Advantages And Disadvantages Of Laser Printer In Depth
Novices are often confused between the too many options out there before getting a printer. Although laser printers are affordable for frequent use in offices. But it also has some sorts of disadvantages too. So it is essential for you to know the both advantages and disadvantages of laser printer before taking the decision. For a quick overview, here are some of the benefits and drawbacks.
- Fast Printing Speed
- Low Cost Per Print
- Best For Large Volume Printing
- High Paper Load Capacity
- Durability
- No Clog Up
- No Smudging
- Higher Initial Cost
- No Portability
- No Sharp Images
- No Versatile Paper Handling
- Noice While Printing
- Bad For Health
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Laser Printer
Advantages Of Laser Printer
1- Fast Printing Speed
Lasers printers are one step ahead when it comes to printing speed. They can print even a maximum of 46 pages per print with monochrome printing. Even though the lowest printing speed can be 14 to 20. This saves your time and boosts productivity.
The reason is laser printers don’t utilize printheads to spray the ink droplets precisely instead they use metal drums or fuser and an electric charge to form the print. The metal drum rolls up quickly and heat melts the powdered form ink on the fuser producing the print onto the paper. The quick roll-up and fast-moving laser beam make the considerably fast.
2- Low Cost Per Print
The toner cartridges yield a great number of pages and print thousands of pages before they run out of powdered form ink. The replacement of the toner cartridges is also economical because they are not expensive as the ink cartridges. The great page yield and low-cost replacement of toner cartridges significantly reduce the cost per print. You may know how many pages does an ink cartridge can print.
3- Best For High Volume Printing
Laser printers are suitable for heavy-duty printing offices because they print sharp text. Additionally, their fast printing speed and low cost per print are suitable for large-volume printing. If you tend to print such large volume printing then laser printers are best to do the job. Even though a laser printer may have the capability to print a maximum of 100,000 pages per month. Read how to get more ink out of cartridges.
4- High Paper Load Capacity
Laser printers have multiple paper load trays that can handle a decent amount of paper with ease. The laser printers can handle more than 600 sheets in multiple drawers making them suitable for high-volume printing. On top of that, their paper trays are also extendable to print various sizes of media.
Along with that, the least expensive laser printer will also offer the auto document feeder adding more convenience to the printing.
5- Durability
I’ll give a 10 out of 10 rating to the laser printers in terms of durability and reliability. Their build quality is also reliable and their lifespan also tends to be higher. They don’t wear out quickly because their mechanism is strong compared to the other printers. Although frequent maintenance is essential to keep them up to the mark.
6- No Clog Up
Since laser printers don’t utilize liquid ink cartridges but rather they utilize powdered form ink so no dry-up of the ink in the printhead means no cloggings. In addition, they don’t have a printhead to apply ink but they use a laser beam to generate the image. But the dirt can also cause a similar problem as the printhead. So cleaning the laser beam is essential. Learn here ink vs toner cartridges
7- No Smudging
No liquid ink means no smudging after printing. Since laser printers use powdered form ink that is melted with heat by a fuser so the prints will come out dry with zero chances of smudge. The toner cartridges reduce the chances of smudging or smearing.
Disadvantages Of Laser Printer
1- Higher Initial Cost
The way their cost per print and running cycle are economical the higher the initial buying cost they have. Because laser printers are heavy-duty fast printers and the toner cartridges can yield a great number of prints that is why their buying price is high.
An average monochrome laser printer can cost you under $300 and most affordable under $100 to under $200. And high-end printers can go up from $800 to $3,000. But if you’re budget is under $500 then you can also get a color laser printer with decent features.
2- No Portability
As mentioned above, laser printers are heavy-duty so they don’t provide portability and are easy to fit in size. Laser printers are bulkier so you cannot carry them around and change their place and along with that, they use heat so they can not be suitable for your room.
3- No Sharp Images
Laser printers are suitable only for texts because they don’t use liquid ink to spray but instead solid synthetic particles. This makes them one step down because powdered form ink cannot produce such sharp and vivid colors as liquid ink can produce. So you cannot use them for photographic purposes.
4- No Versatile Paper Handling
Suitable for office documents, laser printers cannot be utilized for versatile media like cardstock, envelopes, vinyl, glossy, and other premium media. Along with that, heat-sensitive material also cannot go through the laser printers due to heat.
5- Noice While Printing
Laser printers do make noise because of the more components they have. Because the components move all the time making a noise that may be disturbing for you.
6- Bad For Health
According to West Virginia University researchers, the ink powder that is used in the toner cartridges is harmful to human health. Because the toner has nanoparticles that can lead to changing the metabolic and genetic system of the human.
That is why it is not recommended to sit near the laser printer because an individual can inhale the microscopic particles leading to the disease.
Conclusion
So I’ve explained all the possible advantages and disadvantages of laser printers. Like inkjet printers, laser printers also have some benefits and drawbacks. If you’re an individual that requires quick printing, monochrome documents, and high-volume printing then laser printers will provide the most convenience in the long run.