Buying guide for Best laser printers
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The nearly prohibitive cost of ink can prompt you to warn everyone not to print anything unless absolutely necessary. While toner cartridges cost more than ink cartridges, they also print many times more pages. If you'd like to reduce your ink-xiety, a laser printer may be a good addition to your office.
Unless you already have a scanner, all-in-one laser printers save you money and space. You'll want a larger paper tray than your ink printer, and if you print different-sized items, make sure the printer can handle the task. It's also a good idea to check the cost and availability of toner cartridges to make sure that size hasn't been discontinued.
How laser printers work
A laser printer operates in a manner similar to that of most office photocopiers. In fact, although we now enjoy all-in-one machines that copy, scan, and fax, the first laser printers were modified copiers.
We call them laser printers, but “static electricity printers” might be more accurate, albeit less exciting. Here's what happens:
"Positively charged toner is drawn toward the drum, which is negatively charged. This is “static electricity.”"
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A high-voltage wire (called a corona wire) charges a cylindrical drum. At this point, the charge is positive (+) and even across the drum surface.
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A small computer inside the printer reads the page from your own computer and guides the laser as it transfers the image to the drum. The high-intensity laser beam doesn't hit the drum directly; it's actually reflected off a moving mirror. (Reason: it's easier to make the mirror move than it is the laser).
- Where the beam hits the drum, it creates a negative (-) charge that's an exact copy of your page.
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This negative (-) charge attracts fine, positively charged toner particles to the drum. The effect is known as static electricity. Once the toner is on the drum, though, it becomes negatively (-) charged.
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A second corona wire gives a strong positive (+) charge to a sheet of paper as it is fed through. The drum rotates to transfer the image onto it.
- To ensure the toner stays on the paper, the sheet passes through heated rollers. The sheet that comes out of the printer is dry, and there’s no risk of smudging.
When shopping for a laser printer, it’s important to find a model that will blend well with your space. We consider the size and overall aesthetic of each laser printer in our research process.
While some people only need a machine for printing, others seek additional functions and capabilities, especially in office environments. When evaluating laser printers, we find out whether they are able to copy, scan, and/or fax in addition to printing.
A characteristic that sets laser printers apart from inkjet printers is speed. When evaluating laser printers, we consider how quickly each model takes to warm up and print.
Frequent paper jams and error messages can make using a printer incredibly frustrating and inefficient. As we narrow down contenders for our shortlist, we determine which products give a reliable and consistent performance.
Printer cartridges wear varying price tags, and they differ in the number of pages they can produce. When assessing a laser printer, we learn all we can about its cartridge needs. There are even a few cartridge-free laser printers that use refillable toner tanks.
Some laser printers can print on various materials, such as cardstock and envelopes, making them quite versatile. In our research, we look for printers that can accommodate different materials and paper sizes.
We find out about efficiency features the printers on our research list offer, such as sleep mode to save power, low-resolution mode to save toner, and auto-duplexing, which eliminates the need to flip pages for double-sided printing.
Laser printers typically come with a rating that indicates the volume of their output. We consider these ratings in our evaluation process, thinking about which consumers and environments would benefit most from each product.
Some laser printers print only one color; others print multiple colors. Each type has benefits and drawbacks, which we consider when researching and making recommendations.
Consumers appreciate a laser printer with straightforward operation. When evaluating a laser printer, we find out how intuitive and user-friendly its controls are.
Laser printer advantages
Sharp details
Laser printers are prized for their sharp text and other fine details.
The combination of an extremely narrow laser beam and tiny toner particles ensures this. Inkjet printers cannot produce this same degree of detail; the size of the nozzle prohibits it.
If you're creating text or graphics for homework, a project, or a business presentation, a laser printer will render a more precise final product than an inkjet printer.
"An inkjet printer cannot create the thin lines and crisp edges that a laser printer can."
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Speed
Although they may take a few seconds to warm up, laser printers usually work much faster than their inkjet counterparts.
High volume
Laser printers function best in situations where you need a high volume of print-outs. If you’re printing school, college, or club reports or other documents and you need a large number of copies, a laser printer is an apt choice. That’s because, although laser toner cartridges might appear to cost more than inkjets, they can produce anywhere from 5 to 15 more copies.
