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When you go to shop for a new printer you will probably see the choice of Laser or Inkjet printers. This can be a hard decision for someone who doesn’t know the difference. This small guide should help you decide so you don’t make the wrong decision.

Laser Printers

Laser printers use a toner which is made up of a powder like substance and is actually “burnt” to the page. This gives it a smoother finish and a better quality. Great machines for people wanting to print a lot monthly or for businesses. Toner is more expensive (usually around $50-$150 for a cartridge) but allows more prints (depending on machines 1,500-5,000 prints roughly). Color Lasers will require 4 separate cartridges and this means spending more money but for the quality and speed it is well worth it.

Laser printers can come in two ways. First the black printing or “monochrome” and then the color printing. The standard black printing Lasers start out at lower prices of about $120 and up. The color Lasers will start out at around $220 and go up from there. Some advantages of Laser printers include :

· Speed: A laser printer can print more quickly than an inkjet printer.

· Lower cost: Buying toner will cost you a lot less per page than replacing inkjet cartridges in the long run.

· Quiet: A laser printer is usually quieter than inkjet printers. It is usually not a problem unless it is in an office or the person just doesn’t like the noise.

· Best quality printing: Quality on printing as far as documents and pictures on laser paper are far greater than inkjet prints.

Inkjet Printers

Inkjet printers are smaller machines that use an ink, which is a liquid form that soaks into the paper. The older style uses a standard Tri-color and a Black cartridge ($15-$40 for a black, $20-$40 for a color, depending on machines). The newer machines are now taking a standard 6 cartridges and some with even more. These cartridges are smaller and are lower in price. Inkjet printers will have a decent quality print depending on how much you want to spend on the machine. The photo style printers are great for printing on glossy paper and will have a much better quality result. Prices on Inkjet printers have came down a lot and now are available for $40 and up. Price of course usually adding more features and quality.

Advantages :

· Versatility: An inkjet can print on many types of paper including glossy photo paper, specialty paper, and T-shirt transfers.

· Smaller in size: Smaller size means saving you space.

· Price: Inkjets are a lot cheaper than Laser

· More options: Some inkjet printers have more printing options as far as paper sizes (you can purchase wide format printers for banners, legal size paper, etc.) Newer inkjets have display screens for previewing pictures, showing stats on the printer, and more. Media card slots are found in most inkjet printers.

Summary

If you are looking to save money in the long run, want better quality prints, want faster printer speeds, then go for a Laser if you can afford it.

If you want a smaller machine, for a student or small at home use, printing photos, and don’t mind replacing ink quite a bit then Inkjet is for you.

If you are having printing problems then try these few tips.
· Make sure your USB or Parallel cable is plugged into the back of your computer
· Make sure the AC adapter is plugged in
· Make sure your Printer is installed correctly. Check by doing the following, Click Start, Control Panel, Printers and Other Hardware, Printers. This will show a list of your Printers that are on your computer. Make sure there is a Check mark on the icon and it says Ready. If it doesn’t then you may need to reinstall the drivers from the CD provided from your manufacturer and restart your computer.
· If your printer is not on the list then install it. Click Add Printer on the left of the Printers and Other Hardware screen. Follow the Wizard directions. If you do not have a CD with the driver, find it off your manufacturer’s website. Restart your computer and it should be installed.
· Is your printer jammed or out of ink? Check for paper jams in the machine and ink levels. Some printers need ink in all cartridges to print.

These are a few basic tips.