Ink Tank vs Laser Printer: Which Should You Buy?

The right printer depends on what you print and how often. The purchase price matters less than the running cost over a few years.

Ink tank printers

Refillable ink tanks give a low cost per page and good colour, which suits homes, students and small offices that print photos, school work or colour documents. Print regularly: heads can clog if the printer sits unused for weeks.

Laser printers

Laser printers are fast and produce sharp text. Toner doesn't dry out, so they handle irregular use well. Monochrome laser printers are a strong choice for offices that print a lot of documents.

Questions to ask yourself

Do you need colour, or mostly black-and-white documents?
How many pages do you print each month?
Do you need scanning and copying (a multifunction printer)?
Should several people print over Wi-Fi or the office network?

Running costs

Compare the cost of a full set of ink or a toner cartridge against how many pages it prints. Over a year or two, that matters more than a small difference in the printer's price.

In short

Choose ink tank for regular colour printing at low cost, and laser for fast, high-volume text printing with little maintenance.