The Differences Between Ink and Toner

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(Newswire.net — July 27, 2020) — Printer users have an interest in the difference between ink and toner. More so, they would like to know whether one is regarded as superior quality than the other. There is no doubt that the printing industry has come a long way. The introduction of laser printers meant that users could get quality prints at affordable prices. 

Even though most of the printer users can easily confirm that toner is better, they can’t give the reasons why. This article is meant to help printer users understand these differences and the advantages of both the ink and toner. This will help the printer user choose between the toner and ink.

Introduction to ink and toner

If you ask any printer user who has transitioned from ink to toner when they did it probably they won’t remember. It happened automatically without much regard to the pros and cons of using any of the two. There are notable differences between toner and ink-based devices. The differences start with their functionality and the choice of print juice. 

Cost implications

The ink printer has traditionally been popular because of its low cost. And the toner is winning the hearts of many printer users because of its efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Before laser printers had become popular, many printer users were stuck with inkjet printers. They were attracted to their low prices.

In its earlier days, laser printers were a preserve of large scale printing companies. They were bulky and expensive. However, as innovation made headway into the printing business they designed more affordable and compact printers.

That said, there is a group of printer users that have stuck with the inkjet printers. Inkjet is more user-friendly as far as substrates are concerned.  The ink-based printers are favorable for functions such as imprinting on objects. The reasoning is that it will cost less when you use an ink-based printer over screen printing.

Furthermore, the results are still of higher quality. To some extent, the ink-based printer will offer high-quality prints for longer periods. 

Toner based printing

Unlike ink, toner is in powder form, it’s composed of carbon or synthetic polymers. For the longest time laser printing was limited to black and white printing. However, as it gained traction in the printer market, a need for color laser printers and toner cartridges became apparent. They have become regulars and have taken over offset printers especially in large scale printing. 

We are in the digital age and the printing industry is no exception. Digital printers are more common now than they were about 10-15 years ago. Digital imaging tends to print permanent images when the toner fuses with the paper. 

There has been an industry-wide evolution coupled with faster computers and the discovery of more efficient manufacturing processes. Since the toner-based printer is pushed as the printer of the future, companies invest heavily in making it faster and more efficient. The other major difference between toner and ink-based printers is the cleanliness of the job done.

Toner cartridges have an advantage over inkjet printers because they are not as messy. Ink printouts take time before they dry and the printing process is not as clean as in toner printing. Maintaining a toner based device is cheaper. The printer performs through a fuser technology that stills allows smooth flow of toner for printing.  

The technology means you get to print permanent images unlike in ink-based printing. Besides, the printing process comes with speed, low cost, and longer document life. 

Conclusion

You are at liberty to choose the most suitable printer between the two we’ve just discussed. The toner based printers use Brother HL-L2390DW toner as a replacement toner. They are one of the few compatible toner cartridge brands that are manufactured with high standards.