How Laser Printers Work

So why get a laser printer rather than a cheaper inkjet printer? The main advantages of laser printers are speed, precision and economy. A laser can move very quickly, so it can "write" with much greater speed than an ink jet. And because the laser beam has an unvarying diameter, it can draw more precisely, without spilling any excess ink.

Laser printers tend to be more expensive than inkjet printers, but it doesn't cost as much to keep them running -- toner powder is cheap and lasts a long time, while you can use up expensive ink cartridges very quickly. This is why offices typically use a laser printer as their "work horse," their machine for printing long text documents. In most models, this mechanical efficiency is complemented by advanced processing efficiency. A typical laser-printer controller can serve everybody in a small office.

When they were first introduced, laser printers were too expensive to use as a personal printer. Since that time, however, laser printers have gotten much more affordable. Now you can pick up a basic model for just a little bit more than a nice inkjet printer.

As technology advances, laser-printer prices should continue to drop, while performance improves. We'll also see a number of innovative design variations, and possibly brand-new applications of electrostatic printing. Many inventors believe we've only scratched the surface of what we can do with simple static electricity!

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