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Ready to Buy the Right Laser Printer for You?
We trust that our list of the best lasers we've tested, plus this guide's advice, will make your choice easier. Laser printers have much to offer businesses of all sizes, from sole proprietorships to large corporations. They are worth considering, for some folks, for home use as well.
We update these picks often, but also check out our printer category page for the very latest reviews we've posted, including many models that didn't make the cut here but are also worth considering. And for more printer buying advice and reviews, check out our top printer picks overall, the best inkjet printers, and our picks for best all-in-one printers.
Do PCL and PostScript Matter in a Laser Printer?
Do you need HP's PCL or Adobe's PostScript? Support for one or both of these two page-description languages (PDLs) is critical for those who need it, but otherwise irrelevant. PCL was once standard for business users, and is still required in some cases, but is not usually needed. PostScript can be essential for pre-proofing commercial print jobs, particularly in concert with desktop-publishing applications that won't work without it. It also guarantees that when printing a document, page breaks and line breaks will be the same when printing on any PostScript printer, and also the same as you saw on screen, assuming the program was set to use a PostScript driver. (Converting it to PDF format serves the same purpose.)
Generally speaking, if you're in a position to buy a printer for your business, you should already know if you need one or the other of these PDLs. If you don't need them, you can often find an identical or similar model for less from the same manufacturer, minus only the PCL or PostScript support. Don't pay extra for it if you don't need it.
LED Versus Laser Print Technology: What's the Difference, and Does It Matter?
LED printers are laser printers' fraternal twins. Both are electrophotographic printers, which means they print by using light to draw images to be printed on photoelectric material, which attracts particles of toner to be transferred to paper. The only difference is the light source: LED or laser. LED models tend to be somewhat smaller than directly comparable laser printers, which makes them particularly suitable where space is at a premium. But for purposes of comparison, they are essentially variations on a theme, a distinction with little to no real-world difference.
Key printer players that offer LED-based models (as well as laser ones) include Brother and Xerox.
I'm not all that knowledgeable about printers, so forgive my foolishness in advance. I live in Australia, Melbourne. I am looking to purchase a new printer based on a few factors. These include:
-Black and white printing (color not necessary).
-Reliable brand.
-Should have warranty.
-The cost of cartridge shouldn't be extremely pricey (from what I'm aware, some printers sell for cheap, but REALLY jack up the cartridge prices), assuming these are still being used.
-Having a scanner would be a plus, though this is a fairly flexible part of things, and a drastically cheaper option without a scanner may be a better choice.
-Should work with both mac and windows.
I don't need something with tons of incredible features, or extremely fast printing (slow is totally fine), or whatever. I primarily need something that will work when I need it to, won't jam frequently, won't constantly ask to have something replaced when I've already replaced it, and something where it won't dry out because I haven't used it in a while. Budget items are fine and all, but I certainly don't want to buy something that'll start crapping out on me and continually have issues after a few months. I guess I'm looking for the AK-47 of printers, if that makes sense.
I suppose that having a direct USB connect would be a minor bonus to avoid potential connection issues, but that's a very minor point.
If anyone has any suggestions, I'd appreciate hearing them.
Thank you.
I was recommended “brother” printers. Does anyone have a recommendation for a cheap simple monochrome laser printer? (Preferably with Wi-Fi connectivity) (Made for home use, which means it may sit for weeks not used and then used for 50 pages in one time)
Thanks!!!!!
I’ve been pushing Brother for several years now. They make great printers and they provide drivers for far more platforms that others do. Way easier to get them setup on a Terminal Server for example without some 600MB driver package from someone like HP.
Just check the monthly print volume, that one is rated for up to 5,000 pages. If you need more printing you may need to a higher end product.
@Brother_Business_Solutions
Okay HP ticks me off with their shenanigans. Dell printer we’ve had for 6 years is falling apart. Anyone out there able to recommend a good network printer that handles envelopes and has dual trays? I’m debating going with a brother HL-6180DWT but I’d love some nerd reviews.
@HP