What is the Difference Between Ink and Toner Cartridges? – Sewing Machines Los Angeles

With most homes and nearly all businesses now having computers and computer accessories, there are many choices of what is needed to make the system run more efficiently. One option that computer users have is either ink or toner cartridges for their particular printer. The following outlines the differences between ink and toner cartridges.

Ink Cartridges

Printing with ink is much like writing with a pen on paper. A printer ink cartridge contains liquid ink and he printer uses pressure to apply the ink to the paper. Ink cartridges disperses ink through holes in the cartridge Ink cartridges have one or more divided ink wells. Some companies place electronic contacts and a chip that communicates with the printer. The ink is sometimes oil based, but most of the time it is water-based.

Many people prefer inkjets because the cost is reasonable. As well, many like the quality of the printed material, the amount of documents and images that can be printed before the ink runs out, and the efficiency of inkjets. They like the quality of colored images when they are printed and one page printed with an ink cartridge can cost about 5 and 10 cents. It is also very user-friendly. An ink cartridge is a replaceable, ink jet cartridges are compact products that can usually fit in the palm of your hand.

Toner Cartridges

Toner is a fine and dry carbon-based powder mixed with a polymer that is applied to the paper. The consistency of the powder is much like dust. A laser is used to “burn” the toner into the paper. The heat of the fuser melts the particles of toner which causes them to attach to the paper. The powder used in laser printers creates the text and images on the paper. Toner sticks to the paper in a particular pattern as the result of static electricity.

Toner composition varies according to the manufacturer. Particle size affects the resolution. For instance, the smaller the toner particles, the better the resolution. As well, toner particles with more uniform sizes and shapes results in better color of the image being printed. Empty toner cartridges are normally refilled by the vendor. Quality, long printing life, speed, and efficiency of laser-imaged applications are a big reason why people choose toner cartridges. Toner cartridges are quite large, hold a substantial amount of toner, and can usually print at least 5,000 pages. The toner cartridge is more expensive than an in jet cartridge but it has a much longer printing life. If you print a lot of documents, toner cartridges are a better choice.

When you go to purchase a new printer depends on your own personal needs. It comes down to either an ink let printer or laser printer. Ink jet printers use ink jet cartridges, and laser printers use toner cartridges. They’re very different, and knowing a little more about both types might make choosing a printer easier. Generic versions of both types of cartridges are widely available, and they can greatly reduce printing costs.

The choice is basically up to you so weigh thee pros and cons of each before purchasing.