Proficiency versus quality on paper

Sunday, 01 June 2008 00:00

Understanding and determining your ink and laser printing requirements is not as straightforward as before. Thierry Boulanger dispenses some sound advice. Deciding on a printer for your business used to be a straightforward exercise. If you wanted sharp text printed fast, you went with laser. If you were on a budget or needed colour output, you bought inkjet. In today`s market, the lines have blurred. You`ll find inexpensive laser printers that do a good job on colour documents as well as speedy inkjets that deliver laser-quality text.

Which then is best? Like the other conundrums of our time (Rent or buy? Paper or plastic?), the realistic answer is that it depends on your needs, preferences and budget.

The ultimate choice of a printer starts with understanding your business needs and priorities. To match these needs with solutions, it`s also important to understand the range of printing technology available. To begin with, it helps to know the basics of ink and laser technology to be able to realistically compare the benefits that each provides. To elaborate on the benefits, though, one must understand the differences between the two technologies.

Several types of inkjet technologies exist. Thermal inkjet technology (TIJ) printers use an array of tiny nozzles to create millions of ink droplets, placing them in precise combinations onto the paper or other print media. This technology has been continuously perfected to achieve superior print technology using up to 31 exceptionally small ink droplets to print a single dot. This enables an incredible range of colours to be created with very realistic results.

To further enhance speed, reliability and cost savings, today`s business inkjet technology uses a modular ink delivery system. In technical terms, this system separates print heads from ink cartridges, allowing print heads to move faster and ink cartridges to hold more ink. Smart chips in the print head monitor ink usage and print head condition, for consistently efficient, quality operation.

Another predetermining factor is the media or paper type, which can have a dramatic effect on image quality. Based on your requirements, a variety of media can be selected - from general office paper for economical high-volume printing, to coated paper engineered for glossy, long-lasting, photo-quality results.

Laser printers, on the other hand, are somewhat different since laser technology applies lasers to a photoconductive drum at specific printer dot locations. The drum is `imaged` with an electrical charge that attracts exact combinations of toner particles to the drum for transfer to the printed page.

Inkjet and laser technologies are both designed for outstanding, efficient, reliable results for a variety of needs. The technology differences of each lend themselves to certain printing uses and needs. Inkjet and laser technology is reliable, easy to use, with excellent print quality. Inkjet is great for specialty papers, wide-format and unique media types, whereas laser is suited to high-volume and fast-output of lengthy documents.

A tangible advantage with inkjet technology is that there is no fuser or drum replacement cost, while the advantage with laser lies in its efficiency since it provides multiple high-volume paper trays and finishing options.

Apart from providing consistent print quality, inkjet and laser printers offer various strengths and capabilities that serve the needs of different users and printing tasks. There are also a wide range of tools available, both online and at the point of sale, to guide you to the printer that best fits your needs, preferences and budget.

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