This article was machine-translated from French and is being reviewed. Prices are in Algerian dinars excl. VAT.
For a office printer, laser or inkjet, the right criterion is not purchase price: it’s cost per page at your actual volume. A laser printer is designed for regular text printing: toner is a powder that does not dry. An inkjet suits low volumes, color and photos, provided you print often enough that the nozzles do not dry. Cost per page is calculated: consumable price divided by its stated yield. All prices quoted are in DA HT.
In short
- Laser: the usual choice for regular volume text. The toner does not dry, even after weeks without printing. The color version uses four toners instead of one: more consumables to buy and store.
- Inkjet: suited to low volumes, color and photos. Nozzles can dry if the printer sits unused. Models with refillable reservoirs, filled with ink bottles, aim for a lower cost per page.
- In all cases: calculate the cost per page, measure your actual monthly volume, and ask for toner or ink prices before buying the printer.
How the two technologies work
A laser printer deposits powder (the toner) onto a photosensitive drum, then fixes it to the sheet with heat from a fusing unit. On some models, the drum is a separate part from the toner, with its own lifespan. A color version uses four toners: black, cyan, magenta and yellow.
An inkjet printer sprays tiny drops of liquid ink through the nozzles of an print head. Ink is supplied in cartridges, or in bottles for refillable reservoir models. Ink that dries in the nozzles clogs them, which explains head cleaning cycles that consume ink.
This principle difference explains most of the choice advice.
When to choose a laser printer
Choose a laser for:
- Regular volume text: quotes, mail, contracts, reports, invoices. Typical for an office, agency or administrative service.
- Irregular use: after two weeks of downtime, a laser prints without a cleaning cycle, which is not guaranteed with inkjet.
- Network sharing: a network laser serves several workstations with stable speed.
- Handled documents: toner that is fixed does not bleed with a highlighter or humidity, which is not always true for dye‑based ink.
The monochrome laser covers most office needs: documents, charts, mail. Take a color laser if you regularly print presentations or marketing materials. It requires four toners, sometimes a transfer module and additional drums: its consumables are more numerous.
Two precautions. Check if the toner supplied with the machine is a starter toner, with reduced yield: its life is not that of a replacement toner. Do not plug a laser printer into an UPS: its heating draws high current, see our guide UPS: how to choose power.
When to choose an inkjet printer
Choose a inkjet for:
- The color and photo on various media (photo paper, labels, cards).
- Low regular volumes: a few pages per week, several times a week. Regular printing protects the nozzles.
- A reduced purchase budget, provided you check cartridge prices before buying.
If the printer sits unused for several weeks, nozzles can clog and each restart consumes ink. Turn it off with its button rather than unplugging: the print head then moves to a protective position. On some cartridge models, printing stops as soon as a color cartridge is empty, even for a black‑and‑white document: check this on the spec sheet.
Models with refillable reservoirs (several manufacturers offer them) replace cartridges with ink bottles poured into the reservoir. Their purchase price is higher, but they aim for a lower cost per page. Verify with the calculation below using the actual bottle price and its advertised yield.
Cost per page: the only useful comparison
Calculate:
- cost per page = consumable price ÷ advertised yield in pages;
- for a laser with a separate drum, add drum price ÷ its advertised life in pages;
- for color, add the cost of a black page and each color used, with each cartridge’s yield.
Manufacturers’ advertised yield is measured by an international standard on a test page covering about 5 % of the area, in laboratory conditions. A document with tables, logos and colored backgrounds consumes more, and a full‑page photo can approach total coverage. The advertised yield is therefore a benchmark to compare two models, not a promise of page count.
Volume is the other half of the calculation. Record the printer’s page counter on its status page at the start and end of a month. Without a counter, count cartridges used: one cartridge contains 500 sheets, and one double‑sided printed sheet counts as two pages.
Our store does not publish toner or ink prices, and the 06/11/2026 statement contains no office laser or inkjet printers: the printer and its consumables are quoted on a devis.
Features to verify
- Recommended monthly volume and maximum monthly cycle: the manufacturer provides both. Choose a machine whose recommended volume covers your usual use, not just its maximum.
- Speed : expressed in pages per minute, it matters mainly if several stations print together.
- Automatic duplex : it reduces paper consumption.
- Paper trays : capacity should avoid daily reloading. Also check envelope, label and A3 format passage if you print them.
- Connection : prefer Ethernet over Wi‑Fi for a shared printer.
- Languages and drivers : if a business application prints forms, verify the supported print language (PCL or PostScript, for example) and availability of a driver for Windows 11.
- Multifunction : a scanner with automatic document feeder scans folders, but the device takes more space and, if it fails, printing and scanning stop together.
Thermal printers: receipts and labels
For cash receipts and labels, a thermal printer requires no toner or ink. The direct thermal version heats a heat‑sensitive paper. The thermal transfer version uses a ribbon, for more durable labels.
Prices from the asloitech.com store on 06/11/2026, excl. VAT, subject to availability:
| Model | Use | Price (DA HT) | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| SmartPos SP330 | Receipts, USB, serial and network connections | 16 500 | In stock |
| Fujitsu FP-1000 | Receipts | 19 000 | In stock |
| Xprinter XP-P810 | Mobile thermal printer | 21 000 | In stock |
| Xprinter TT424B | Labels, thermal or transfer, USB and network | 31 000 | In stock |
Installation, networking and repair
A network‑connected printer serves all stations without a USB key. Give it a static IP (or reserve one on the router) so stations can find it, change the default admin password and do not expose it to the internet. In an office, enable code printing if possible, which prevents confidential documents from being left in the tray. For cabling, see Network cabling price: how much does an RJ45 point cost and our computer networking solution; to separate devices from the rest of the network, VLAN: segment your network.
When the printer fails, request a repair quote and compare it with the price of a new unit, the age of the device and the cost of its consumables. A laser cartridge failure or clogged ink nozzles are not fixed the same way. The decision method is the same as for a PC: see Repair or replace a PC.
Frequently asked questions
What cartridge yield should be assumed?
Take the advertised yield as a benchmark, not a promise. It is measured on a test page at about 5 % coverage. Your documents may consume more if they contain tables, logos or colored backgrounds. To verify, note the number of pages printed between two cartridge changes and compare it to the advertised value.
Can compatible consumables be used?
Often yes, but check before buying. Some manufacturers embed chips or firmware updates that block non‑original consumables: HP has documented such a mechanism on several of its models. A compatible consumable may also have different yield or print quality. Verify the exact reference of your model and the impact on the printer’s warranty.
Can a color printer print in black‑and‑white?
Yes: select grayscale or black‑only printing in the driver. On a laser, the black page uses only black toner. In inkjet, head‑cleaning cycles still consume ink, including color, and some models refuse to print if a color cartridge is empty. If most of your pages are black, a monochrome laser is often simpler.
How to know the print volume of my office?
Measure it rather than estimate. Record the printer’s page counter at the start and end of the month, or count cartridges used. Also note the punches (closures, end‑of‑month invoices). This volume allows comparison of cost per page for the models considered.
To choose and install your printer, discover our professional IT hardware solution. For equipment tracking, see our IT maintenance solution and our guide Helpdesk IT for an SME. Also read: Renewing a company’s IT fleet and Preventive or corrective maintenance.