The exact capabilities of laser printers differ from one model to another and it can be difficult to decide which to opt for. One of the main decisions is whether a color laser is really needed or if a black and white version will do just as well. So it's a good idea to first consider what its main function will be and then work out what will best serve that purpose.

It's important to know what makes lasers a viable proposition in the first place. When it comes to printing images, inkjet printers are far superior, less bulky for fitting in a home environment, cheaper to buy and therefore preferred by most home users. Nevertheless, there are situations where lasers may equal or even surpass inkjets in all those areas.

There are many people who run businesses or societies from home. If that's the case and there is a need for regular printed communications to go out to customers or members, an inkjet printer will not have the capacity for printing the amount of copies needed efficiently, and the cost would be phenomenal compared to what could be achieved with laser.

A decision has to be made about just how important it is to have top quality images. Images reproduced by lasers will be sufficient for most applications, especially where text is more important. Lasers are great for reproducing text, diagrams and logos.

It's common to expect that as technology makes progress the cost comes down and color lasers are no exception. The price has reduced but is still high compared to inkjets. In a world where people expect to see everything in color, it's difficult to choose a monochrome option when color is available. The good news is that there are many cases where the extra cost involved in purchasing a color version is well justified as the most economical choice available.

Sometimes there is just no way around the problem and the user must have multiple copies of a document that requires color images. Printing them on an inkjet would be too slow and cost too much. This is a a typical example where good quality color lasers work out as better investments. They may not produce images to the quality of inkjets but they will still be quite good.

A sample of a typical document that would be best produced on a color laser would be a report made up of several pages, mainly text-based but may need to include charts that would prove very difficult to understand without the use of color. Multiple copies of this report would take a long time to reproduce on an inkjet printer and the cost would be huge in comparison.

Once everything has been considered, full color laser printers may still prove too costly for some. Re-examine the overall design of what's being printed might help. Some re-working of diagrams may help. Most professional logos come with a monochrome version for this very purpose so, with a little extra effort, it's quite possible to create something that will look great printed in black and white.