Most people use a printer on a regular basis, whether at home or at the workplace. Most current printers function using either an ink or toner cartridge. Deciding which is the better option for your needs doesn’t have to be hard, you will just need to weigh both in terms of their pros and cons by learning about the differences between the two.
Option one : Ink Cartridges
Ink cartridges use ink in liquid form. In the cartridge, there is an electronic chip which receives commands from the printer to apply pressure to disperse the ink through tiny holes in the cartridge which then goes onto the printing surface (paper, envelopes etc).
Although some oil-based inks are available, most ink is water-based.
Ink cartridges are usually the preferred choice among personal consumers and small businesses as they don’t have huge printing requirements and ink cartridges generally cost less. Ink cartridges produce high quality colour and image and are reliable and efficient. However, they don’t have a huge capacity, so will need to be replaced regularly if a lot of printing is to be done.
Option Two – Toner Cartridges
A toner cartridge contains a carbon and polymer powder, which is burnt onto the paper using a laser technique. First the toner powder is melted by a device called a ‘fuser’, with the molten particles then bonded onto the paper surface..
Because larger businesses have bigger printing requirements, they generally choose toner-based printers – which also offer quality, durability, efficiency and speed. Toner cartridges can usually print about 5,000 pages. Although toner cartridges cost significantly more than ink cartridges, they last for much longer meaning downtime and stoppages are far less frequent.
In the end, choosing between ink or toner cartridges will come down to what suits your individual needs best. When making your choice, cost and efficiency will be the two main areas of consideration.