24th Apr 2019

What Is The Difference Between Ink and Toner Cartridges?

Running a printer is no rocket science but there are some things that one must understand about the printer and its supplies or else may end up burning a hole in your pocket. One among which is knowing the difference between ink and toner.

How are ink and toner cartridges different?

How are ink and toner cartridges different? - Houseofinks

Although the purpose of both ink and toner cartridges are the same i.e. to be used for home and business printing, it's their functionality that makes them different from one another. Hence, while making a purchase don't forget to run a check on its compatibility with the machine cause the interchange will spoil your printing.       

What exactly are the differences between ink and toner cartridges?

What exactly are the differences between ink and toner cartridges? - Houseofinks

  • Ink cartridges contain any colored liquid and are used by inkjet printers while toner cartridges contain powder and are used by laser printers.
  • Laser printers do not simply press toner directly onto the paper, instead, the laser in it forms an electrostatic image template on an electrically charged turning metal drum. The cartridge then sprays the toner onto the drum but doesn't just spread everywhere. It only sticks on areas where the laser changes the drum’s electrical charge. Whereas in inkjet printers the liquid ink is locked in an airtight foil compartment which is then squirted through microscopic ink nozzles in the print head of an inkjet printer. As the print head moves across the paper, the nozzles create the image with droplets of ink.
  • Toner cartridges may sound expensive to purchase at first but are more cost-effective as they last longer than ink cartridges which although are small and easy to replace and refill, are prone to clogging and need frequent replacement and are also tend to dry out fast.
  • Laser printers prefer toner cartridges for the business purposes where speed is important compared to a spray of ink because the electromagnetic process that takes place inside a laser printer is precise and so perfect that it makes bulk printing quick and efficient.
  • In terms of quality, toner seems to be a winner because the price and precision of applying ink in little pixels in the inkjet printer can’t match the precise skill of the laser. Additionally, in most cases, pages printed in ink are more likely to smudge if they get wet while the toner keeps it intact.
  • Inkjet cartridges often have less paper capacity, which means more time is spent refilling the paper while in laser you can get your job done in fewer pages.

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Now that you got the clear difference between toner and ink, deciding which one to buy still depends upon your needs and budget which is why some opt for remanufactured ink or toner cartridges which are the original branded cartridge that has been professionally cleaned, refilled with similar quality ink, and then tested to make sure you get the same print quality as the original cartridge but in a cost-effective way.