The difference between a laser printer and an LED printer

Many people compare laser and LED models during the purchasing process. And rightly so, because these printers have many differences.

Features of LED Printer

This type of printer began to be used in 1987, when the first model went on sale. But then the device was not of good quality, was expensive and could only print black and white text. But affordable and colored ones appeared about 10 years later. But still the quality of the models was poor.

The printer did not prove to be a good device, since users themselves made mistakes during use. Some used the device too often and actively, and some dripped low-quality paint. But in the 90s, these devices were very popular, the reason was their affordable price. In modern times, printers have become more expensive, but the quality has improved several times.

Features of the laser device

This printer appeared a little later. They are of better quality, but lose in terms of printing color images. The thing is that a laser is used as a heating element. It heats the material and it is stored on paper. Such a printer did not cause problems associated with speed and active use (they were less likely to fail when operating conditions were violated), but also required high-quality materials.The price for such devices was higher than for LED ones, so people preferred the latter.

Laser and LED printer: differences

The operation scheme is the same for both types of devices. But if you compare the differences, you should pay attention to the printing roller, which secures the toner to the paper. Laser uses a laser. It works through mirrors. And the second one uses LEDs. They cover the entire length of the shaft, so there is no need for mirrors.

The first devices are compact, since the lighting system, which occupies most of the space in the device, is small. Laser ones take up more space. But this factor only applies if color models are compared. If black and white are used, the sizes of the devices will be almost identical.

The next difference between the devices is in the method of forming an image on paper. LED devices have no moving parts, so the mechanism of the device is simpler. Therefore, modern LEDs are less likely to fail (the simpler the design of the mechanisms, the less often they break, and the easier it is to repair them). But a long service life can only be ensured if you choose a high-quality toner. LEDs need to be repaired and diagnosed less frequently, and their prices are more affordable.

But they have a drawback - the brightness of the glow varies greatly. The percentage can reach 30. But the quality of the lamp plays a key role here. The brightness of the glow is a parameter on which the quality of printing depends. And very often low-quality LEDs are installed inside, which is why the quality of these devices is inferior to the second. To correct deviations, we created a special system for saving parameters.With lasers everything is simple, because there is only one light source. But with LEDs everything is more complicated; the number of lamps can exceed several thousand.

Reference! If you compare printers, another difference appears - printing speed. For laser printers it is almost twice as large. But here everything depends on the price. High-quality LED models are not inferior in speed to the second. But if the printer is used at home, speed becomes less important.

Which printer is better

To determine which device is better, you should compare their advantages and disadvantages:

1. The LED device is compact. The reason is that it has fewer key elements. The latter take up more space.
2. Thanks to its simple design, the service life of the former is several times longer than that of a laser.
3. Thanks to the change in brightness, the quality of color images is higher than when using a laser.
4. The LED does not emit ozone during operation.
5. Laser ones make more noise.
6. When a laser printer runs out of ink, you only need to refill the cartridge. For the latter, you have to buy a new part.
7. There is a large selection of laser and small LED printers on the market.

When choosing, it is important to know that budget laser printer models provide high-quality images, which cannot be said about LED printers. You need to choose a model based on your personal preferences and goals.