September 08, 2026
Tech Supply Shed
September 08, 2026
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Tech Supply Shed
Printer Buying Guide NZ: Inkjet vs Laser Explained
If you're choosing between an inkjet and a laser printer, the right answer comes down to what you print, how often, and whether colour photos or cheap high-volume text pages matter more to you. This guide breaks down how each type works, what they cost to run, and which one suits a home, a student setup, or a small NZ office.
What's the Difference Between Inkjet and Laser Printers?
Inkjet printers spray tiny droplets of liquid ink onto paper, which makes them well suited to colour work, photos and occasional home printing. Laser printers use a heated drum and toner powder fused onto the page, which makes them faster and cheaper per page for text-heavy, high-volume printing.
Neither type is universally "better". An inkjet that suits a household printing school projects and the odd photo can be the wrong pick for a small office churning out invoices every day, and a laser printer bought purely for occasional colour photo printing is usually overkill.
How Inkjet Printers Work
An inkjet printhead moves back and forth across the page, spraying microscopic drops of ink (typically cyan, magenta, yellow and black) to build up an image line by line. Because the ink is wet when it lands, inkjets excel at smooth colour gradients and photo-quality output, which is why most home photo printing still happens on inkjets.
The trade-off is that inkjet cartridges hold a relatively small amount of ink, and that ink can dry out in the printhead if the printer sits unused for weeks, sometimes triggering a cleaning cycle that uses up extra ink. Inkjets also tend to print more slowly than laser printers, particularly for large text documents.
How Laser Printers Work
A laser printer uses a laser to charge a rotating drum in the pattern of the page, which attracts toner powder to the charged areas. The drum then transfers that toner onto the paper, and a heated fuser melts it into place. Because there's no liquid ink to dry out, laser printers can sit idle for months and still print immediately.
Laser printers are generally faster page-per-minute, produce crisp text with sharp edges, and handle high monthly print volumes without the printhead issues that can affect an idle inkjet. Colour laser printers exist, but mono (black and white) laser is still the most common choice for text-heavy home office and business printing.
Inkjet vs Laser: Quick Comparison
| Feature | Inkjet | Laser |
|---|---|---|
| Typical upfront price | Lower for entry models | Higher for entry models |
| Best for | Colour, photos, low-volume home use | Text documents, high-volume printing |
| Print speed (text) | Slower | Faster |
| Photo and colour quality | Excellent | Good, varies by model |
| Running cost at high volume | Higher per page | Lower per page |
| Sitting idle for weeks | Can affect print quality | No real impact |
| Noise | Generally quieter | Can be louder, especially on first warm-up |
Best Uses for an Inkjet Printer
Inkjet is the better fit if you print in short bursts rather than every day, want strong photo and colour output, or are printing mainly for a household rather than a business. Entry-level all-in-one inkjets are also usually the cheapest way to add scanning and copying to a home setup.
If you print more often, a tank-style inkjet is worth the extra upfront cost. Instead of small cartridges, these models refill from larger ink bottles, which brings the cost per page down closer to laser territory while keeping inkjet-quality colour output.
Browse the full range in our Inkjet Printers collection.
Best Uses for a Laser Printer
Laser is the better fit once you're printing regularly, mostly in black and white, and want to avoid dried-out cartridges between print jobs. A single-function mono laser printer is usually the cheapest way into laser printing if you don't need scanning or copying.
For a home office that also needs to scan and copy, a mono laser all-in-one adds those functions without giving up laser's speed and running-cost advantages.
Colour laser printers, such as the Brother HLL3240CDW, sit between these two worlds: laser speed and durability with colour output, at a higher price than mono laser. See the full range in our Laser Printers collection.
Running Costs: Ink vs Toner
The sticker price on a printer is only part of the story. Inkjet cartridges are cheaper individually but hold less ink, so the cost per printed page is usually higher, especially for colour pages. Toner cartridges cost more upfront but last for thousands of pages, which is why many mono laser printers work out cheaper to run once you're printing regularly.
