Printing
technology has developed in leaps and bounds and has made printing so
affordable that personal printers have almost become the norm. Most people
though are not really aware of the right kind of printer for their needs and
end up splurging money unnecessarily on ink
and toner. The ink that is used in inkjet printers is liquid and
colored with dyes or pigments. Toner is a powder that is used in laser
printers. Inkjet printers squirt their ink on to the page being printed through
nozzles that are software controlled. Inkjet printers are quite affordable and
cost effective for users who do not print too much.
The
Magic Of Laser Printing
Laser
printing uses toners that are made of finely ground polyester that has a static
charge. The laser beam that is controlled by the electronic data in the
computer builds up static electricity. This in turn causes the toner to come on
to the page where a fuser unit bonds it to the paper. Inkjet printers use ink
cartridges one for each color, namely cyan, magenta, yellow, black. The less
expensive laser printers print only black and white prints. Toners last longer
than ink cartridges and work out cheaper especially if you print large volumes
on the laser printer.
Choosing
The Right Ink Cartridge
You
must know what kind of cartridge you need for your printer, whether it is ink
or toner. Ink and toner do the same job, that of printing but they do it in entirely
different ways. The ink in the ink cartridge is pigment or dye based. Dye based
ink is more popular as it is economical and produce vibrant color prints.
However, prints with dye based inks may fade away after many years. Pigment
based ink is cherished by professional photographers because it produces
crisper prints that are permanent.
Tips
To Choose The Right Printer
The
type of printer you should buy whether it is a laser printer or an inkjet
printer using ink cartridges depends
on what kind of printing needs you have. Inkjet printers are perfect for
individuals and small families who only require small volume printing of text
and color images. Laser printers are required for people or businesses that
require high volume printing. Printing of photographs is generally not
encouraged in laser printing. The type of printer cartridge you invest in
should be decided upon after considering the page yield or the number of pages
that can be printed from a cartridge, the cartridge size, and the cost per
page.
