{"id":32358,"date":"2017-05-04T07:00:11","date_gmt":"2017-05-04T11:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/?p=32358"},"modified":"2022-10-20T17:03:07","modified_gmt":"2022-10-20T21:03:07","slug":"faq-what-is-a-monochrome-printer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/faq-what-is-a-monochrome-printer\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a Monochrome Printer?"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

They say everything\u2019s better in color \u2014 but not all the time, and not when it comes to printers! If it\u2019s for home or personal use, having a color printer makes more sense. But if you\u2019re constantly printing a high volume of documents that don\u2019t require colored ink, such as company letters, office memos, and invoices, then the ability to print in full color is pretty much a non-essential feature in a printer. That’s where a monochrome printer<\/strong> may be useful.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Printers are indispensable fixtures in the workplace or home office<\/a>. But due to the huge volumes of printed documents that are needed in these types of settings, printers that can print only black-and-white text and graphics \u2014 these so-called monochrome printers \u2014 are widely preferred for the advantages they offer in terms of overall efficiency.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

What is a Monochrome Printer?<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

A monochrome printer<\/a> is any type of printer that prints using black ink only. It\u2019s generally considered more cost-efficient than its colored counterpart. Monochrome printers are typically used in professional environments due to their faster printing speed, lower cost per printed page, and in the case of monochrome laser printers, superior text quality.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

For heavier day-to-day printing needs, a monochrome printer is the more logical choice because it can quickly print a high volume of output while keeping operational costs fairly low. It may not be as versatile as a color printer, but it remains the printer of choice for business use simply because color isn\u2019t always a necessity in most professional settings.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Monochrome vs Color Printers<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n
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\"black<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n

There are two main types of printers: laser or inkjet<\/a>. Both have their significant advantages and disadvantages when it comes to print quality and cost, but that\u2019s a whole other discussion.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Now, there are two categories within those two types of printers: monochrome and color. Most people who are new to printer buying would likely veer toward color printers (whether inkjet or laser) due to the ability to print documents or photos in any color they desire. But in some cases, this isn\u2019t a practical choice.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Choosing whether to get monochrome or color should depend on your needs. If having color is important to the output you\u2019ll be printing, then the choice is obviously clear. But if you\u2019re primarily going to be printing simple text documents in large quantities, getting a color printer just for the sake of having the option of color isn\u2019t the most optimum choice, as speed and cost per page should be the more relevant deciding factors.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Printer Cost<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Color printers are generally more expensive than monochrome printers. If you compare a monochrome laser to a color laser with similar specs, you\u2019ll find that monochrome printers are significantly cheaper.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Type of Printer (Laser)<\/strong><\/td>\r\nPrinter Model<\/strong><\/td>\r\nPrinter Cost (Price)<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Color<\/td>\r\nBrother HL-L3230CDW Wireless Compact Printer<\/a><\/td>\r\n$379.99<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Monochrome<\/td>\r\nCanon imageCLASS LBP236dw Wireless & Mobile Ready Laser Printer<\/a><\/td>\r\n$299.00<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Printer Speed<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Monochromes \u2014 specifically monochrome laser printers<\/i> \u2014 have faster printing speeds than color laser printers. You can buy a color printer with a higher ppm (pages per minute) rate, but it\u2019s much more expensive than its monochrome counterpart.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Type of Printer (Laser)<\/strong><\/td>\r\nPrinter Model<\/strong><\/td>\r\nPrinter Speed (PPM)<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Color<\/td>\r\nBrother HL-L3230CDW Wireless Compact Printer<\/td>\r\n25 ppm<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Monochrome<\/td>\r\nCanon imageCLASS LBP236dw Wireless & Mobile Ready Laser Printer<\/td>\r\n40 ppm<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Cost Per Page<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

When it comes to cost per page, monochrome laser printers also have the edge. Color toner is typically more expensive, plus the printer uses more toner to create a document with colored graphics than a monochrome printer does for printing the same graphics in black and white. Monochromes use a single black cartridge, while color printers use four (black, cyan, magenta, and yellow).<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Let\u2019s compare. The Brother color printer uses TN227 high-yield toner cartridges (you’ll need black<\/a>, cyan<\/a>, magenta<\/a>, and yellow<\/a>) to print a full-color page. It’s a combined cost of $381.96 and a yield of approximately 2,300 pages.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Meanwhile, the Canon 057 black toner cartridge<\/a> for your monochrome laser printer costs only $123.00 and yields approximately 3,100 pages.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

If you divide the price of the toner cartridge by the number of pages it can yield, this will give you a rough estimate of how much you\u2019ll spend per page with a monochrome versus a color laser printer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Type of Printer (Laser)<\/strong><\/td>\r\nPrinter Model<\/strong><\/td>\r\nCost Per Page <\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Color<\/td>\r\nBrother HL-L3230CDW Wireless Compact Printer<\/td>\r\n$0.16 (16 cents)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Monochrome<\/td>\r\nCanon imageCLASS LBP236dw Wireless & Mobile Ready Laser Printer<\/td>\r\n$0.039 (3.9 cents)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Granted, the difference doesn\u2019t seem drastic. But when you print hundreds of pages per day, the cost can really add up.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Printing Application<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

As you can see, monochrome laser printers have a lot of advantages over color laser printers. But at the end of the day, the better choice is whichever printer can meet your needs and create your desired output.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

In those instances when you need to create beautiful, eye-catching school projects, marketing materials, and other similar output, then color is definitely the better option.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Common Applications for Color Printers:<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n