Printing costs are an important factor that most users consider before buying a printer. Printing costs consists of multiple things, but power consumption cost is one important element. The most basic choice consumers have to make is between buying a laser printer or an inkjet printer. In this guide, we will compare in detail the power consumption of laser and inkjet printers.
Printer Power Consumption Comparison
| Power Consumption Comparison |
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| Printer Type | Home uses printer | Commercial Printer |
| Inkjet Printer | 30 to 50 watts | 300 to 500 watts |
| Laser Printer | 300 to 550 watts | up to 1000 watts |
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Home Use Printers
An average laser printer designed for home use tends to consume anywhere between 300 to 550 watts of power. For home use inkjet printers the power consumption can range between 30 to 50 watts when it is printing. During standby mode a laser printer can consume nearly 10 watts, however, during the same mode an inkjet printer consumes around 3 to 5 watts.
Business Class Printers
Printer which are designed for business are heavy-duty printer and needless to say they can perform multiple jobs for longer period of time and at much higher speed. Therefore, they consume much more power than home use printers.
A laser printer designed for commercial use can consume up to 1000 watts, while an inkjet printer designed for business purpose consumes between 300 to 500 watts during printing. The power consumption of a business class inkjet printer during standby mode is 30 to 50 watts and during the same mode a commercial laser printer can draw nearly 100 watts.
FAQ
Q: Which among laser and inkjet printers consume more power?
A: Laser printer consumes way more power as compared to inkjet printer.
Q: Why laser printers consume more power?
A: Laser printers need to warm up to about 200 degrees Celsius before they can start printing. This is a major reason behind their high power consumption.
Q: Can we reduce laser printer power consumption?
A: By printing more pages in a single batch you can reduce the power required for warming up of your laser printer frequently.
Q: What is the best habit to reduce printer power cost?
A: Turn off your printer when it’s not in use.
Q: What to consider while buying a printer?
A: If you only need to print from your device, don’t buy as all-in-one as you may end-up paying high-energy costs.