Which One Should You Use for Your Printer- Toner or Ink?

by Printer Support Instant Printer Support

Are you struggling with the choice between a printer that uses toner and the one that uses ink? The technical experts at Brother printer support have come up with some useful information which can help you solve the dilemma. Before we start, let us make it very clear that while considering the differences between toner and ink, we are talking about two different kinds of printers. Laser printers use toner as the printing material, and Inkjet printers use liquid ink.

Let’s now have a look at the pros and cons of both ink and toner.

What is Toner?

Toner is a powder-based printing agent used in laser printers. It is largely composed of organic compounds and polymers.

Pros:

You’ll have faster printing speeds:

Laser printers print at higher speeds as compared to the Inkjet printers, because of the use of toner cartridges in them. The beam of laser offers the much-needed precision which is not possible with ink.

You’ll get better text quality:

All the credit for clear text and graphics print goes to the accuracy and precision of the laser mechanism used in the printers.

Your printer will have greater life:

A laser printer that uses toner for printing text and graphics allows you to print large volumes of pages. It can also reuse the extra toner, thus extending the longevity of toner.

Cons:

Refilling the toner can be messy and expensive:

If you refill the toner cartridges yourself, then it can get messy as you have to deal with microscopic powder ink. Also, the toner cartridges are costlier than ink.

Laser printers are large:

Laser printers have a large size in comparison to the Inkjet printers. So it can be a great concern if you have a compact space.

What is ink?

Ink is a liquid printing material, stored in cartridges and sprayed to print the desired text or pictures.

Pros:

Printers that use ink are inexpensive:

Ink doesn’t cost as much as that of the toner. Therefore, it can be a cheap option for you.

Clean print-outs:

Ink-based printed pages are more resistant to smudges and smears than toner. Both the ink and toner are safe to use if you give them sufficient time to dry, but overall the ink will be more resilient.

Refilling the ink cartridges is easier:

If you are wondering that refilling the ink can cause you pain, then you would be glad to know that ink cartridges are much smaller which makes them easy to refill.

Cons:

Ink-based printers cannot carry out larger print jobs

Although you can save a handsome amount of money by purchasing an Inkjet printer, in the long run, the money you’ve spent is not worth it as you cannot print huge volumes of paper.

Ink cartridges can get clogged:

If left unused for a long time, the ink in the cartridge may dry and clog the print head. This can have serious effects on the quality of the prints.

We hope that this information will be of use to you when you face the dilemma of buying a printer that uses a toner or the one that uses ink. If you’re looking for more information on printers of any brand, including Brother, you can approach the online Brother printer support service providers in the UK and the US.