Printers work by converting digital images and text into physical copies. Images and text are created on the page using a series of minuscule dots. The only real difference that separates the various types of printers available is the method in which the dots are transferred onto the page. In this guide we’ll look at the various printing technologies, main features and specialised functions, in order to provide you with information to make the right choice of printer.
There are two main types of printer technology - inkjet and laser or LED. The below tabs look at each in turn, followed by a comparison of the technologies.
Inkjet printers feature a print head containing thousands of tiny holes, and these tiny openings drop microscopic droplets of ink onto the paper. As the print head moves horizontally in the machine, the paper passes through perpendicular to it. As the paper passes through, the individual holes in the print head are activated (usually by heat or electrical current depending on the manufacturer) and a small drop of ink is pushed out onto the page. This process is performed at high speed with thousands of droplets forming together create text and images.
For occasional printing at home, you should buy an inkjet printer, especially if you’ll only be printing small volumes of documents and coloured images. Laser and LED printers are more durable and can print large quantities of monochrome and coloured documents frequently, so are more suited to an office environment. If you’re printing predominantly photos, then high quality photo inkjet printers are specially engineered to produce vividly detailed photos with the tonal variety and deeper blacks that photographers and creatives need. Photo inkjet printers use pigment-based ink which is more fade-resistant and works with a wide variety of art paper types as well as a range of paper sizes, alongside smaller inkjet droplets to produce greater detail. The below summary table gives a brief comparison.
| Inkjet | Photo Inkjet | Laser / LED | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Cost | £ - ££ | ££ - £££ | ££ - £££ |
| Cartridge Type | Ink | Ink | Toner |
| Replacement Cartridge Cost | ££ | ££ | £££ |
| Print Speed | Low | Low | High |
| Print Quality | Low | High | High |
| Print Volume | Low | Low | High |
| Cost per Page | High | High | Low |
After choosing which print technology suits you best, the next thing to think about is what size print outs you require. Most common offices will use A4 paper, perhaps legal paper sizes and envelopes too, however you may have a need for A3 printing or larger still. Usually an office may have one A3 printer for the less frequent larger format jobs, and several standard A4 models for workgroups. A4 is also the standard size found in a home environment.
High quality photo printing will often benefit from an A3 format giving greater flexibility of photo sizes, and using photo paper will improve the end result with options of matte or gloss finishes.
When larger than A3 is required there are specific large format printers (LFPs) deigned to do banner size printing at higher resolution. We’ll come back to both photo inkjet and large format printers later on in this guide.
Now we’ll look at all the facets that impact print quality, how fast the printer can produce this and in what volume over time. These intertwined characteristics all have an impact on which type of printer will be best for your individual needs, and are explored in the tabs below.
| Mono Laser | Colour Laser | Inkjet | Photo Inkjet | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Text and Documents | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 |
| Medium Quality Photos | 1 | 5 | 3 | 5 |
| High Quality Photos | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
A common perception is that inkjet printers are better with coloured images, and laser printers are best for black and white text. The technology behind the two printers also determine the limitations they have when it comes to the quality of their print results. This difference manifests itself more noticeably when printing high-resolution photographs. Advancements in printer technology have allowed colour laser printers to now produce impressive full colour photos as well. Although inkjet printers still win over laser when it comes to high resolution photos boasting rich tones and depth, colour laser printers are now an option to consider for those looking to print colour images while enjoying the reliability, endurance, and economic benefits of a laser printer.
A multifunction printer (MFP) or all-in-one (AIO) printer can not only print but also has the ability to scan documents and copy them too. Some MFPs also have the ability to act as a fax. This is desirable as it reduces the need for multiple devices such as standalone document scanners and photocopiers - thus saving space and costs. Much like printers they are available in both inkjet and laser versions, aimed at different scenarios - low cost versions to add flexibility in the home and larger units increase productivity in an office environment.
When scanning documents, lower cost models may just create a file in a utility program on your PC, whereas larger office models may provide scan to email functionality for ease of use. Additionally high-end models will often feature an automatic document scanner (ADF) allowing many pages to be scanned one after the other without having to manually place each sheet to be scanned on the flat bed.
It is fair to say that there is little cost difference now between standard printers and multifunction printers, so they are ever more the popular choice when looking for a new device due to the flexibility they provide.
To use a printer (or its scanning functionality) you need to be connected to it in one way or another. There are three common ways to do this - USB, LAN port or wirelessly. Let’s take a look at each.
USB connectivity requires a USB cable between your PC or laptop and the printer. This is common in many home office scenarios where a single computer is using the printer so a direct connection is both convenient and cheap. It is possible to use the USB port on a printer to connect it to a wireless router to allow multiple users to share it without needing to connect directly.
In office settings where single or few larger printers or MFPs are shared it is wise for the organisation to understand how the printer is being used. This may relate to what is being printed if paper costs are high, whether certain types of user have access to colour printing or ensuring sensitive documents are not seen by the wrong eyes.
On high-end models, administrative controls provide more control over these settings. User identities and passwords can be created so that any print usage is logged back to an individual - additionally this type of feature can be used so that print jobs are not automatically printed when they are sent. The password releases them only when the user is present so sensitive content remains private rather than sitting in the output tray to be picked up by anyone. If a printer has the ability to print in colour or to scan documents this can be restricted to say the marketing department or senior managers to prevent spiralling ink or toner costs or scanned documents being emailed to the unauthorised individuals.
It is often the case with shared office printers they are sit on a network like any other PC or server device, but rarely are seen as a cyber security issue. Due to better firewall and anti-malware systems in place on computers, network printers can often be the weak link and targeted by hackers to gain access to an otherwise secure corporate environment. The majority of manufacturers address these concerns so look out for cybersecurity features if you plan to share your printer this way.
The printers we’ve covered so far deal with the vast majority of print scenarios - text, documents, photos that will be good enough for most users - however, there are a number of specialist models that we briefly touched on. Let’s look a little deeper in the tabs below.
Photo inkjet printers stand apart from regular inkjet printers in that they usually contain many more ink tanks - up to 10 or 12 in some models versus 5 or 6 in a regular printer. The reason for this is in order to produce much more realistic images with tonal depth, hues and richness. Not only are there more of these inks, but they are usually pigment based, rather than dye based, that resist smudging and are lightfast - ideal for photos that will be on display. Pigment ink also gives consistent results with all finishes of media including gloss, matte, lustre or even fine art canvas. Also, having multiple black inks offer the best results for black and white photography. Photo printers will usually be able to print A3 or even A2 sizes too, to offer greater flexibility in size and shape of images. Typically their print resolution quality is much higher too, with 5760 x 1440 or 4800 x 2400 DPI not being uncommon.
As we’ve previously mentioned the true cost of owning and running a printer very much depends on the consumables it requires - namely ink or toner and paper - and how often they need to be replaced.
The cheapest printers may use a single ink tank containing various colours, however when one colour runs out the whole unit must be replaced, so costs can add up - often similar to the cost of the printer itself. Most common is the separate ink tank - four or five in mid-range models and up to twelve in high-end photo printers. As they are individual you only need to replace the colour cartridge that has run out, so this proves much more cost effective.
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