When choosing the right printer, a lot of us might reach for the cheapest on the shelf or buy based on pages per minute and other metrics.
The problem is that the wrong choice could end up costing you more in the long run, and buying a printer without considering your usage is an easy way to end up overspending.
In this printer buying guide we’ll discuss the benefits and drawbacks of inkjet vs laser, then explain who each category is for and what features to look for.
Laser Printers
Laser printers predate inkjet in the consumer market, surprisingly enough. Xerox was the first to market with a commercial version and then Canon partnered with HP in 1984 to release the first consumer LaserJet.
Laser printers use a laser beam to draw the raster image onto the statically-charged print drum, attracting the dry toner powder. Then, heat and pressure are used to fuse the powder directly onto the paper, producing the printed sheet – that’s why the paper is warm after printing.
Laser Printer Pros
Since laser toner is stored as a powder rather than a liquid, it doesn’t degrade if the printer is unused for months. If you print very infrequently, laser toner cartridges will long outlast any ink-based solution.
Laser printers offer fast print speeds that are great for printing long documents at a high speed.
Laser produces very sharp and consistent text output, generally providing a crisper text result than inkjet printers.
Cost per page is extremely low, especially in monochrome. Laser costs as little as 4 cents per page in monochrome or 10 to 15 cents in colour.
Laser Printer Cons
Laser printers can cost quite a lot up front, especially for colour laser printers. Black-and-white-only laser printers are more competitive, but still tend to cost more than inkjet options.
Laser printers are great for text quality, but not ideal for photo printing. Their colour accuracy and range is worse than inkjet.
Although toner cartridges last a long time, they’re more expensive to replace than inkjet cartridges and much more expensive than ink bottles.
Laser printers’ energy efficiency is worse than inkjet printers. They draw quite a bit of power during warm-up and printing.
Inkjet Tank Printers
Inkjet tank printers were pioneered by Epson, launching first in 2010 to address consumer concerns about cost, waste, and convenience. The inkjet mechanism fires microscopic droplets of ink at the page through a permanent print head in the printer.
Tank-based printers are on the rise thanks to a balance of cost and print quality. Global sales in this category hit 100 million in 2024.
Inkjet Tank Pros
This type of printer has a very low cost per page. Ink bottles deliver far more pages per dollar than cartridge alternatives, and even beat out laser printers for ongoing cost. For monochrome they reach less than a cent per page, and even in colour they’re cheaper than laser.
Models like the Epson Ecotank range come with enough ink for thousands of pages – years worth of typical usage.
Inkjet printers of all kinds offer excellent quality, and advanced photo-specific models offer exceptional quality printing and colour output.
Eco-friendliness is a highlight, as the consumables produce far less plastic waste than cartridge alternatives, and the print head typically lasts for the life of the printer.
Inkjet Tank Cons
Tank-based printers often have a higher upfront cost than cartridge alternatives as companies sell cartridge models at a loss to lock consumers into high-margin refills. You’re effectively paying for a more durable print head, but the profit margin on the hardware as well.
Ink can dry and clog the print head if the printer if left unused for a long period. These printers need regular use to keep them maintained.
Inkjet models have a slower sustained print speed than laser, so if you regularly print long documents they’re not ideal.
Inkjet Cartridge Printers
Inkjet cartridge models are the type you’re probably most familiar with. They use self-contained cartridges that house the ink and often the print head itself. Hewlett-Packard released the first mass-market version, the DeskJet, in 1988.
The format became mainstream through the 1990s as prices fell and home colour printing became mainstream. HP, Canon, and Epson are the market leaders in this category today, but there are many popular options.
Inkjet Cartridge Pros
The biggest draw to this category is the bargain-basement upfront cost. Many companies sell these printers at a loss – as little as $60 to $80 can get you a multifunction printer with scan and copy.
They offer a compact form factor since the cartridge contains the print head, so the smallest models are not much bigger than a ream of paper.
Inkjet Cartridge Cons
Unfortunately, that’s really about all the pros for inkjet cartridge-based solutions. They’re outclassed by tank models and laser models in every other category.
Cost per page is very high, often reaching 10 cents per page in monochrome and up to 20 cents in colour. That’s because the printer manufacturer makes their margin back on cartridges.