Page yield varies a lot between models, so it's worth checking the specific printer's rated cost-per-page or page yield before buying rather than assuming all inkjet or all laser printers cost the same to run. Some laser models on our shelves list their own cost-per-page rating directly on the product page, which is the most reliable figure for that specific machine.
Whichever type you choose, using high-yield or XL cartridges where available usually lowers the cost per page compared with standard cartridges. Browse compatible options in our Printer Ink & Toner collection, or read our Printer Ink & Toner NZ buying guide for a closer look at cartridge types and pricing.
Colour Printing and Photos
For anyone printing photos at home, inkjet remains the go-to technology, since the wet ink blends smoothly across the page for realistic colour gradients. Dedicated photo inkjets, such as the Canon PIXMA Pro-200s, are built specifically for this and can outperform a general-purpose all-in-one on photo paper.
Colour laser printers can produce good colour output for documents, presentations and marketing materials, but they generally don't match a dedicated photo inkjet for true photographic prints.
All-in-One vs Single-Function Printers
Most home and small-office buyers are better served by an all-in-one (also called multifunction) printer, which adds scanning and copying alongside printing. Single-function printers are cheaper and often more compact, which suits anyone who only needs to print and already has another way to scan documents, such as a phone app.
If you're short on desk space, check the printer's footprint before buying. Multifunction laser printers with a flatbed scanner are noticeably larger than single-function models.
Choosing the Right Printer for Your Home or Business in NZ
A few practical questions help narrow the decision:
- How many pages a month? Under a few hundred, an inkjet is usually fine. Above that, laser running costs pull ahead.
- Colour or mostly text? Frequent colour and photos favour inkjet; mostly black-and-white text favours laser.
- Wi-Fi and mobile printing? Most current models from HP, Canon and Brother support wireless and mobile printing, but check the specific model's connectivity before buying if this matters to you.
- Do you need scanning or copying? If yes, look at all-in-one models rather than single-function printers.
You can compare the full lineup, including bundles and multifunction options, in our Printers & Scanners collection.
Recycling Your Old Printer or Cartridges in NZ
Old printers and used ink or toner cartridges shouldn't go in the household rubbish bin. TechCollect NZ runs a free nationwide e-waste drop-off scheme that accepts printers, scanners and multifunction devices at participating collection points, and most printer manufacturers, including HP, Canon and Brother, also run their own cartridge take-back or recycling programmes. Check with the specific manufacturer or retailer for the options available to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an inkjet or laser printer better for home use?
It depends on how much you print. For occasional printing with colour photos, an inkjet is usually the better and cheaper option upfront. For frequent, mostly text-based printing, a laser printer typically costs less to run over time.
Why is laser toner more expensive to buy but cheaper to run?
Toner cartridges hold a larger volume of toner powder and typically print several thousand pages before needing replacement, whereas inkjet cartridges print a much smaller number of pages. That larger page yield is what brings the cost per page down, even though the upfront cartridge price is higher.
Can laser printers print in colour?
Yes. Colour laser printers use four toner cartridges (cyan, magenta, yellow and black) to produce colour documents. They're a good fit for colour reports and presentations, though a dedicated photo inkjet still produces better results for true photographic prints.
How long do inkjet cartridges last if I don't print often?
This varies by model and how the printer stores ink, so check the specific manufacturer's guidance for your printer. As a general rule, printing something small at least every week or two helps prevent the printhead nozzles from drying out or clogging on inkjet printers that sit idle for long stretches.
Do I need an all-in-one printer or a single-function model?
If you need to scan or copy documents and don't already have another way to do that, an all-in-one is the more convenient choice. If you only need to print, a single-function printer is usually cheaper and takes up less desk space.
The Bottom Line
Choose inkjet if you print occasionally, want the best photo and colour quality, or are buying for light household use. Choose laser if you print regularly, mostly in black and white, and want lower running costs and no dried-out cartridges between jobs. Whichever direction you're leaning, check the specific model's rated page yield and running cost before you buy, since this varies more than the inkjet-versus-laser split alone.
Ready to compare models side by side? Shop the full range in our Printers & Scanners collection.
