Types of Printers | Printerland

Take a look at the guide below to learn about the advantages and disadvantages of the different types of printers on the market, from laser printers to inkjet and everything in between.

Click on a type of printer below to jump straight to the right section.

office laser printer

Office Printers

Laser Printers

The laser printer was developed by Xerox in the 1960s when the idea of using a laser to draw images onto a copier drum was first considered. Laser printers are still widely used in large offices as they are traditionally more efficient than inkjet printers.

Advantages:
● More cost effective than inkjet printers
● Increases productivity
● High print speed
● Higher paper capacity
● Often expandable with Paper Trays, finishers etc.
● Grows with your business

Disadvantages:
● May require short ‘warm-up times’
● Larger footprint
● High voltage usage leads to small carbon emissions

We recommend: Xerox B225 A4 Mono Multifunction Laser Printer

This is the ideal office printer as it offers a practical all-in-one print solution in a quiet and compact package. It boasts print/scan/copy functionality combined with performance features including 34ppm mono print speeds and a first page print speed as fast as 6.4 seconds, the B225 delivers performance when you need it most.

With USB, Network, Wireless and Wi-Fi Direct as standard and compatibility with mobile print apps including Apple AirPrint and Mopria Alliance, the Xerox B225 is perfectly suited for a busy office.

Solid Ink Printers

Solid ink printers utilise a unique form of ink technology, designed to save space and money on packaging. The printers melt solid ink sticks during the printing process – a method that can help produce more vibrant tones.

Advantages:
● Environmentally-friendly
● Produces vibrant tones
● Made from non-toxic vegetable oils
● Compact design
● Consumables require less storage

Disadvantages:
● Requires warm-up and cool-down time
● Prints cannot be laminated

LED Printers

LED printers are similar to laser printers but use a light emitting diode rather than a laser to create images on the print drum or belt. Due to their fewer moving parts – LED printers are often considered more efficient and reliable than laser printers. Our most popular LED printers are produced by OKI.

Advantages:
● Reliable and efficient
● Cheaper to manufacture than laser printers
● Often include free warranty extensions

Disadvantages:
● None

We recommend: Xerox VersaLink C7000dn A3 Colour LED Laser Printer

Designed from the inside out to be a reliable and consistently high-quality machine, the Xerox Versalink uses fewer parts while utilising a superior paper pathing system. It packs immense production quality, with up to 1200 x 2400 dpi per page and up to 35 pages per minute, in both colour and black and white.

Everyone that needs to access your printer can use the Simple ID system to access and manage their printer jobs on their own personalised home screen. Whether your workers are in the office, off-site or even on mobile, the Versalink C7000dn is accessible with Apple AirPrint, Mopria, Xerox Print, Service Plug-in for Android and many more, as well as Wi-Fi connectivity.

Business Inkjet Printers

Utilising inkjet technology on a large scale to accommodate the needs of a busy office with heavy reliance on printed output, inkjet printers are enduringly popular due to their reliability and robust nature.

Advantages:
● Capable of producing highly detailed and photo-realistic prints
● Limited warm-up time required
● Small footprint

Disadvantages:
● Higher cost-per-page than most laser printers
● Wet prints
● Can be less reliable than laser printers

We recommend: Epson WorkForce Pro WF-6090DW

The Epson WorkForce Pro helps you to get more out of your working day. With high-speed prints and large ink/paper capacity, you’ll have fewer print queues and less downtime when consumables need to be reloaded, resulting in greater productivity for your office.

No matter where you are working, your Epson WorkForce Pro is only a few clicks away. And, if security is a concern with many devices in your fleet, the Epson Device Admin makes managing your fleet of devices a breeze, giving your peace of mind when it comes to your security.

home office inkjet printer

Home Office Printers

Inkjet

Inkjet printers are one of the most common types of printers used in both professional and domestic settings. Developed in the 1950s, inkjet printing technology is still hugely popular today due to its numerous advantages and minimal drawbacks.

Advantages:
● Capable of producing photo-realistic prints
● Practically no warm-up time
● Small footprint

Disadvantages:
● High running costs (Cost per page)
● Slow print speeds
● Sometimes produce erroneous empty cartridge warnings
● Prone to clogging
● Wet prints

We recommend: Epson EcoTank ET-2711 A4 Colour Multifunction Inkjet

This is the perfect addition to your home office, with its compact and sleek exterior. Flawless results are guaranteed every time and produced efficiently so you can carry on with other tasks. The EcoTank is also designed with ink efficiency in mind, utilising the most advanced technology to make refilling simple.

