What is Toner Cartridge and Ink Printer Cartridge
Knowing what cartridges work in your printer is incredibly important. Order the wrong product and you might end up costing your company Thousand of ringgit or at least an inconvenient return shipment if the error is caught in time. Ink and toner are two completely different kinds of printer cartridges, each with their own distinct advantages and disadvantages.
Toner vs Ink Cartridges: What's the Difference?
Toner Cartridges
Toner is a very fine powder (composed mostly of polyester) that is used in laser printers. The powder is statically charged, which is how it adheres to paper. The laser in the printer creates an electrostatic template of a given printout on a metal drum inside the printer; it then releases the toner, which sticks to the places on the drum that have been electrostatically charged. As the paper passes over the drum, the image imposes onto the paper's surface. Most consumer-grade laser printers only print in black, although more expensive units can utilize different colors.
While laser printers and toner cartridges are usually more expensive than inkjet printers and ink cartridges, toner tends to last longer than ink. (This means toner may be a more cost-effective choice over the long term, but it requires a bigger up-front investment.) Laser printers are ideal if you tend to print mostly text-based documents because they can print text two or even three times faster than most inkjet printers.
Ultimately, the choice of whether to purchase an ink- or toner-based printer depends on your financial situation, printing needs, and personal preference.
Ink Cartridges
Ink is a liquid used in inkjet printers. To apply the ink to paper, the printer squeezes small amounts of ink through tiny nozzles and onto the paper as it rolls out of the printer. Most inkjet printers can print in all black or color, and they use several ink cartridges at a time–namely black, cyan, magenta, and yellow.
Inkjets are by far the most common printer type used by ordinary consumers, partly because they tend to be less expensive than laser printers. Inkjets are also useful for printing images, graphics, and text. One downside to ink cartridges is that they tend to print fewer sheets of paper than toner cartridges, meaning consumers need to purchase new cartridges or refill existing cartridges more frequently than they do with toner.
Let’s Break It Down This Way:
• Laser printers use toner cartridges
• Inkjet printers use ink cartridges
•Toner cartridges contain dry powder
• Ink cartridges contain liquid ink
• Toner cartridges are bigger than ink cartridges
• Ink cartridges expire
• Toner cartridges don’t expire
• Ink can dry out and clog due to infrequent use
• Toner doesn’t dry out due to infrequent use
• Ink cartridges Generally used in small or home offices
• Toner cartridges Typically used in commercial settings and large offices
• Ink cartridges typically have page yields of about 500 pages
• Toner cartridgestypically have page yields ranging from 2,000- 20,000 pages
What Is Better? Toner or Ink Cartridges?
Let's quickly compare ink and toner based on two (probably most important overall) factors below:
1. Longevity- How Long Does Toner Last vs Ink?
We believe toner longevity and lower overall print costs make laser printers the way to go.
Ink cartridges carry the risk of malfunctioning if the heads dry out or become clogged. This risk increases the longer that inkjet printers are not used so it is important to use inkjet printers weekly. In contrast, toner cartridges don't expire and don't get clogged if not used.
2. Toner vs Ink - Cost
Toner cartridges have a higher initial cost than ink cartridges. Toner cartridges are physically bigger, meaning they hold more supplies and print more pages. If you do a lot of printing, toner cartridges are more cost-effective. However, if you don’t print too often, you may find low-output, low-cost ink cartridges more cost-effective.
Toner vs Ink Cartridges: Which Is Right for Your Needs?
A lot of different factors go into deciding whether ink Catridges (and inkjet printers) or toner Catridges (and laser printers) are best suited for your business or home use. Here are a few points to keep in mind as you weigh your options of ink vs. toner.
• Printing volume
If you frequently need to print many pages at a time, you may find a laser printer using toner will give you a high yield and the best economical value.
• Clarity of photos
If your main output will be photographs and images, you may wish to invest in a photo inkjet printer (Ink Catridges) for the best possible photo resolution.
• Speed of printing
If print speed is among the most important considerations, look toward a laser printer (Toner Catridges) for a faster workflow.
• Upfront budget
If your budget upfront is the biggest consideration, consider starting with an inexpensive inkjet printer (Ink Catridges) and moving up to a laser printer (Toner Catridges) when your funding allows.
How Often Do You Have To Replace Toner vs Ink Cartridges?
Toner usually has a higher page yield which means that you'll need to change it less frequently compared to ink. Plus, as already mentioned above, ink cartridges may expire, dry up, and get clogged if not used enough or in time. This means that sometimes you will need to replace your ink cartridges even if it has not been used for 100%. Toner cartridges, at the same time, don't dry or expire
Conclusion
Toner and Ink Catridges each come with their own set of challenges and benefits. Regardless of which option you choose, properly caring for the cartridges (and replacing them as soon as they start to run out) helps ensure the longevity of both the cartridges and your printer.
Sources:
https://www.ldproducts.com/blog/whats-the-difference-between-ink-and-toner-cartridges/
https://www.quill.com/ink-vs-toner-whats-the-difference/ bi/113.cshtml#:~:text=Ink%20is%20liquid%20and%20made,ink)%20tends%20to%20last%20longer.
https://www.tonerbuzz.com/blog/toner-cartridges-vs-ink-cartridges/
https://www.cdw.com/content/cdw/en/articles/hardware/difference-between-ink-and-toner.html
