Once strictly reserved for business users, laser printers now make a good alternative to inkjets for some consumers and households—particularly those who only print the odd office document from time to time, as the ink doesn't dry up in the machine during long periods of inactivity.
When choosing a printer, you'll probably find yourself asking the following two questions:
- inkjet or laser?
- with or without scanner?
Our printer reviews are therefore sorted into categories that reflect these choices. So as well as this page for single-function laser printers (no scanner or copier), we have separate review pages for multifunction laser printers (with scanner, copier and sometimes a fax) and multifunction inkjet printers. Don't forget you can also compare and contrast different models of printer in the Face-Off or view our pick of the best models of the moment in the printer buyer's guide.
You may be wondering why anyone would still pick a single-function printer, especially since the market is being run off the road by multifunction models. Well, they're economical, they're more compact than function-packed printers and they're easier to use. Plus, they still print as quickly as all-in-one models and and in comparable quality. What's more, the scanners found in most multifunction models aren't usually that great anyway!
Laser Printers: Fast, Economical and Great for Office Docs
Fast: inkjet printers rarely print at over 15 pages per minute while laser models can print up to 40 ppm!
Economical: budget laser printers can be picked up for as little as £60 and printing works out at just 1 to 3 pence per page for black and white printing in certain models. Some laser printers can print in colour, but this soon pushes up the price per page. Plus, laser printers have the annoying tendency of being supplied with 'starter' cartridges, which aren't full standard-capacity cartridges—they usually print 700 pages compared with 1,500 pages for standard cartridges. However, starter cartridges can still last a lifetime for users who only print the odd page from time to time.
Quality: it's unusual to be disappointed by a laser printer—at least for printing text, tables, diagrams and other day-to-day office documents. Both 600 dpi and 1200 dpi (a bit more precise) models print accurately, even on recycled paper. The only noticeable difference is in colour reproduction, as with laser printers greys can look too dark and colours don't always come out quite right—which can be a problem when printing company logos, for example. Splashes and fingerprints caused by wet ink on freshly printed pages aren't a problem with laser printers. However, although it's entirely subjective, laser printers aren't usually suitable for printing photos.
- inkjet or laser?
- with or without scanner?
Our printer reviews are therefore sorted into categories that reflect these choices. So as well as this page for single-function laser printers (no scanner or copier), we have separate review pages for multifunction laser printers (with scanner, copier and sometimes a fax) and multifunction inkjet printers. Don't forget you can also compare and contrast different models of printer in the Face-Off or view our pick of the best models of the moment in the printer buyer's guide.
You may be wondering why anyone would still pick a single-function printer, especially since the market is being run off the road by multifunction models. Well, they're economical, they're more compact than function-packed printers and they're easier to use. Plus, they still print as quickly as all-in-one models and and in comparable quality. What's more, the scanners found in most multifunction models aren't usually that great anyway!
Laser Printers: Fast, Economical and Great for Office Docs
Fast: inkjet printers rarely print at over 15 pages per minute while laser models can print up to 40 ppm!Economical: budget laser printers can be picked up for as little as £60 and printing works out at just 1 to 3 pence per page for black and white printing in certain models. Some laser printers can print in colour, but this soon pushes up the price per page. Plus, laser printers have the annoying tendency of being supplied with 'starter' cartridges, which aren't full standard-capacity cartridges—they usually print 700 pages compared with 1,500 pages for standard cartridges. However, starter cartridges can still last a lifetime for users who only print the odd page from time to time.
Quality: it's unusual to be disappointed by a laser printer—at least for printing text, tables, diagrams and other day-to-day office documents. Both 600 dpi and 1200 dpi (a bit more precise) models print accurately, even on recycled paper. The only noticeable difference is in colour reproduction, as with laser printers greys can look too dark and colours don't always come out quite right—which can be a problem when printing company logos, for example. Splashes and fingerprints caused by wet ink on freshly printed pages aren't a problem with laser printers. However, although it's entirely subjective, laser printers aren't usually suitable for printing photos.
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