Which printer is better for color printing: two or one?
Which printer is better for color printing: two or one?
So I own a black-and-white laser printer/scanner/copier/fax. It's getting old, and the latest drivers are for Windows 7, but it still functions properly. It also works on Linux, although the scanning drivers don’t run there.
I’ve topped up the toner, but it’s not as dark as new. Considering the age of the cartridge and that the drum hasn’t been replaced, I’m thinking about switching to a new printer instead of buying another toner and drum. My main needs are printing, scanning, and copying—no faxing or telephony required.
But my girlfriend needs color printing. She’s currently using an HP inkjet for copying, scanning, etc., and she wants to be able to print photos and pictures with accurate color matching. For example, if a child is asked to recognize “blue” in an image, the printed color should actually be blue. She only needs to print in color, not copy it in color.
Since she’s moving soon, we don’t want two different machines in the house.
What do you think?
1 – A multifunction color laser?
2 – A multifunction black-and-white laser with a separate color inkjet for printing only?
I’m trying to compare costs—both upfront and ongoing maintenance/per-page expenses. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Budget?
Also FYI:
https://www.tomsguide.com/best-picks/best-printers
From a cost per page perspective, laser consistently outperforms inkjet. Color laser is more than sufficient for this job. Although the price of toner cartridges is higher than inkjet, the overall cost per page remains lower, since a laser cartridge can last thousands of pages compared to only a few hundred for inkjet. Don't forget the frequent clogs in inkjet when it isn't used daily, plus the frequent auto head cleaning that consumes ink rapidly.
I’d probably say around $700 would be the upper limit, though I’m not sure what the typical price range for color lasers is. I’m just checking the link now.
That makes sense—B&W’s cost per page was much lower for laser, and I’m thinking about long-term savings. For color pages, I thought the C++ version might be closer, but don’t worry about that.
It’s good to know the color laser will work well enough.
Well, thank you a bit late for the feedback, but the issue seems to have been resolved.
In the end, the girlfriend chose to relocate her printer to my home. It’s an HP OfficeJet 9010, a full-color inkjet device.
It performs well and has impressed me by managing delicate lines much better than older models, even challenging my older laser printer.
That’s going to be the printer for now.
Additionally, after some research, it looks promising to switch to Ink Tank style printers, especially from HP with their "Neverstop" line, which uses toner tanks instead of ink or toner cartridges. They’re simply refilled in bottles.
My next printer, a few years from now, could turn out to be quite exciting.
The only drawback with the HP Neverstop lasers is that they require manual duplex printing. Still, I’m eager to see how this shift away from traditional cartridges develops over time.
For now, the girlfriend’s printer remains the preferred choice.