This is the technological revolution. People are going green. The Internet and software are taking over. Trees would be saved as the world would go digital. That is what I thought 20 years ago with my Epson Stylus 400 by my side. Today I have 2 Cannon printers. One is an all-in-one and the other is for larger prints. In this time I learnt some valuable lessons about printers that I like to share with you.

There are basically 3 types of printers you should consider for your home/business. They are inkjet printer, ink tank printer and the laser printer. Your needs dictate what type you should use.

Inkjet Printers

This is the type of printer most are familiar with. Cannon Japan came up with the technology in 1970s. It made a difference in the field of printing. The technology made it possible to have a printing press on top of any desktop as long as it is kept adjacent to a wall socket. As much as it is loved, the inkjet printers are also hated. Most hate comes from the ridiculous prices they charge for the cartridges leaving a high price per page printed.

A black cartridge usually prints some where around 300~400 pages and costs nearly $12. A tricolour cartridge will print roughly 250 ~ 300pages (not high resolution photos). In Sri Lankan Rupee term a black copy costs roughly LKR 6.00/page and a colour copy will cost you roughly 12.00/page.

The good news is there are other options that have better economy. Especially if you print in volume. They are ink tank printers and laser printers.

Inktank Printers

The little brother of the Inkjet technology is Inktank. The technology was first developed by HP in the mid 80s. Lot of people are under the assumption that ink-tank technology is new. But in my understanding it has been less reliable and only as recent as 2015~2016 has it started to pickup stem at least in Sri Lanka.

Unlike the inkjet printer that has the print head installed in the cartridge, the ink tank printer has its own nozzle. The nozzle has tubes going out of it and connecting to the ink tanks on the side. You fill the tank using a bottle of ink and it you can print thousands of pages without refill. The refill is also very cost effective. My Epson L130 which I owned a while back could do 3000+ pages in black and 6000+ pages and the cost per page was like LKR 0.75 per page.

The downfall of the ink-tank printer is that you need to print. If you don't use the printer often you have the chance of ruining the printer head. According to the technician this is what happened to my printer twice before I disposed of it.

Thus I can only recommend an ink-tank printer only for a household that uses it often. When I men often I mean at least 100 pages a month. Otherwise you are better off with either an inkjet printer or a laser printer.

Laser Printers

The other main type of printer is the laser printer. This is the technology behind the photocopy machine. Compared to inkjet and ink-tank printers, laser printers are wicked fast. It usually takes about a third of the time to print a page versus inkjet and ink tank printers. While many in Sri Lanka believe laser printers are the cheapest option out there, actually the honour goes to ink tank printers. I know many shops that have photocopiers but haven't replaced the toner because it is expensive.

The most common laser printers you can find in the market are monochrome. How ever there are colour laser printer. How ever I don't think I can recommend a laser printer for colour. They tend to be a little bulky and in the expensive side as well but fall behind when it comes to inkjet and ink-tank when it comes to photos.

In my opinion a laser printer is an ideal tool for an individual/business that needs to print mostly text in large quantities. How ever if you do want colour and you have volume I would recommend an ink tank.

Personally I avoid laser printers. This is because of a variety of research documents that I have come across that show that laser printing emits hazardous metal nanoparticles and carcinogenic chemicals to the atmosphere when it is in operation. This is why it is recommended to be used in open spaces so that its effect will be minimal.

Conclusion

When choosing a printer pay more emphasis on the type of printer you need than the brand. A inkjet printer would suite you if you you don't print that much documents. If you print more than 100 pages a month an ink tank would be a great choice for you. If you are happy with monochrome printing and speed is of the essence then a laser printer is what you should get.