Finding a new printer is hard enough with all of the choices around nowadays but before you pick a specific one, you'll need to work out what you want to use your printer for - photographs or text, or both? And also what kind of environment you'll be using it in - office or personal use? These are huge factors in the type of printer you decide on. Printers come in two specific types - inkjet printers and laser toner printers - the former produces better quality digital images whereas the latter is quicker and more efficient at printing text. Below are the advantages and disadvantages of both inkjet and laser toner printers - hopefully these will help you decipher which printer will be best for you. Laser toner printers Laser printers are better suited to larger office environments mainly because they speedy, precise and relatively cheap to maintain. They use toner cartridges that contain a powder in them, which is also found in photocopiers. This powder allows the printer to print precisely and quickly - just like a photocopier. Laser printers use complex technology, and the toner contains a special wax that melts and dries in seconds. The resolution is so much higher with this type of printer than with inkjet but you pay the price in the cost of it. However, toner cartridges last a long time and produce a high-volume of print-outs making them quite economical in the long run. The resolution of a laser printer is measured in dots per inch (DPI) and this is the amount of dots it can print per line inch. The more dots that can be printed per inch, the higher the resolution of the printer and the better the print quality. Most laser printers span between 600 to 1200 DPI but some high-end ones can reach up to 2400 DPI - larger offices may opt for a high-end printer for better and higher quality printing results. Buying laser printer cartridges can be expensive and that's why some people opt for third-party remanufactured cartridges - not only are these cost-effective but they are also better for the environment as they use old, recycled parts to make brand new ones. The quality of third-party toner cartridges is often disputed but this depends solely on the brand you choose - studies have proven third-party cartridges are just as good, if not better, than the major printer brand cartridges. Inkjet printers Inkjet printers spray tiny droplets of ink onto paper, which is a different process to laser printers and therefore the resolution isn't as high. Inkjet printers are a lot cheaper than laser printers so are recommended for low cost image printing at home. Inkjets are best for printing colour and photo-quality images - quite the opposite to laser printers. Although the printer is cheap, inkjet cartridges can be quite pricey, and you won't get as many print-outs as that of a laser printer. However, as mentioned earlier, you can opt for cartridges refills to reduce your printing costs.