Similarly, in small offices and other commercial environments, a laser printer would probably be the best economical choice.
Did you know?
In a nutshell, the laser is simply used to draw the image. The actual transfer of toner from cartridge to drum — and from drum to paper — relies on static electricity.
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Price
When you own a printer, you’re looking at two different expenses: the initial cost of the machine and the down-the-road cost of replacement toner.
Machine costs
Though cheap laser printers still cost more than their inkjet counterparts, the gap is much smaller than it used to be. The difference between a low-cost, good-quality inkjet printer and a similar laser printer can be as little as $20. However, you’ll see a wider disparity than that between the extremes on our shortlist.
A top-end wireless color printer from the likes of HP might cost $300+. Even if the product only accepts official HP toner, we doubt you’d be disappointed with such a fantastic all-rounder.
A budget monochrome laser printer might cost you less than $100. Chances are high that such a product would be “entry-level,” but if you’re a consumer who wants a simple black-and-white workhorse and nothing more, the budget price is a great selling point.
Monochrome or color
Should you get a monochrome (black and white) or color printer? Only you know what you need, of course, but we offer the following guidelines:
Features
Every top laser printer today offers wireless printing and mobile device compatibility either remotely via cloud services or by using Near Field Communications (NFC). It's convenient for you, and the technology allows you to share your printer with friends and colleagues if you choose.
Here are a few other features to consider when shopping for a laser printer:
Print speed
Color machines are slower, but good ones manage at least 15 pages per minute (ppm). One of the fastest monochrome laser printers we’ve reviewed championed a rate of 27 ppm.
Did you know?
Laser printers — especially all-in-one models — can be quite large. Before investing in a new printer, check that its dimensions will fit your workspace.
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Print resolution
A resolution of 600 x 1200 is an excellent spec for both color and monochrome printers. A 600 x 2400 resolution provides the highest quality black-and-white/text and line work.
Scan resolution
If you opt for an all-in-one machine, check whether the scanned image figures are optical or interpolated. It's a question of quality. For example, an optical scan of 600 DPI can be interpolated up to 1200 DPI using software. If the scan is optical at 1200 DPI, it's a superior resolution to start with.
Paper tray capacity
If one of the reasons you want a laser printer is for greater throughput, you don't want to have to keep re-filling the paper tray every few minutes. The more paper you can load, the better. Manufacturers quote this spec in the product details.
Some of the best laser printers on the market boast a load capacity ranging between 150 and 250 sheets.
Multiple materials
If you print on a variety of paper, cardstock, and envelopes, check the printer’s flexibility before opening your wallet. Some products require you to feed non-standard sizes by hand. Some won't accept cards or envelopes at all.
Auto duplexing
Anyone can print a stack of papers and then turn them over to print the other side.
But a printer with automatic duplexing turns the paper over for you, leaving you free to do something else.
Did you know?
Most laser printers offer “draft” or “low-resolution” modes to reduce toner usage. Others have software that puts the printer in sleep mode when not in use, thereby saving electricity.
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Duty cycle/team size
Laser printer manufacturers use terms like “duty cycle” and “team size” to give you an idea of how hard their machine can work. If a machine has a recommended duty cycle of 1,500 per month and you typically crank out 150,000 per month, don't expect it to last long. If it's got a team rating of four or five, it should be good for a shared office environment.
FAQ
Q. Help! I still can’t decide between an inkjet and a laser printer.
A. The best printer for you depends on your individual needs:
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If you print a low volume of documents and quite a few photos, go inkjet.
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If you print a high volume of documents, text, and reports, opt for a laser printer.
Q. Which laser printer is best?
A. If you're looking for a laser printer right now, you have a tremendous amount of choice. The great news is that even top models won't put an excessive strain on your budget.
Q. Remanufactured laser toner cartridges can be much cheaper than those from the printer maker. Are they a good way to save money?
A. While some remanufactured cartridges might be OK, it's difficult to know which ones are and which ones aren’t. Often, there's a good deal less toner in the "cheap" versions, so you're not saving as much as you might think. There's also the question of quality. If the ink leaks, it's a nightmare to clean. If it causes something else to become damaged, your warranty will be invalid.
