The physical characteristics of Ink and Toner Cartridges differ considerably, both in terms of design format and contents. For one thing, toner is a powder, while ink is a liquid. Toner and ink cartridges are both used to print documents and photos, but the methods by which inkjet and laser printers accomplish this are fundamentally different.

Laser Printers Use Toner Cartridges

Because of the unique role of toner in the xerographic printing process, ink is not an acceptable substitute. The two main components of toner are iron oxide and plastic resin. Laser printers do not simply press toner directly onto the paper. Instead, a laser first draws an electrostatic template of the image onto a rotating metal drum inside the printer. The drum, which is covered in photosensitive material, starts out with either a positive or negative charge.

Inkjet Printers Use Ink Cartridges

As their name suggests, inkjet printers require ink cartridges. The liquid ink inside the cartridge is locked in an airtight foil compartment. The ink cartridges are loaded into the print head, which is fitted with numerous microscopic ink nozzles. As the print head moves back and forth across the paper, the nozzles create the image with droplets of ink.

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