How To Tell Whether You Use Inkjet Or Laserjet Ink

2010-10-04

Knowing what type of ink cartridges to purchase for your printer can be daunting. Which brand should you buy? How can you tell whether you need inkjet printer ink or laserjet cartridges?

Inkjet printers print by essentially shooting small spots of ink on the paper, while laser printers use a much more complex process that involves heating the toner and bonding it to the paper using a drum.

What does this mean for your printing job? If you use an inkjet printer, you'll get an extremely detailed picture, but a wet print job (which means a high potential for smearing or streaking if you're not careful). Laserjets print more quickly and because of the printing process, the ink is sealed on the paper, and therefore won't smear.

There are a few easy ways of telling whether you're using inkjet printer ink or laser printer ink simply by looking at the ink cartridges.

The first and easiest way to determine what type of ink you're using is to see whether the ink is liquid or powder. Because of the aforementioned printing processes, liquid is used in inkjet printers and powder in laser. Powder ink lasts much longer and comes in large quantities. Therefore, while the cartridges for laser printers are larger and much more expensive, they will last a long time, whereas inkjet cartridges, which are smaller and less expensive, will need to be replaced more often because they generally run out of ink faster than toner cartridges.

The size of the ink cartridges will also give you a hint as to what type of ink it is. Laser ink cartridges are generally bigger than their inkjet counterparts. Generally, if your ink cartridge is the size of a piece of paper in length, it is a laser ink cartridge. If it's smaller in size, it's an inkjet.

Which type of printer you choose depends on your printing needs. Larger operations with huge printing needs will want laser printers because they are capable of printing large amounts without requiring a toner change, and don't have as high of a potential for smearing. Inkjet printers are more suited for smaller jobs and home printing, as they produce a more high quality image, but may require cartridge changes more frequently and have a high potential for smearing.

Knowing the differences between inkjet printer ink and laser printer ink is imperative in choosing the correct cartridge for your printer. Simply by looking at the cartridge and seeing what type of ink it contains is the easiest way to determine whether the cartridge is for a laser or inkjet printer.