When it comes to printing, the words “ink” and “toner” are often used interchangeably in both professional and private settings. However, these terms refer to two very different resources, with ink being used in conventional printers and toner cartridges being used in laser printers. To understand what makes toner unique and how it can be preferable for some applications, have a look at the information below.

How Does Toner Work?

Unlike ink, which is a mixture of dyes suspended in water or an oil-based solvent, toner is a powder of finely ground plastic and pigment which can be used to create images and text with far greater precision. The toner printing process starts with a laser beaming the image to be reproduced onto a metal cylinder called a drum. A charge of static electricity transfers the desired color from a toner cartridge from the drum onto paper. Finally, the paper is heated, melting the plastic in the toner to help the pigment adhere, thus creating a sharp, clear, color-fast image.

While laser printers can be used to reproduce images in a full range of colors, they’re most often used to produce black-and-white images such as printed documents. This is because inkjet processes such as giclée are often preferred for colored images, while black-and-white toner is more precise and economical for everyday use.

What Benefits Does Toner Offer?

The leading advantage of toner printing is its greater cost-effectiveness when used in high-volume printing applications, such as for administrative or clerical uses. Because it won’t dry out over time and unused toner can be recycled, toner cartridges and laser printers often last longer than inkjet printers.

Toner printing is also usually faster than inkjet printing, since many laser printers are equipped with high-capacity paper trays and preselected images or documents can be projected onto the drum once and reproduced almost indefinitely. Similarly, the greater precision offered by toner prevents smudging, fading, and bleeding when printing out large reams of multiple documents.

Whether you’re interested in printing for your business or for private use, you can turn to Alpha Laser Richmond Corp. to satisfy all your printing needs. Located in Staten Island, NY, this dedicated printer repair shop and supplier has served customers since 1993. They offer printer maintenance and repair services backed by decades of experience as well as remanufacture toner cartridges to help you cut costs for economical printing. Call (718) 317-1263 to discuss your printing needs, and visit their website for more information.