printer works by spraying ink from an ink cartridge onto the paper as it rolls by. The way a laser printer works is more complicated. It uses a laser beam to write the image onto a drum or cylinder which produces a negative image. The printer then coats the image with positively charged toner, a black powder, which clings to the negatively charged image etched by the laser beam.

Each type has its advantages and disadvantages. Inkjet is cheaper than laser, at least in the initial cost. However, laser can print more pages per minute than inkjet. The toner cartridge in laser also prints more and lasts longer than an inkjet cartridge.

My advice is to go with an inkjet printer for personal use such as school reports or photo printing. For business use, go with a laser printer. This is the logical choice since it is designed for mass printing and requires less maintenance than inkjet. If you have the money and require colored prints, a color laser jet is the best choice for you. However, as you will see in some of the deals below, it is possible to get a high performance color laser jet for under $1000.