← IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1

Comparing inkjet and laser printers

Inkjet sprays liquid ink: good photo quality, cheap to buy, costly per page. Laser fuses toner powder: fast, sharp text, dearer to buy, cheaper per page.

Part of: IGCSE Computer Science 0478 — 3.2 Input and Output Devices — Module 27

Understanding Comparing inkjet and laser printers in IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1

What it does: Laser printers are fast and have a low cost per page, so they suit high-volume text printing. An inkjet printer sprays liquid ink from nozzles in the print head. A laser printer uses toner powder instead. Inkjet printers blend liquid ink well, so they usually give better photo quality for small jobs. Ink cartridges run out quickly, so inkjet printing costs more per page. A toner cartridge prints many more pages. Inkjets are cheaper to buy but dearer per page, while lasers cost more to buy but are cheaper per page and faster.

Common mistakes: Inkjet printers spray tiny drops of liquid ink onto the paper. Toner powder is used by laser printers. The line should be ink_type = 'liquid ink'. Laser printers are fast, especially for many pages of text. Inkjet printers are the slower type. The line should be speed = 'fast'.

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Learning

Duo

Which printer sprays tiny droplets of liquid ink onto the paper?

Inkjet printerLaser printer

Matches

Laser printers spray liquid ink through nozzles

↓

Liquid ink sprayed through nozzles describes an inkjet printer. A laser printer uses toner powder fused onto the paper by heat.

Applying

Meanings

Term

inkjet vs laser

Meaning

Inkjet sprays liquid ink: good photo quality, cheap to buy, costly per page. Laser fuses toner powder: fast, sharp text, dearer to buy, cheaper per page.

Practice

IF pages > 500 THEN

Testing

Gaps

printer ← ""

Check Answer

Spots

1printer = 'inkjet'

2ink_type = 'toner powder'

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Quick Questions

1. Which printer sprays tiny droplets of liquid ink onto the paper?

A. Laser printer

B. Inkjet printer ✓

An inkjet printer sprays liquid ink from nozzles in the print head. A laser printer uses toner powder instead.

2. Which printer uses toner powder that is fused onto the paper with heat?

A. Laser printer ✓

B. Inkjet printer

A laser printer attracts toner powder to a charged drum, then a heated fuser melts it onto the paper.

3. A school office prints 500 pages of text every day. Which printer is the better choice?

A. Laser printer, because it is fast and cheap per page ✓

B. Inkjet printer, because it is fast and cheap per page

Laser printers print quickly and have a lower cost per page, so they suit large print jobs of text.

4. A student wants to print a few colour holiday photos at home. Which printer is the better choice?

A. Laser printer, because it gives the best photo quality

B. Inkjet printer, because it gives good photo quality ✓

Inkjet printers blend liquid ink well, so they usually give better photo quality for small jobs.

5. Which statement about the cost of buying the printer is usually true?

A. Inkjet printers are cheaper to buy than laser printers ✓

B. Laser printers are cheaper to buy than inkjet printers

Inkjet printers have a low purchase price, but laser printers usually cost more to buy.

Match the Pairs

inkjet: liquid ink sprayed through tiny nozzles → Inkjet printers form the image by spraying tiny drops of liquid ink onto the paper, which suits detailed colour photos.

laser: toner powder fused by heat → Laser printers use a charged drum to attract toner powder, then a heated fuser melts it onto the paper. This makes them fast with sharp text.

An office needs to print 5000 pages of text reports every week, quickly and cheaply per page → printer = "laser"

A student wants to print a few high-quality colour photos and wants a low purchase price → printer = "inkjet"

Laser printers spray liquid ink through nozzles → Liquid ink sprayed through nozzles describes an inkjet printer. A laser printer uses toner powder fused onto the paper by heat.

Inkjet printers are cheaper per page than lasers, so they are best for large print runs → Inkjet ink cartridges are costly per page and printing is slower, so they are not best for large runs. Laser printers have the lower cost per page for high volume.

Key Term

inkjet vs laser

Inkjet sprays liquid ink: good photo quality, cheap to buy, costly per page. Laser fuses toner powder: fast, sharp text, dearer to buy, cheaper per page.

Fill in the Blanks

1. IF job = "photo" THEN printer ← "inkjet" ENDIF

Hint: Type the printer type that gives the best photo quality by spraying liquid ink.

2. IF pages > 500 THEN printer ← "laser" ENDIF

Hint: Type the printer type that is fast and suits large print volumes.

3. inkjetPage ← 0.08 laserPage ← 0.02 OUTPUT laserPage < inkjetPage

Hint: Type the comparison operator that checks whether the laser cost per page is lower than the inkjet cost per page.

4. IF budget = "low" THEN printer ← "inkjet" ELSE printer ← "laser" ENDIF

Hint: Type the keyword that chooses the dearer printer when the cheap-to-buy condition is false.

5. inkjetUses ← "liquid ink" laserUses ← "toner powder" OUTPUT laserUses

Hint: Type the name of the dry powder a laser printer fuses onto paper instead of liquid ink.

Spot the Error

Question 1

A printer = 'inkjet'

B ink_type = 'toner powder'

C quality = 'good for photos'

Line B — Inkjet printers spray tiny drops of liquid ink onto the paper. Toner powder is used by laser printers. The line should be ink_type = 'liquid ink'.

Question 2

A printer = 'laser'

B ink_type = 'toner powder'

C speed = 'slow'

Line C — Laser printers are fast, especially for many pages of text. Inkjet printers are the slower type. The line should be speed = 'fast'.

Question 3

A laser_method = 'spray ink'

B inkjet_method = 'spray ink'

C print(laser_method)

Line A — A laser printer fuses toner powder onto the paper using heat. Spraying ink is how an inkjet printer works. The line should be laser_method = 'fuse toner'.

Question 4

A job = 'office reports'

B pages = 500

C if pages > 100:

D printer = 'inkjet'

Line D — Large print jobs of text suit a laser printer because it is fast and cheaper per page. Inkjet is better for small jobs and photos. The line should be printer = 'laser'.

Question 5

A buy_inkjet = 'low'

B buy_laser = 'high'

C page_inkjet = 'high'

D page_laser = 'high'

Line D — A laser printer costs more to buy but has a lower cost per page, because toner lasts a long time. The line should be page_laser = 'low'.

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