Inkjet vs Laser Printer: Which Should You Buy?
Inkjet and laser solve different problems. Inkjet handles color, photos, and glossy media well but costs more per page on cheap cartridge models. Laser prints crisp text fast and cheaply but is mono-only at the low end. The right pick depends on what you actually print — not on which spec sheet looks longer.
The core difference
Inkjets spray liquid ink onto the page; lasers fuse dry toner with heat. That single distinction drives nearly every trade-off below — from cost-per-page to whether the ink dries out between uses. (Brother's inkjet-vs-laser explainer covers the underlying mechanics; the comparison below is consistent with it.)
Side-by-side comparison
| Factor | Inkjet | Laser |
|---|---|---|
| Best at | Color, photos, glossy media | Crisp black text, high volume |
| Upfront cost | Low (cheap cartridge models) | Higher, especially color laser |
| Cost per page | High on cartridges; low on tank models | Low (toner yields many pages) |
| Text sharpness | Good | Excellent (no ink bleed) |
| Photo quality | Excellent | Mediocre (color laser only) |
| Speed (text) | Moderate | Fast, especially first page |
| If it sits idle | Ink can dry / clog | Toner doesn't dry out |
| Best for | Photos, occasional color, students | Home office text, documents, low hassle |
Where inkjet wins
Choose inkjet if you print color often — photos, school projects, graphics. The catch is running cost: cheap cartridge inkjets are cheap to buy and expensive to run. A tank-style inkjet (EcoTank, MegaTank, Smart Tank) fixes the cost-per-page problem while keeping color quality.
Where laser wins
Choose laser — usually a mono laser — if you mostly print text, contracts, forms, or shipping labels. Toner doesn't dry out, the text is razor-sharp, and the cost-per-page is low. For a home office that prints intermittently, a cheap mono laser is often the lowest-hassle choice. (Consistent with RTINGS' printer reviews, which favor mono lasers for text-heavy home use.)
How to decide in 30 seconds
- Mostly black text, low hassle → mono laser.
- Photos or frequent color → inkjet, ideally a tank model to control running cost.
- Prints rarely (a few times a month) → laser; ink that sits dries and clogs.
- Tight budget up front → cheap inkjet to start, but budget for ink.
Also deciding on an office chair? See Steelcase Leap V1 vs V2, or read how we compare.
Frequently Asked Questions
Usually yes for text. Toner cartridges yield far more pages than ink cartridges, so the cost-per-page is lower. The exception is a tank-style inkjet (EcoTank/MegaTank), whose bulk ink brings per-page cost down near laser territory.
They can. Liquid ink can clog or dry in the printhead when a printer sits idle for weeks. If you print only occasionally, a laser is lower-maintenance because toner is a dry powder.
Inkjet, clearly. Color lasers have improved but still trail inkjets on photo depth and glossy media. For serious photo printing, a dedicated photo inkjet is the standard.
For offices that print a lot of color documents (charts, flyers, reports) and want low running cost, yes. For home photo printing, an inkjet is the better fit and far cheaper up front.