When choosing a printer, the first thing to do is to think about how the printer will most often be used. See the printer toner. Do you plan to use this new printer in an office setting or do you just need to print things occasionally at home? To make a good cost comparison between laser and inkjet printer maintenance, make a guess as to how many sheets you'll actually need to print with your new printer, and how often.
The upfront cost of many printers these days is very low. These costs are low because printer companies know that you'll have to spend a lot more later on replacing inkjet cartridges or laser toner cartridges.
In other words, the majority of what you'll spend on printing over the lifespan of the printer will be for toner cartridges (for a laser printer) or ink cartridges (for an inkjet printer). Check out the http://www.inktechnologies.com/hp-ink-cartridges-inkjet. Therefore, when comparing the costs of potential new printers, also check the prices for replacement cartridges. What's the number of sheets you are supposed to be able to print with a single cartridge? Whatever that number is, how long do you think that should last you with normal use?
As a general principle, ink jet printers aren't made to be used heavily, and the cartridges don't last long. However, if you don't anticipate using your new printer that heavily (say you just want one to have at your house in case you need it), then inkjet can be a good choice. But if your printer needs to be able to handle a lot of use and still be economical, a laser printer might work better for you.
For heavy duty use and over longer periods of time, laser printers tend to cost less to refill and maintain. However, laser printers and their cartridges tend to cost more up front. Toner cartridges last orders of magnitude longer than the typical ink cartridge. Though one toner cartridge can cost three or four times more than an inkjet cartridges, it also prints that much more than ink cartridges. Click for more. For small offices, a laser printer tends to be faster at printing and cheaper in per-sheet costs.
Overall, whichever printer you use is up to personal preference; however, if you're considering costs above all, the above guidelines should help you choose the type of printer and cartridge that will help you stick to your long term printing budget.