An older technology than inkjet, laser printers are another popular
alternative to legacy impact printing. Laser printers are known for
their high volume output and low cost-per-page. Laser printers are often
deployed in enterprises as a workgroup or departmental print center,
where performance, durability, and output requirements are a
priority. Because laser printers service these needs so readily (and at
a reasonable cost-per-page), the technology is widely regarded as the
workhorse of enterprise printing.
Laser printers share much of the same technologies as
photocopiers. Rollers pull a sheet of paper from a paper tray and
through a charge roller, which gives the paper an
electrostatic charge. At the same time, a printing drum is given the
opposite charge. The surface of the drum is then scanned by a laser,
discharging the drum's surface and leaving only those points
corresponding to the desired text and image with a charge. This charge
is then used to force toner to adhere to the drum's surface.
The paper and drum are then brought into contact; their differing
charges cause the toner to then adhere to the paper. Finally, the paper
travels between fusing rollers, which heat the
paper and melt the toner, fusing it onto the paper's surface.
Color laser printers aim to combine the best features of laser and
inkjet technology into a multi-purpose printer package. The technology
is based on traditional monochrome laser printing, but uses additional
components to create color images and documents. Instead of using
black toner only, color laser printers use a CMYK toner
combination. The print drum either rotates each color and lays the
toner down one color at a time, or lays all four colors down onto a
plate and then passes the paper through the drum, transferring the
complete image onto the paper. Color laser printers also employ
fuser oil along with the heated fusing rolls,
which further bonds the color toner to the paper and can give varying
degrees of gloss to the finished image.
Because of their increased features, color laser printers are
typically twice (or several times) as expensive as monochrome laser
printers. In calculating the total cost of ownership with respect to
printing resources, some administrators may wish to separate
monochrome (text) and color (image) functionality to a dedicated
monochrome laser printer and a dedicated color laser (or inkjet)
printer, respectively.
Depending on the type of laser printer deployed, consumable costs
are usually proportional to the volume of printing. Toner comes in
cartridges that are usually replaced outright; however, some models
come with refillable cartridges. Color laser printers require one
toner cartridge for each of the four colors. Additionally, color laser
printers require fuser oils to bond toner onto paper and waste toner
bottles to capture toner spillover. These added supplies raise the
consumables cost of color laser printers; however, it is worth noting
that such consumables, on average, last about 6000 pages, which is
much greater than comparable inkjet or impact consumable lifespans.
Paper type is less of an issue in laser printers, which means bulk
purchases of regular xerographic or photocopy paper are acceptable for
most print jobs. However, if you plan to print high-quality images,
you should opt for glossy paper for a professional finish.