Like tank-based models, the print head can clog up if the printer sits unused, meaning you have the same risk as a tank model but with a higher cost.
Some models have colour cartridges that share a single housing, meaning if you run out of one colour you have to buy the entire cartridge again.
Inkjet cartridge printers are loss leader products designed to lock you in to expensive cartridge refills that are bad for the environment.
Inkjet vs Laser – Which type should I buy?
Laser Printers
Laser printers are a great choice if you print very infrequently, like once a month or less. Although the ongoing cost is a little bit higher, the longevity of the toner means there’s no risk of print head clogging.
On the other end of the spectrum, if you need high volume at high speeds for your office, laser printers are a great option for that application.
If your objective is mostly to print documents and shipping labels, laser is worth looking at – especially monochrome models that cost a bit less up front.
Inkjet Tank Printers
Tank-based inkjet printers are great for home users and small office/home office users who print short documents regularly and want accurate colours.
Additionally, if you think you’ll print photos or on alternative papers like gloss stock, inkjet gives you more versatility than laser.
If you care about ongoing costs and wastage, inkjet tank is the way to go.
Inkjet Cartridge Printers
I wouldn’t recommend inkjet cartridge printers unless your sole objective is to get the cheapest model off the shelf.
You’ll end up nearly paying the cost difference between a cartridge model and a tank model after just one refill.
These printers are bad for the environment, bad for your bank account in the long term, and worse than either other option by every metric.
How to compare printers
Once you’ve settled on what type suits you best, you’ll need to evaluate different models to see what suits your needs.
Here are the key specs that are worth paying attention to.
First page out is more important than pages per minute
Many manufacturers (especially of laser printers) love to boast about pages-per-minute figures, but the real story is how long it takes for the first page to come out.
The majority of print jobs are just a couple of pages or less, like shipping labels or forms. For these, what actually matters is how long it takes from you hitting print to the paper appearing.
Laser printers have fast ongoing printing, but take time to warm up, while inkjet printers often have a fast first-page-out with slow sustained throughput.
Duplex (double-sided) printing saves paper
Duplex printing might be worth looking for if you print zines, assignments, business documents and more. This saves paper, reducing your ongoing print costs and gives your documents a professional, polished touch.
Some budget models offer manual duplex, meaning you have to reinsert the page yourself, but automatic duplex means no mistakes in alignment since the printer handles everything.
Wi-Fi is standard these days
Wi-Fi should be considered basically mandatory. It allows printing from mobile devices without being physically tethered by cable, and makes sharing a printer across your household easier.
Wi-Fi Direct is a different feature, meaning you switch Wi-Fi networks to the printer itself. That’s not as flexible as connecting it to your network.
Print quality can differ widely
Laser printers produce noticeably sharper and more consistent text than inkjet. The fused toner sits on the page with no bleeding or texture variation. Inkjet printers handle colour and photos better.
Paper quality matters
Your printer output quality is influenced by the paper you use. Inkjet printers go great with 75-90gsm paper – often called multipurpose or copy paper. For a step up in quality, try 90-105gsm paper for better feel and reduced bleed-through.
Laser printers work great with paper from 80gsm all the way to 120gsm, and most household laser printers accept up to 120gsm without fuss.
For specialty papers, there are more distinctions.
If you’re printing photos, dedicated photo paper is necessary. The coating controls where ink lands and prevents the feathering effect you get when printing photos on plain paper.
Laser printers demand laser compatible photo paper – inkjet photo paper may melt and jam a laser printer, damaging the fuser.
Automatic document feeders are great
If you’re planning on copying or scanning, automatic document feeders can save you serious time.
This feature lets you load a stack of pages for scanning or copying in one go rather than placing each sheet manually on the scanner bed.
If you need to digitise documents or copy paperwork, these are super handy.
Inkjet vs Laser – Choosing the right printer
The old trap of cheap printer with expensive ink is outdated, and tank-based inkjets make the cartridge printer obsolete for most households.
If you print regularly, an ink tank is the right choice. Low ongoing costs with flexible paper handling make it a great default choice.
On the other hand, if you’re barely printing at all or running a high-volume small office or home office, laser is a better fit. Toner doesn’t expire and you’ll have crisp document results.
The best printer is ultimately the one you don’t have to think about that gives you low ongoing costs with the features you need. Whether that’s laser or tank depends on you.
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