Printers: Laser vs. Inkjet?

You need a small desktop printer, but you can’t decide whether you want a laser or inkjet. What’s the difference really? They are almost the same price and you just need something dependable that will do the job well. The differences between laser and inkjet are more than just toner and cartridges.
Business needs: First question to ask is what are you printing? No matter if you are in the office or your home office, the output is the important part of deciding which one to get. If you’re printing business documents that are primarily black and white, a fast monochrome laser printer may be more your style. Typically, the monochrome laser printer’s text tends to be sharp even with the fast printing.
Or, if you print images and documents, an all-in-one inkjet is perfect for sharp, professional quality documents printed by affordable ink cartridges. All-in-one inkjets also allow wireless printing from smartphones, PCs, and tablets for convenience. Plus, they tend to be speedy, too.
Considerations on Laser: Laser Printers produce images by scanning a laser beam across photoreceptors. Due to this, there is a warm-up period. Even though they print faster than inkjet, laser printers take a few minutes to start printing. This makes them perfect for voluminous jobs, but not as useful for the one and done. Laser printers text and occasional graphics are very clear and sharp. The upfront cost for toner cartridge in laser printers is pricey, but a side-by-side comparison will show they are less expensive than replacing inkjet cartridges and tend to be less wasteful.
Considerations on Inkjet: Inkjet printers produce images by dropping spots of ink onto the paper. This method causes a better job of blending smooth colors than lasers can. This would appeal more to those who want to print lots of photos or image heavy documents. Inkjet have a low upfront cost, but the cartridges will make up for the inexpensiveness of the machine. Inkjets can print on many types of paper and even some fabrics, but they are slower than the laser printer. Inkjet printer cartridges can be refilled and reused to cut down on the waste and save you some money.
Both require maintenance from time to time with the ink cartridges needing to be cleaned and toner cartridges tending to be messy. This all comes down to one question: What will you use the printer for?