Toner vs ink: What’s the difference?

In this blog, we’ll break down the toner-ink debate, exploring each option’s unique advantages and potential drawbacks to help you decide which one is right for your specific needs.

What is printer toner?

What is toner for a printer? Well, it’s a fine, dry powder made up of polyester particles and is used specifically for laser printers. In these types of printers, a laser creates an electrostatic image on a charged metal drum. The toner adheres to the drum’s laser-charged areas and is then transferred and rapidly fused onto paper, drying incredibly quickly to produce the final print.

What are ink cartridges?

Ink cartridges are integral to inkjet printers. They typically contain a pool of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black liquid ink, which they can mix and use to build up any colour. To produce your final print, inkjet printers use tiny nozzles to spray microscopic droplets of ink directly from the cartridge onto the paper.

The toner and ink difference

Now that you know what toner in a printer is, as well as its ink counterpart – what are their key distinctions? Both options offer unique advantages, and the choice between them depends on your specific needs and preferences. Let’s take a look.

Cost efficiency

Initially, ink cartridges present a lower upfront cost compared to toner cartridges. But, to evaluate cost-effectiveness, it's also essential to consider the total cost of ownership (TCO). Toner cartridges typically offer a lower cost per page over time due to their higher yield and longer lifespan. Plus, unlike ink, toner doesn't dry out, which may contribute to lower long-term costs - especially in high-volume printing environments.

Print speed

While for most home or small office users, ink printers offer sufficient speed for everyday tasks, toner ultimately takes the cake. Because of their excellent precision, toner-based laser printers generally boast much faster printing times, especially for text-heavy documents.

Print capacity

Toner cartridges have a significantly higher print capacity compared to ink cartridges, making toner-based systems particularly suitable for high-volume printing needs. What’s more, laser printers feature larger paper input capacities, reducing the frequency of paper replenishment for extra efficiency.

Print quality

Both ink and toner can produce high-quality prints, but they excel in different areas. Ink printers generally produce superior results for photographs and colour-rich graphics. They offer excellent colour accuracy and can print on a wide variety of paper types, including glossy photo paper. However, toner-based systems can generate sharper text, making them ideal for text-heavy documents and smaller fonts.

Choosing the right option for you

To work out whether toner or ink is the best choice for you, it’s important to assess a range of factors. This might include your:

Printing habits: If you primarily print photos or colour documents, an ink printer might be your best bet. But, for high-volume printing or primarily text-based documents, a toner-based system could be more efficient.

Budget: Remember to consider both short-term and long-term costs. Ink cartridges are generally cheaper on initial purchase, but toner is more cost-effective for high-volume printing over time. Factor in replacement cartridge costs and how often you'll need to change them.

For home/home office use, an ink or toner cartridge subscription can reduce the cost of your supplies by up to 76%, while business customers can explore the cost reduction offered by a managed print service.

Speed requirements: If you frequently need to print large documents quickly, a toner-based laser printer might be the way to go. But, for everyday home use, this speed difference is probably less critical.

Quality needed: For vibrant photos and graphics, ink typically performs better. But if your core requirement is crisp, professional-looking text documents, toner is the superior choice.

Why choose Brother?

Whether you decide ink or toner is the one for you, Brother is “At your side” to provide the highest-quality consumables to meet your printing needs.

Our free returns scheme means that every genuine Brother ink and toner cartridge that we receive is remanufactured or recycled for reuse. All this means our supplies are guaranteed to be reliable, safe, and sustainable.

Explore Brother ink and toner.