Printers, Paper & Ink

Comparing Inkjet and Laser Printer Technology

Inkjet printers spray tiny droplets of liquid ink onto the page to build up text and images. They handle colour printing and photos particularly well, producing smooth gradients and accurate colour reproduction that laser printers generally can't match. Laser printers use a heated drum and powdered toner to fuse text and graphics onto the page, which produces sharp, dry output instantly with no smearing risk.

Inkjet printers suit households that print occasionally, need colour output, or want to print photos at home. Running costs per page are higher than laser, particularly if you print infrequently and ink cartridges dry out between sessions. Laser printers are better suited to high-volume document printing, producing consistently sharp text at a lower cost per page. Colour laser models are available but carry a higher upfront cost than colour inkjet equivalents. For a detailed breakdown of which technology suits different printing habits, the printer buying guide covers the comparison in full.

Connection Options for Wireless and Mobile Printing

Most modern printers connect to a home network via Wi-Fi, allowing multiple devices to print without a physical cable connection. This makes it straightforward to print from a laptop, tablet, or smartphone anywhere in the home without having to transfer files first.

Wireless and Mobile Printing Standards

• Wi-Fi direct connects a phone or tablet directly to the printer without going through the home router, which is useful when the main network isn't available

• AirPrint is Apple's wireless printing standard supported by most current inkjet and laser models, allowing printing directly from iPhone and iPad without installing drivers

• Mopria is the equivalent standard for Android devices and is similarly built into most current printer models

• USB connection provides a wired backup option for computers without reliable wireless access, or for transferring files from a USB drive on printers with a front-mounted USB port

• Ethernet is a wired network connection available on some office-focused models, providing a more stable connection than Wi-Fi in busy network environments

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Evaluating Print Speeds and Page Per Minute Performance

Print speed is measured in pages per minute (ppm) and indicates how quickly a printer can produce a full page of output. Laser printers generally print faster than inkjets, particularly for straightforward black-and-white text documents. Colour printing and photo output take longer than mono text on virtually all printer types.

For occasional home printing, a modest speed of 10 to 15ppm is more than adequate. Home offices printing longer documents regularly benefit from speeds of 20ppm or above to avoid waiting around during larger jobs. Quoted speeds are typically measured on plain text documents at standard quality, so printing at high quality or on photo paper will be slower than the advertised figure. Treat manufacturer speed claims as a relative comparison between models rather than an absolute measure of real-world performance.

Resolution Standards for High Quality Document and Photo Printing

Print resolution is measured in dots per inch (dpi) and describes how much detail the printer can reproduce on the page. Higher dpi produces finer detail and smoother colour gradients, which matters most for photo printing. For standard text documents, a resolution of 600dpi is more than sufficient to produce sharp, readable output.

Photo printing benefits from a resolution of 1200dpi or above to reproduce fine detail and smooth skin tones accurately. Most dedicated photo printers and higher-end inkjet models reach 4800dpi or more, which produces output comparable to commercial photo printing. Laser printers typically top out at 1200dpi, which is excellent for text and graphics but falls short of inkjet quality for detailed photographic images. If photo printing is a priority, an inkjet model from Epson or Canon with a high dpi rating will deliver noticeably better results than a laser alternative.

Paper Handling Capacities and Tray Sizes for Your New Printer

Paper tray capacity determines how often you need to reload paper during a print job. Entry-level home printers typically hold 100 sheets in the main tray, while office-focused models hold 250 sheets or more. Running out of paper mid-job on a printer with a small tray is a minor but consistent frustration in busy households or small offices.

Additional Paper Handling Features Worth Knowing

• Automatic duplex printing prints on both sides of the page automatically, halving paper use for double-sided documents without manual flipping

• Multi-function tray provides a secondary slot for feeding different paper types or sizes without clearing the main tray

• Envelope feeding uses a straight paper path that handles envelopes and card stock without bending or jamming

• A3 printing is available on some larger models for printing spreadsheets, posters, and design work at a larger format than standard A4

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