What are the differences between Thermal Inkjet Printers and Laser Printers

Laser printer and thermal inkjet printer are 2 common types of coding printers, each with its own advantages. The following aspects can help you know them.
A laser marking machine uses laser beam to make permanent marks on the surface of different substances. Laser marking machine includes CO2 laser marking machine, optical fiber laser marking machine and ultraviolet laser marking machine.

A thermal inkjet printer is a type of inkjet printer that uses thermal energy or electricity to spray ink onto mediums such as LDPE bottles, aluminium cans, film, coated cards, plastics and cardboard boxes, to generate high-resolution texts, codes and even images on various kinds of surfaces.

Either laser printer or thermal inkjet printer, as one of the major coding and marking solutions, is widely used in warehouse, logistics, daily necessities, cosmetics, packaging, food and beverage, building materials, electronics and other industries.

Here are some differences between laser printers or thermal inkjet printers.

1. Cost and Maintenance

Both kinds of printers need almost no maintenance.
Laser printers have little cost on consumables. While a laser printer itself is much more expensive than a TIJ printer. A laser printer may cost around USD1500 – USD5000.
TIJ printers are simple, modular systems that use removable cartridges to supply ink . The cartridges are designed to act as both ink reservoirs and printheads. Consequently, when an old cartridge is replaced, it provides the printer with a new printhead. So it needs little maintenance. With necessary consumables, a TIJ printer’s price is mostly between USD180 and USD600.

2. Speed
Laser printers have a much higher speed than the tij printers.
A laser printer can print at speeds up to 900 m/min, while a TIJ printer can print at the highest speed less than 500m/min.

3. Print Quality
Laser marking offers precision and accuracy on various surfaces. It’s ideal for marking small parts, including those with complex geometries. This precision is achieved by using a focused beam of light, which can be adjusted to achieve different depths and widths of markings. While this is especially limited when identifying products by barcodes, since legibility will be compromised.
A variety of substances can be marked with permanent high-quality marks, supporting anti-counterfeiting and tracing.

With highest resolution of 600 x 600 dpi, TIJ printing offers unique benefits for logos, various kinds of codes and images on flat surfaces.

4. Application
Laser printers produce good print quality and ensure print permanence onto materials, and will not fade or wear off over time. It is applied to electronic components, integrated circuits, electrical appliances, mobile communication, hardware products, tool accessories, precision instruments, glasses, clocks, jewelry, auto accessories, plastic button, building materials and PVC pipes.
TIJ printers can print highly legible markings, including barcodes, QR codes, lot codes, dates, etc. on different kinds of porous and non-porous substrates, such as paper, carton, wood, glass, aluminum foil, BOPP, PA, PE, PP, OPP, PET2.

5. User-Friendly and Easy to Use
Laser printers can handle black, white and color printing, though color laser printers are more expensive than monochrome laser printers.
TIJ printers are designed with ease of use, featuring intuitive controls and interfaces. It supports black, yellow, red, blue, green, white, and invisible ink. Ink in different colors usually doesn’t affect the price a lot.

Choosing between laser and thermal inkjet printers depends on your specific needs.