Are you a newbie or a regular printer user?
Then, you must go through the debate of Digital Printer Vs Laser Printer. Customers often fall into a puzzling situation when they need to choose a suitable one from these two options. But nothing to worry about.
This article will present a comparative analysis between digital and laser printers so that you can get a clear view of the situation. As a printer user, we hope that it will improve your printing experience to a great extent.
Let’s make a move.
What Is Laser Printer?
A printer that uses laser technology can be considered a laser printer. It involves light-emitting elements, toners, and drums for printing.
Actually, laser printers are a variety of digital printers. They can handle high-volume printings with great accuracy and ensure precision in printing text documents.
Laser printers are expensive compared to other digital printers. That’s why you need to bear a high cost initially.
But their outstanding features optimise the price to a large extent. Printer users who deal with commercial projects prefer laser printers to get the optimum output. Check Amazon for more specifications and models.
How Does A Laser Printer Function?
A laser printer delivers output by using a source of laser light. It creates a static charge on a drum that is highly sensitive to light. This drum is a combination of numerous mirrors and lenses.
Then, printer toner lays down on print paper due to the attraction caused by static charge. That’s how a laser printer prints documents.
Pros
- High print speed
- Outstanding print quality
- Effective for high-volume documents
- Neat and sharp printing
- Capability of producing almost perfect copy during photo printing
Cons
- High purchase cost
- Heavy maintenance
- Not supportive of all paper types
- Low thermal efficiency
- Bulky size
- Comparatively heavyweight
- Less effective for small offices
Digital Color Printer
Digital printer is a highly functional machine that allows wireless and cloud printing. This printer can receive printing documents without incorporating wires.
Usually, digital color printers offer almost all facilities of laser and inkjet printers. That means these printers combine accessibility and quality printing successfully.
They enable you to print from anywhere without being worried about wire connections. That’s a huge advantage for small and large-scale printings in both domestic and commercial sectors. Doesn’t it sound amazing?
Digital printers usually print directly from a digital file stored in laptops, PCs, or mobiles. A computer can control the entire operation that supports printing from remote places.
To know various models and features, visit Amazon.
How Does A Digital Printer Work?
A digital printer can print on the media substrate without using metallic plates. They use both toner and ink cartridges concerning their types. LED digital printers produce static charges through a group of light-emitting devices.
These devices also simplify the printing mechanism. If LEDs produce uniform lights, you can get sharp text and photo printing.
Pros
- Allow printing from anywhere
- Personalized and variable data printing
- Compatible with wireless technologies
- Supportive of a wide variety of paper types
- Economical printing
- Print on demand
- Compact design and lightweight
- Excellent thermal management
- Suitable for home or small offices
- Quick turnarounds
- Moderate print speed
- Impressive durability
Cons
- Sometimes unable deliver desired output on plastic materials
- Lack of perfections in photo printing
- Short working life
Factors You Need To Consider
Do you know about the specifications of digital and laser printers? Or which factors do affect them most?
Let’s have a look at some crucial factors that can influence your decision.
Cost
Cost is a vital issue between Digital Printer Vs Laser Printer. Usually, laser printers are expensive. The purchase and maintenance costs are not convenient for beginners or small-scale projects.
Digital printers offer cost-effective printing features with quality performance. Besides, laser printers use toner cartridges while digital inkjet printer uses ink cartridges. Ink cartridges are more economical than toner cartridges.
That’s why this option is extremely popular among newbies and low-budget printer users.
But why don’t you think differently?
If you consider the page yield and cost per page, you will find a different scenario. Laser printers can print more documents in a definite time and they ensure a lower cost per page than digital printers.
That means laser printers are more cost-effective in high-volume printing projects. Here, a comparison is given for your better understanding.
| Topic | Canon Pixma TS6220 | HP LaserJetPro M401n |
| Price | Around $30 | Around $200 |
| Page Yield | 500 | 7000 |
| Cost Per Page | 6.2 cents | 3.0 cents |
Toners
Toners play a vital role in printing. It is necessary to produce colour as well as black-and-white documents. Digital LED printers and laser printers are compatible with 4 toner colours: Cayan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black.
But LED printers consist of an additional toner that enables them to deliver white outputs. This property keeps them one step ahead of laser printers in many cases. You need to consider “how long a printer toner lasts” while choosing a printer.
Configuration
LED digital printers consist of simple elements. That’s why they have lightweight and small designs that allow the users to fit these machines in shorter spaces. LED printers can use a straight print path to keep the documents flat.
