The difference between a mono and a colour printer

Since the late 1990s, when affordable colour printers for home use first became available, the colour printer has steadily been taking over the market from its monochrome rivals. But while colour printers have become almost the norm for home use, in business the black and white printer remains the core workhorse, with colour devices reserved for important documents and the occasional special flourish. In this sense, neither colour or monochrome printers are inherently superior, and each have their own distinct advantages depending on how they are used.



The most obvious difference between a colour printer and a monochrome one is that the former can print full colour text and images, the latter can only print with a single colour ink, black, limiting it to shades of black and grey. This has important implications for other aspects of both printer types, including the speed they can print at and how economic they are to run. Monochrome printers work by transferring black ink onto the paper, either in the form of the liquid ink in an inkjet printer, or the toner powder in a laser printer, while colour printing involves spraying different coloured inks from multiple nozzles on the print head in an inkjet or using three or four separate kinds of toner in a laser printer.

Because it generally takes more time to transfer ink from multiple toner cartridges or ink nozzles to the paper than it does for a single one, colour printers tend to be slower than their black and white counterparts. Some high end colour printers have special modes that allow them to approach the printing speeds of most monochrome printers but a black and white device can usually handle a large print run with greater speed and efficiency. This makes monochrome printers an excellent choice for business and office printing.



Because it is easier and cheaper to manufacture cartridges for monochrome printers, and much more ink is usually supplied than with colour cartridges, printing with a black and white printer tends to be considerably cheaper per page than with a colour one. Once again, this makes monochrome devices much more economic in a business environment.



That's not to say, however, that the colour printers don't have their own distinct advantages. Colour cartridges are ideal for home use where fewer pages are printed and where colour can add a great deal to a school project or home business presentation. They can produce superb, professional quality images that are ideal for photo printing, with the right ink and paper. And, as mentioned, some colour printers have good black and white modes which make them ideal all rounders.



Isla Campbell writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.