For colour printing, the EcoTank guarantees vivid, full colour prints without streaks. This machine is capable of printing a maximum of 15 pages per minute in colour, and 33 pages per minute in monoprint.

Low-Cost Inkjet Printers

Combining the high-quality print capabilities of inkjet technology with lower cost-per page functionality: low cost inkjet printers are well-suited to professional and domestic users working on a budget.

Advantages:
● Lower cost-per-page production
● Quick warm-up time
● Capable of producing fine, smooth, photo-realistic prints

Disadvantages:
● Potentially wet prints

multifunction printer

Multifunction

Sometimes known as all-in-one printers, multifunction printers are often capable of performing printing, copying, scanning, and faxing tasks. This can simplify the completion of multiple tasks within an office or domestic environment, with no need for more than one unit.

Advantages:
● More cost efficient than buying multiple devices
● More compact than buying multiple devices
● Perform numerous tasks simultaneously
● More power efficient than the implementation of numerous devices

Disadvantages:
● Can restrict usage time available for larger workgroups.

We recommend: Epson EcoTank ET-2750 A4 Colour Multifunction Inkjet

This cartridge-free Epson EcoTank ET-2750 comes with enough ink to last a busy household up to three years. With the durability and reliability to suit any family’s printer needs, it has been designed to be easy-to-use and faff-free.

This is perfect for students wanting to print out images, or parents printing pictures or work-from-home documents. It can print, scan, copy and automatically double-sided print, ideal for all your needs. This new design optimises space and accessibility with an ink tank that has been relocated to the front.

All-in-One Inkjets

Combining the technology of inkjet printing with the functionality of a multifunction printer: all-in-one inkjet printers are capable of providing full service to a busy office environment whilst retaining the high-quality prints that inkjet is known for.

Advantages:
● High quality printed output
● Cost efficient and compact alternative to buying numerous machines
● Power efficient

Disadvantages:
● Wet prints
● High running costs

dot matrix printer

Dot Matrix

Dot matrix printers are the oldest established type of printers still available on the market. Images and text are drawn out in tiny dots when a print head strikes an ink-soaked cloth against the paper in the required pattern or formation.

Advantages:
● Low initial unit costs
● Low running costs
● Low maintenance costs
● Able to perform in hot and dirty conditions

Disadvantages:
● Low resolution printed output
● Noisy

We recommend: OKI ML280eco

This is a reliable and high-quality dot matrix printer, perfect for front and back office applications including logs, labels and multi-part forms. The ML28 Eco has an impressive MTBF of 20,000 power-on hours which allows you to benefit from high productivity with minimal oversight. Fast speeds and long life components make the OKI ML280 Eco the ideal blend of performance and durability.

printing on a3 printer

A3

Capable of printing on A3 sheets, A3 printers are well-suited to business and domestic settings which require larger scale prints. A3 printers often have options to produce other sized prints and have numerous input trays, simplifying the process. They’re also available with both laser and inkjet technology.

Advantages:
● Larger print size
● Wider range of options
● Allows you to bring outsource print-runs back in-house

Disadvantages:
● Higher initial cost
● Larger footprint

We recommend: HP OfficeJet Pro 7740 A3 Colour Multifunction Inkjet

The OfficeJet is an A3 printer using innovative technology to speed up the printing process. This enables full-colour printing at speeds of up to 18 ppm, and monochrome printing up to 34 ppm. When combined with the first page out speeds as fast as 10 seconds for colour and 9 seconds for monochrome, the OfficeJet Pro 7740 is one of the fastest printers in its class.

It also uses advanced HP ink which produces rich colours and deep black text on a variety of paper types to guarantee professional-quality printing from a small inkjet printer. HP inks are also resistant to water, smudging and fading so they are suitable for a variety of print jobs, including posters, legal documents, sales brochures and standard letters.

3d printer

3D

One of the most exciting developments in printing technology history, 3D printing is becoming more affordable for professional and domestic users. Modern 3D printers are capable of producing 3D objects and items using high quality resin.

Advantages:
● 3D prints
● Limitless possibilities
● Capacity for full customisation

Disadvantages:
● High initial costs
● High resin costs
● Still developing technology

For a full range of printers and consumables, browse our products today or call our dedicated team on 0800 840 1992 for more help.