Inkjet

An inkjet printer is the most common type of printer in homes and small offices. It produces grayscale and color prints by spraying tiny droplets of ink onto paper.

Inkjet printers use one of two main technologies: thermal bubble or piezoelectric. Thermal printers, like those produced by Canon and HP, heat the ink to form a bubble that pushes it through the nozzle. Piezoelectric printers, most notably made by Epson, use a crystal that vibrates when charged, forcing ink out without heat. Both methods enable precise ink placement and high-resolution printing.

Most inkjet printers include separate black and color ink cartridges. The color cartridges are typically cyan, magenta, and yellow, which, combined with black, produce CYMK output. Newer models, known as ink tank printers, use refillable ink reservoirs instead of replaceable cartridges, reducing long-term printing costs.

Inkjet vs Laser

Inkjet printers are typically best for photo printing since they produce bright colors, and the ink droplets bind well with glossy photo paper. Inkjet models usually cost less than laser printers, but ink cartridges can be more expensive than laser toner cartridges over time. Therefore, inkjet printers are ideal for printing photos and color documents, and laser printers are generally best for high-volume black-and-white printing.

NOTE: Some inkjet printers can produce images at resolutions over 1200 dpi, which is more than enough to print sharp, photo-quality images. For comparison, 300 dpi is typically sufficient to produce high-quality photos for standard viewing.