The difference is what’s used to apply content to paper. Laser printers use toner powder, which makes them more expensive and bulkier but longer-lasting for office settings. Inkjet printers use ink and dye, and while they will run out faster than toner, they make for a more affordable, compact package that works best for printing at home and in other less demanding settings.

For everyday printing, store-brand 20-pound weight paper will usually serve nicely. However, you'll often get better looking output if you step up to a higher-quality paper. For lasers, as well as for inkjet text and graphic printing, that means a heavier weight, and possibly a brighter white level. For photos on inkjets, it means getting matte presentation paper or photo paper. Getting photo or matte paper that's the same brand as your printer will usually be the best choice; printer manufacturers design ink and paper to work together and often offer a variety of presentation and photo papers.

Recycled paper also offers acceptable quality, and you can find 100% post-consumer-content recycled paper for many uses, including cover stock and bright white paper suitable for business use. There are other kinds of eco-friendly paper as well, such as all-purpose paper made from sugar cane and photo paper made from cotton. Do your small part to save a tree and research eco-friendly media options. Any modern printer will handle them well.

As always, it mostly depends on what you need to print; if photos, probably a low-cost inkjet, but if only text documents, possibly a one-cartridge mono laser. But sometimes, you can tell by the printer's duty cycle.

If you print only a few pages a day, you don't have to worry about how much a printer is designed to print, as defined by its recommended (not maximum) monthly duty-cycle-rating. To define those terms? Maximum duty cycle is the absolute most a printer should be allowed to print per month without affecting the maximum number of pages it can print in its lifetime. The recommended duty cycle is usually how much it can handle on a regular basis and still last as many years as it was designed for. It may also be based on the paper capacity and how frequently you can conveniently refill the trays.

If you print enough for the duty cycle to matter, don't buy a printer that doesn't include that information in its specifications. (Many cheap printers meant for occasional use don't provide duty-cycle ratings at all.) Figure out how much you print by how often you buy paper and in what amounts. If you usually print on both sides of the paper, count each sheet as two pages in your calculations. Then pick a printer designed to print at least that much.