"Should I get an inkjet or a laser?" is the single most-asked question we get. There is no universal winner — the right answer depends on what you print, how often and what you value more: colour or cost. This guide sorts it out.
Quick verdict
Laser if you print mostly text, more than 500 pages/month, and want no-maintenance reliability.
Inkjet (ink-tank) if you print photos, colour graphics, or want the lowest total cost of ownership at any volume.
30-second summary
| Factor | Laser wins if… | Inkjet wins if… |
|---|---|---|
| Print type | Mostly text/spreadsheets | Photos, colour graphics, mixed content |
| Volume | 500+ pages/month sustained | Any volume with a tank printer |
| Speed | Bursts of many pages | Modest daily volume |
| Upfront cost | Willing to spend more | Budget-limited |
| Cost per page | Standard cartridges | Ink-tank model — always |
| Photo quality | Rarely a priority | You care about photos |
How each technology works
Understanding the mechanics explains most of the trade-offs.
Inkjet: spraying liquid ink
An inkjet fires microscopic droplets of liquid ink through a print head onto paper. Modern heads have hundreds of nozzles per colour, each firing thousands of times per second. This gives inkjets three natural strengths: rich colour blending, high resolution, and quiet operation. It also gives them two weaknesses: ink can dry in unused nozzles, and liquid ink is easy to smudge before it fully dries.
Laser: fusing toner powder
A laser draws the image electrostatically on a rotating drum. Toner powder sticks to the charged areas, transfers to paper, and a heated fuser roller melts it into place. This gives lasers three natural strengths: instant water/smudge resistance, no nozzles to clog, and high sustained speed. Weaknesses: colour photos look flat (toner sits on top of paper rather than absorbing), noisier operation, and much higher heat output.
Running cost — the number that matters most
Purchase price fades fast; running cost dominates over 3 – 5 years. Here's the real economics.
Cost per page (measured, not manufacturer-claimed)
| Category | Mono CPP | Colour CPP |
|---|---|---|
| Cartridge inkjet (entry) | $0.06 – $0.11 | $0.19 – $0.31 |
| Ink-tank inkjet | $0.003 – $0.006 | $0.008 – $0.014 |
| Consumer laser (mono) | $0.03 – $0.05 | — |
| Consumer laser (colour) | $0.03 – $0.05 | $0.14 – $0.22 |
| Enterprise laser | $0.007 – $0.015 | $0.038 – $0.06 |
Two takeaways: the cheapest way to print is an ink-tank inkjet at any volume, and consumer colour laser is almost always a bad deal — the machines are cheap upfront but colour toner ruins the maths.
Upfront cost — where laser catches up
A good ink-tank inkjet starts at $250 – $300. A comparable mono laser is $180 – $220 and a decent colour laser is $350 – $500. If you're printing under 30 – 40 pages a month, the higher upfront ink-tank price may take 2 – 3 years to break even.
Print quality — where each technology shines
Text
At normal viewing distance both are indistinguishable. Under a magnifier, laser edges are marginally crisper — but you're unlikely to notice unless you're printing typography samples.
Photos
Inkjet wins decisively. Laser toner sits on top of the paper and can't reproduce continuous tone; photos look plasticy, with visible dot patterns. Dedicated photo inkjets (6+ inks) produce genuinely gallery-worthy prints — no laser can compete.
Colour graphics & charts
Laser is fine for solid colours and business graphics. Inkjet handles gradients and skin tones far better. If your slides and reports are mostly bar charts, laser is fine; if they include product photography, inkjet wins.
Durability of prints
Laser prints are instantly water-resistant and smear-proof. Modern pigment-ink inkjets (not dye-ink) are also water-resistant once dry, but need 10 – 60 seconds to fully cure. If you regularly print outdoors, on shipping labels, or on documents that get handled immediately, laser has the edge.
Laser strengths
- Instant smudge-proof output
- Sustained high speed under load
- No head cleanings, no clogs
- Long-life consumables (10K+ pages)
Inkjet strengths
- Photo quality laser cannot match
- Lower cost per page (ink tank)
- Quieter, cooler running
- Smaller footprint at same speed class
Speed & reliability
The speed gap has closed a lot. Entry laser: 22 – 32 ppm. Entry inkjet: 10 – 15 ipm. Mid-range inkjet: 20 – 25 ipm. Enterprise laser: 40 – 60 ppm.
What lasers still win at is burst speed — feeding 50 pages in a row without slowing. Inkjets are usually rated for their "sustained speed", but throttle slightly on jobs above 100 pages while ink levels balance.
Reliability-wise, both technologies mature. Modern inkjets are no longer prone to constant clogging if you use them regularly (or run their once-a-fortnight auto-cleaning cycle). Modern lasers rarely fail before their duty cycle limit. The real reliability difference: infrequent use favours lasers (toner never dries out); regular use narrows the gap to almost zero.
Which to pick, per use case
Student / occasional home use (under 30 pages/mo)
Cartridge inkjet under $120. You'll print rarely, occasionally in colour, and don't need a laser's throughput. Look for models with individual colour cartridges so you're only replacing the one that ran out.
Home office / freelancer (100 – 400 pages/mo)
Ink-tank inkjet, $250 – $350. Best cost per page at any type of workload. Get a model with auto-duplex and at least a 20-page ADF.
Photography enthusiast
Dedicated photo inkjet, $500 – $1,200. Six or more inks, pigment-based for archival life. Print quality is the point; laser isn't in the conversation.
Small business (500 – 1,500 pages/mo)
Either a business ink tank ($400 – $600) or an entry workgroup mono laser ($350 – $500). Toss up — go with laser if 80%+ of your output is text; ink tank if you print mixed colour regularly.
Heavy office (1,500 – 5,000 pages/mo)
Enterprise mono laser. Full stop. Look for a proven Brother, HP or Canon workgroup model with expandable trays.
Print shop / production (5,000+ pages/mo)
Enterprise colour laser or a small production inkjet. Get an audit first — the cost of a wrong choice at this volume is enormous.
Common myths, busted
"Laser ink is toxic"
Laser toner is a plastic powder, not ink. Modern toner is non-toxic and safe to handle briefly with gloves. Emissions from modern laser printers are well below any regulatory threshold.
"Inkjets always dry out"
True for cartridge inkjets left unused for 3+ months. Not true for ink-tank inkjets used at least monthly; the constant ink supply keeps nozzles primed. Most modern inkjets also run a light head cleaning automatically once every 24 – 48 hours.
"Lasers are always faster"
Only on volumes over ~50 pages. On a single-page job, an inkjet's first-page-out time is often 2 – 4 seconds shorter than a warming-up laser.
"Third-party toner ruins laser printers"
Cheap third-party toner has variable particle size and can produce streaks; premium third-party lines (e.g. LD Products, Katun) are chemically identical to OEM and about 40 – 60% cheaper. Just avoid the very cheapest generics.
FAQ
Can one printer do both photos and high-volume text well?
A business ink tank comes closest. Pure lasers can't match inkjet photo quality; pure photo inkjets aren't built for daily text volume. If you need both, a small dual-machine setup usually costs less in year 2 than one "does everything" printer.
What about ink-tank lasers?
They don't exist. The two technologies are fundamentally different — toner is a dry powder, ink is liquid. A few solid-ink printers (Xerox ColorQube) blended them years ago but are discontinued.
My last laser lasted 10 years. Won't inkjets die sooner?
Well-cared-for ink tank printers commonly run 5 – 8 years of home use; business models often longer. Cartridge inkjets are more disposable — often 3 – 5 years. Lasers still tend to have the longest average lifespan, but "10-year printers" exist in both camps.