Color printers are essential in homes and offices as they produce vivid, high-quality images and documents. Today’s market offers several types of printers that are each designed to meet different needs when it comes to speed and cost. From inkjet models to laser printers, users can choose based on their specific printing habits. In this article, we’ll dive into their differences and benefits.
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Definition: Color printer
A color printer is a device that produces printed output using numerous color inks or toners to create images and text in a full range of colors.
Printing services at BachelorPrint
- Individual solutions & personal support
- High print quality & fast production times
- Wide range of print products for every need
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Types
There are many types of color printers; we have listed two popular ones below.
Inkjet printer
Color inkjet printers are ideal for home users and students who need high-quality color output for occasional printing. Because they use printing ink, inkjets can produce beautiful gradients on paper with their expansive color gamut.
Pros
- Compact design
- Cheaper upfront
- Ideal when printing often
- Perfect for color print & detail
Cons
- Ink dry time
- Slow printing
- High maintenance
- Expensive ink refills
Laser printer
Color laser printers are best for offices, smaller businesses, and anyone who prints many documents. Since they use toner cartridges instead of printing ink, texts are sharper for document printing, plus toner can’t dry out, meaning that laser printers don’t need occasional use or high maintenance.
Pros
- Toner lasts longer
- Sharp text printing
- High printing speed
- Lower cost per page
Cons
- Higher upfront cost
- Take up a lot of space
- Often just black and white
- Not as good at photo printing
If you’d like a comparison between inkjet and laser printers, click on the button below.
Printing cost
Printing costs may vary depending on the type of color printer you own and the number of times you use said printer. Below, we’ll explain how high printing costs are for home or office color printers and whether using online printing services is worth it for your printing needs.
With a home or office printer, prints typically cost around $0.05 to $0.15 per page for standard color pages and up to $0.60 for photos, depending on the printer, ink/toner, and paper you purchase.
However, when it comes to inkjet printers, they have to be used regularly, or they can clog easily. This would either result in higher maintenance or more prints, further increasing printing costs. This is why a laser printer at home or at the office might be more favorable and cheaper for printing color copies.
When you don’t need a color printer often, a professional printing service might be ideal for you. Since there are many services available, you can easily compare prices online. Although the total might include shipping, online orders can definitely be favorable when it comes to bulk printing.
At BachelorPrint, you can get simple black and white documents starting from $0.10, whereas color copies can be printed online for $0.18 per page, depending on the paper weight and printer paper type you choose. You can also add finishes and accessories, such as lamination, sheet protectors, and ring binders.
High-quality color copies from just $0.18
- Choose from different paper formats & paper weights
- Configure finishing options & add any extras you need
- Easy online ordering process with delivery to your doorstep
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FAQs
Depending on how often you use a printer, laser or inkjet color printers might be what you’re looking for. Inkjet color printers are known for vivid color printing, especially when it comes to photographs. However, they can clog easily when not used regularly, making laser printers a better and cheaper option.
Although inkjet printers offer a wide color gamut and high-quality image printing, laser printers have a lower cost per page and lower maintenance.
Depending on the type of color printer, disadvantages can be high printer or toner/ink cost, printer maintenance, and ink dry time.
This depends on what and how much you print; if you print weekly or daily, you might want to go for a laser printer since these printers excel in the way that they have lower maintenance and toner lasts longer, resulting in lower cost per page. Inkjet printers, on the other hand, print high-quality images due to liquid ink creating smooth gradients. Their upfront cost is less, however, for daily or weekly printing, ink costs will significantly add up.
