Best Type of Printer

Determining the best printer type will depend on your specific needs, the type of printing you do, and your budget. There are numerous advanced printers out there to choose from, which can be confusing for some consumers.

That is why we have created this simple guide to help people break down which type of printer is the best fit for their needs. When deciding to purchase a particular type of printer, it can be helpful to understand the benefits and disadvantages of each type. Different manufacturers have different settings for their printers.

Key Takeaways_

• There are various types of printers, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.
• Laser printers tend to be the fastest option, but they do not excel with color images.
• Inkjet printers are not as fast as laser printers, but they are relatively inexpensive and excel with color images.
• All-in-one printers bring additional functionalities to the table, such as scanning, faxing, and copying.

Common Printer Types

Some of the best printer types include inkjet, laser, and all-in-one. In short, the best printer type for you is the one that fits your needs.

Below is a list of the most common types of printers, their unique features, and their disadvantages.

Inkjet Printers

By far the most common printer type, inkjet printers make a solid choice for those who work from a home office or those who need to perform simple printing tasks.

Inkjet printers are not the fastest, producing anywhere from five to twenty pages per minute, but they tend to be fairly efficient. Additionally, inkjet printers are so common that they have become extremely inexpensive.

However, if you are looking for a printer that is best for high-volume printing jobs, the slower printing speed and cost of replacement ink cartridges mean inkjet printers are not ideal for you.

Due to the fact that they use actual ink, inkjet printers excel at producing color images. Check out our helpful resource guides for more about how an inkjet printer operates.

Laser Printers

Laser printers have become much more popular in recent years due to the steadily decreasing costs of their various components. Laser printers do not use ink; rather, they send out focused light beams to impact toner as it is being laid upon paper or related material.

Toner cartridges have distinct advantages over ink, as you can expect a much higher speed when dealing with a laser printer (20 to 40 PPM.) Additionally, a good toner cartridge will last for thousands of prints before needing to be replaced, which is exponentially more efficient than an ink cartridge.

Though you will save money on replacement cartridges, the initial cost of purchasing a laser printer tends to be higher than an inkjet printer. While laser printers are available in color and black and white, they truly shine when printing large amounts of documents in black and white.

Additionally, if you don’t need to print photos or graphics, you can learn about what a monochrome laser printer is.

All-in-one Printers

All-in-one printers, otherwise known as multi-function printers, bring a number of added benefits to the table. These units can typically scan, fax, and copy documents and handle print jobs. Check out this article on inkjet vs all in one for more info on the key differences between these printer types.

These printers are usually best for moderate use or someone who will occasionally need the extra features of scanning or copying, but not enough to justify buying a separate full-size scanner.

All-in-one models also usually feature a host of extra functionality for convenience, like wireless printing or printing from a smartphone. However, it should be noted that the other types can have these features as well, but it is most common in all-in-one printers.

For these reasons, all-in-one printers are great options for home or small office usage as they are versatile and can handle pretty much anything thing you will need in those settings.

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