Do you know the design configuration of laser printers?
They are large in size and heavyweight. Besides, laser printers always roll the documents around the drums. It causes a slight curl to print papers that’s a negative point for the users.
Mechanical Performance
LED digital printers provide better mechanical stability compared to their counterparts. As LED requires a low power consumption, their operational cost becomes low.
Usability
Digital printers have immense applications in domestic zones. You can use them to print Flyers, papers, official letters, etc. They are compatible with versatile print mediums that also enhance their usability.
But CMYK colours sometimes don’t get mixed with plastic or paper cups. It ultimately hampers the print quality.
Laser printers also have a wide range of applications in offices, homes, or commercial spaces. So, you can call it a tie in the case of usability.
Noise Reduction
Laser technology allows the use of moving components that cause noise during printing. But digital LED printers offer better performance in noise reduction because of having no noise-sensitive elements.
Durability
Who doesn’t want to experience a durable printer?
Digital printers have simplified designs. That promotes their durability to a great extent. Especially LED printers can resist more thermal and mechanical pressures than laser printers.
Print Quality
When the quality of printing is concerned, both of these printers have particular advantages. Laser printers are reputable for text printing. On the contrary, digital colour printing ensures satisfactory photo printing. So, you have to act with intelligence on this point.
Shelf life
Though a printer’s shelf life depends on several factors, Laser printers provide long-time service than digital printers. They remain functional for around 6-8 years in full swing.
But, you can use a digital inkjet printer for 4-5 years without any significant hassle. It is necessary to clean the printer heads of inkjet printers regularly.
Paper Requirement
In the case of laser printing, you don’t need to use high-class paper materials. This feature makes printing easier.
Digital printers demand quality papers to deliver optimum output.
Print Speed
If you give high priority to print speed, laser printers will be the winner, without any doubt. Different printers that use laser technology can print at a high ppm rate. That’s why they are useful for long-term projects.
In contrast to lasers, digital printers like inkjet printers can’t always maintain a high speed.
Environmental Impact
Environmental impact is a great concern in the modern printing world. Consumers prefer an eco-friendly printer in most cases. What’s about you?
From that point of view, laser printing is not so ecologically effective. Laser printers emit harmful rays during their operations.
But other types of digital printers, like LED printers, are more worthy than laser printers in this case. There is no significant emission of environmentally hazardous elements.
Connectivity
Laser technology supports connectivity of WiFi, USB. Again, digital printers allow Bluetooth connections along with WiFi and USB connections.
What next?
Now, after a detailed analysis, it’s time to focus on a side-by-side comparison.
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Comparison Factor | Digital Printer | Laser Printer |
| Cost Performance | Economical | High initial cost |
| Print Speed | Moderate | High |
| Compatible Print Volume | Medium | High |
| Print Quality | High | High |
| Compatible Paper Types | Versatile | Limited |
| Paper Sizes | 2×3,4 x 6 to 8.5 x 11, Letter, Legal | 4 x 6 to 8.5 x 11, Letter, Envelope |
| Weight | Light | Heavy |
| Page Yield | Low (500-700) | High (6000-7000) |
| Design Stability | Compact, stable | Stable |
| Supportive Devices | PC, smart devices, laptops | Smartphone, laptops, PC |
| Quality Of Paper Materials | High | Medium |
| Durability | High | Moderate |
So, what’s your best pick?
Final Verdict
Differentiating between Digital Printer Vs Laser Printer is a tough task. Laser printers significantly promote the rate of print output and quality.
But you can consider digital printers if you have a limited budget and space. They ensure cost-effective printing while maintaining quality in photo printing. So, you need to prioritise your requirements and budget while making a choice.
We hope this comparison article will be enough to achieve a clear conception of Digital Printer Vs Laser Printer. If you intend to know more updated information about the printing world, stay tuned.
FAQs
- Do Digital Printers Use Ink?
Yes. Digital inkjet printers utilise liquid ink for printing. They don’t incorporate rubber or Aluminum plates while transferring images.
- Does Digital Printing Crack?
Digital printing involves thermal pressure to mix the ink with fabrics. That’s why it does not usually suffer from cracking.
- Is Laser Printing Digital Printing?
Laser printing is a variety of digital printing. Laser printers function through an electrostatic process. They ensure quicker printing of high-quality documents than other kinds of digital printers.
