How to choose a laser / LED printer
Laser and LED printers are great if you need fast and inexpensive black and white printing. They are best suited for users who print many text documents.
Frequently asked questions when choosing a laser and LED printer
How long does a refill last?
Laser and LED printers can print more than 2000 pages with a standard toner. If you want to save on operating costs, then buying a laser printer is the way to go.
What's the difference between laser and LED printers?
Laser and LED printers work essentially on the same principle; the only difference is the source of electromagnetic radiation. Laser printers use a focused laser beam that tracks back and forth across the drum. The beam is guided by a set of mirrors. LED printers are equipped with a printhead with one or more LED arrays that pulse-flash across the entire page width. This makes them considerably more compact and they have fewer moving parts, reducing the chance of hardware failure. Another advantage of LED printers is their ability to regulate the intensity of the emitted light, which means that they can print different colour tones and subtle transitions.
What's the difference between high-end and budget models?
Budget laser printers are cheaper than budget LED printers, but their reliability and features are somewhat worse. If you only need to print a page or two once in a while, then choose one of these.
If you print more frequently, however, then you may want to invest in a more advanced device that offers higher resolution, faster printing, easier operation, and more features (Wi-Fi connectivity, automatic document feeder, duplex printing, etc.). Some even work as a scanner and copier. Multifunction printers are suitable mainly for home use.
With laser printers, keep in mind that printing in colour is going to cost you. Colour printers are significantly more expensive than black and white ones.
Advanced printers suitable for smaller offices are somewhat more expensive than household models, while high-end laser printers designed for corporate use tend to cost an appropriately large sum.
What is the target demographic for laser printers?
Most users of laser and LED printers are university students, offices, and people and business entities who work with large amounts of text.
Important parameters
Maximum print resolution
Maximum print resolution is usually listed in DPI, which refers to the number of dots a printer can print per inch. Generally, the higher the DPI, the finer and more detailed images you get.
Basic laser printers have a resolution of 600 x 600 DPI, but even among the less expensive devices you can find models that can handle resolutions up to 4800 x 600. But since laser printers are made mainly for printing text, their resolution is not nearly as important as it is with inkjet printers, designed for printing images and photos.
Print speed
For laser printers, the standard print speed is 20-30 pages per minute, even for cheaper models. High-end printers can print 60 pages per minute and more.
Wi-Fi interface
Many modern printers can be connected to a PC or even phone via Wi-Fi. This allows you to do printing tasks without any cables, making your work both easier and faster.
Glossary - Printer
Printhead
A device inside every inkjet printer that performs the actual printing process. The printhead moves horizontally, applying ink onto paper. Cartridges may or may not be part of the printhead. One printhead usually prints in three colours.
Cartridge
A replaceable cartridge used in inkjet printers.
Toner
Black or coloured powder (CMYK: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key - black) used in laser printers and copiers. Toner production involves various polymers.
Paper format
Most laser and LED printers use the A4 format and smaller, but there are also those that can handle A3 and larger. Before buying, consider carefully how many A3 pages you are honestly expecting to print and whether this feature is worth paying extra. A3 compatible printers are significantly more expensive.