The average person using Ink and toner interchangeably or even together like ink, without even realizing that the two are quite different. At a generic level, Ink cartridges run on inkjet printers and contain a liquid, while Toner cartridges run on laser printers and contain a powder. But it goes a bit further than that too, especially when you factor in the costs between these two.
Ink Cartridge
These cartridges are built with a sponge base on whichever colors are necessary to hold all the liquid ink found in them. They are solely used for inkjet printers, which are the most common type of printers found in a person’s home due to the cheap costs of both the printer and cartridges. Most ink cartridges run around 10-30 dollars each and last for around 200-1000 pages. They are always split into a color cartridge and then a black cartridge, however the color is able to print black. Ink cartridges also run off the use of a print head to deposit the ink in the appropriate places on the page.
Most ink cartridges contain a method of an electronic chip communicating with the printer, many times to inform the printer when the ink is getting low. If you want to resort to refilling any ink cartridges, instead of buying new ones just be aware that they can be a nuisance to refill, but not nearly as frustrating as toner.
Ink cartridges are further broken down into two types: dye-based and pigment-based. Dye-based ink focuses on literally dying the paper’s fibers to produce vibrant colors. They are a better choice for printing photography, but also run the higher risk of being diluted from sunlight or smears. Pigment-based ink sits on top of paper as small particles, which won’t fade as much or smear but will produce a duller tone and colors.
Toner Cartridge
As for the toner, these come in many of the same looking plastic containers as ink, but the toner powder is filled to a fuller and finer degree. Because it is an electrically charged dry powder the toner is then burned onto the paper to produce the various colors you look for. The process causes it to bind to the paper, which is why it is generally less likely to smear. Of course the whole process occurs because of a laser, which is where laser printers come from.
The major difference with toner cartridges, is that many of them will actually include the printer drum with them, which can make the cartridges very expensive to replace. The average laser cartridge usually runs for 20-200 dollars, but each cartridge also usually lasts for a few thousand pages, with some even reaching around 10,000 pages before they burn out. Unfortunately, sometimes it ends up being more cost effective to buy an entirely new printer than grab a new cartridge.
Worst of all, it is definitely not suggested to refill your toner with refill kits, dealing with all the powder getting everywhere is a frequent occurrence and it is best left to professionals. Add to this the fact that many of the toner cartridges split their colors up with a different container for each, making the cartridge packs a bit larger and forcing you to buy multiples of them at the same time.
Luckily, for the price, you also get some bonuses when it comes to toner. Not only is it less likely to smear, but toner prints much faster than any ink and more efficiently, plus it often provides a better looking quality. This is likely the reason why companies are more likely to run the large toner printers and also the reason why they are not quite as common in a home.
Whether you need ink or toner, you can save quite a bit of money by buying your ink online and using a coupon. You can save up to 75% when compared to shopping at your local store.
Author
Brian Prowse is a writer and self-proclaimed tech geek. When he’s not writing or playing around with the coolest gadgets on the market, Brian enjoys traveling and graphic design.