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When a customer asks us for "a good printer", our first question is always the same: what do you print, and how many pages a month? The answer decides which of the three printer types will save you money.
The three types in one minute
- Laser printers use toner powder. They are fast, the text is sharp, and the toner never dries out.
- Ink tank printers use liquid ink that you pour from bottles into tanks. Colour pages cost very little.
- Cartridge inkjet printers use small ink cartridges. They are the cheapest to buy and the most expensive to run.
Choose a laser printer if you mostly print documents
Invoices, contracts, delivery notes and letters are black text, and nothing prints text faster or cleaner than a laser. A mono laser is also the best printer for someone who prints only occasionally: you can leave it unused for two months and it will print perfectly the first time, because there is no ink to dry.
In our shop, the HP LaserJet range covers small desks to busy teams, and the Brother DCP-L2640DW adds copying and scanning. Colour laser printers such as the HP Color LaserJet MFP 178nw are good for charts and presentations, but colour toner sets cost more, so buy one only if you print colour regularly.
Choose an ink tank printer if you print a lot of colour
Ink tank printers changed home and small-office printing. One set of bottles prints thousands of pages, so school projects, menus, flyers and photos cost very little per page. Popular models we stock include the Epson EcoTank L3250, the Canon PIXMA G3410 and the Brother DCP-T530DW, plus HP Smart Tank models.
Two things to know before you buy one:
- Print something every week. If an ink printer sits unused for a long time, the print head can dry and clog. A weekly colour page keeps it healthy.
- Use the right bottles. Each model takes its own ink. The Epson L3250 uses Epson 103 bottles and the Canon G3410 uses Canon GI-490. We keep ink bottles for the printers we sell.
Choose a cartridge inkjet only for light use
A basic cartridge inkjet costs very little and is fine for a student or a home that prints a few pages a month. If you print more than that, the cartridges will soon cost more than the printer did. In that case, spend a little more at the start on an ink tank or laser.
Quick answers
- Office printing invoices all day: mono laser.
- Family with school children: ink tank.
- Shop that prints a few receipts and labels: mono laser.
- Restaurant printing colour menus and offers: ink tank, or a colour laser if speed matters.
- Printing once a month or less: mono laser.
Do not forget the running costs
Before you choose, check the price of the toner or ink for that exact model. We explain how to work out the cost per page in original vs compatible toner, and how to find the correct cartridge in our toner finder guide.
Tell us what you print and your budget, and we will suggest two or three models with the cost of their refills. Message us on WhatsApp or see all printers and supplies in the shop.
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