Laser printers are undoubtedly the workhorses of the business world. With their long life spans, higher speed outputs, and less need for refilling, they have outpaced inkjet printers. However, LED printers are a category of printer also differentiated from the ubiquitous inkjet, but less widely known. Both laser printers and LED printers can print documents in both black and white and in color and can handle crisp text and color graphics. So what is the defining difference between the two and which is best for your business application?
Laser Printers vs. LED Printers
Choosing a printer for your business can be a daunting task. Not only are there many types of printers — inkjets, wide format, production, inkless, laser, and LED — but there are also a wide range of models and brands to consider. In this article, we compare two very similar print technologies — laser and LED — to help you determine the best choice for your business applications.
What is an LED Printer?
A light emitting diode (LED) printer was created by Oki Electric Industry as early as 1981, and a commercial prototype was ready for sale by 1986. Future models saw more improvements in terms of resolution and speed. An LED printer produces images on a page by melting plastic-based toner over printing paper using a source of light for heat as the paper rotates on a drum. In LED printers, this source of light comes from light emitting diodes. This LED array is able to highlight the entire rotating drum at one time, so it requires fewer moving parts than a laser printer.
While LED printers have the ability to be faster than their laser counterparts, they are typically only available in cheaper models.
What is a Laser Printer?
A laser printer produces images by melting toner onto paper using a rotating drum that attracts the toner using static electricity. As the printer pulls the paper, a negative charge builds up on the paper and pulls the toner off the drum. The paper is pressed between rollers that are heated to melt the toner, and of course, lasers are used as the light source of the heat.
Since laser printers don’t use ink, there are less issues with image and text smearing and pages can be printed faster. Laser printers are also known for being able to produce a high volume of output rapidly, which is great for businesses that must print a lot of text-heavy documentation.
Laser Printers or LED Printers — Which Should You Choose?
Basically, both types of printers use similar technology — melting plastic toner to create a printed image or text. They simply use different sources for the light/heat that melts the toner. While LED printers are purported to be faster and have fewer moving parts that can break, the laser printer market is much more robust.
Laser printer technology has been around longer, and laser printer models offer more choice and variability — allowing you to more accurately find a printer that fits your specific business needs and budget. More importantly, since laser printers have such a long history, there is much more support for troubleshooting and repairs. Laser printers are known to last a long time, so even though they might be at a higher price point initially, they will provide a strong return on investment.
Doing Better Business Has the Right Laser Printer for Your Needs
Laser printers are office powerhouses that have stood the test of time. Many businesses, especially those that must print lots of documents — fast — rely on laser printers for reliable, professional output.
At Doing Better Business, we offer our clients the latest laser printer technologies to make printing even easier — and more productive. We partner with leaders in the print and imaging field like Ricoh, HP, Canon, Toshiba, and Sharp to bring you a variety of choices that can fit any application — and budget. More importantly, our team of print experts can help you make the right choice, and ensure you stay up and running with continued troubleshooting and support.
Find the right laser printer for your needs. Contact a representative from Doing Better Business and learn how our suite of printers with state-of-the-art laser technology can transform your print environment.