For most people, a printer is a printer, and they assume all printers can print color. Others say everything is better in color. However, that is not always the case for printers, at least not with the monochrome printer.
But what’s a monochrome laser printer, and what makes it unique? A monochrome printer is a printing machine that prints using blank ink only. It’s the most available printer among small home offices and small business shops since it’s relatively cost-effective compared to their counterparts, color printers.
It’s also a better option for those who constantly print high document volumes that do not need colored ink like office memos, invoices, company letters, and more. Read more to know how it works and how you can use it to your benefit.
What is a Monochrome Printer?
As aforementioned, a monochrome printer is more of a black-and-white printer, nothing special. Most people see the word ‘monochrome’ and think it must be something unique and complex. But guess what? It’s not!
It’s the printer most companies use for high-volume, fast printing of black-and-white documents. You might also come across it in a cyber café or public library that asks you if you need it in black-and-white or colored.
Most users prefer monochrome printers for their impressive overall efficiency. You will also find them in professional environments because of their faster speed and lower cost per page printing. Monochrome laser printers are the most preferred for offering superior text quality.
What’s more, a logical choice for a printer is getting a monochrome printer because of the high daily printing needs. It can print at high speeds and offer you a huge printing volume at a low operation cost.
It might not be as versatile as color printers, but it offers printing convenience in any business setup.
What Does Monochrome Mean on a Printer?
A Monochrome printer confuses a lot of people when it shouldn’t. The word ‘mono‘ stands for single or one, while ‘chrome‘ is more for color.
And with monochrome printers using black ink only, then the term monochrome means producing prints in one color only. It’s that simple; sorry, nothing fancy.
Can a Monochrome Printer Print Color?
Even though this is an answered question in the introduction, most people ask it. All the time, people try to confuse monochrome printers with color printers.
As aforementioned, a monochrome printer is a black-and-white printer that prints with black ink only. So, NO! A monochrome printer can not print color.
Another question asked if you could replace the black in black-and-white printers with another color and print with that shade only.
The answer is still NO. Monochrome printers print in black only. Some models are even intelligent to differentiate the type of color you put in, and they might not print at all.
What’s more, monochrome printers give you one shade option – there is no ability to alter the black depth of color. If you want another color, you will need to use a color printer.
If you need lighter black, you can use a grayscale printer. A monochrome injected printer might print a lighter black shade that appears grey when the cartridge is running out.
Do Monochrome Printers Scan in Color?
Even though monochrome means that the printer can print in black ink only, the scanning is different.
It uses a color scanner. That means if you put a color photo or document in its scanner, it will scan the document into a color picture, a pdf, or jpeg. After that, you can save it to your computer or share it via a network or fax it while in its original color.
The Monochrome MFPs come with general-purpose color scanners designed to perform 24-bit scans. That allows them to scan charts, artwork, business documents, and more.
For photos, however, it’s more beneficial for non-professional pictures. The scanners aren’t that effective compared to the color printer scanners.
What’s more, if you want a monochrome printer scanner to use frequently, a model with one-button scanning allowing you to scan and save directly to your computer is ideal.
For such a model, all you need is to place an item on the printer scanner and press the MFP scanning button, and the printer scanner will scan the document and save it to your computer automatically.
But after all the color scanning, printing will be in black and white. Remember that.
What types of monochrome printers are there?
There are two types of monochrome printers to choose from:
a) Monochrome Inkjet Printer
These types of monochrome printers spray microscopic ink droplets onto paper to print the text. They are cheaper, smaller, and you can use them to print both images (black and white) and text documents.
b) Monochrome Laser Printer
These models melt toner powder on paper to create the print on paper. They are more expensive compared to their counterparts but only upfront. Their toner cartridges are pricier but also a more economical option in the long run.
Using this type of printer will be advantageous as you’ll enjoy lower print costs per page and faster printing speeds.
Inkjet Monochrome Printer vs. Laser Monochrome Printer
If you’re to take a closer look at these printers, the laser model is more efficient and the most expensive upfront.
Because of their high-powered laser technology, they are ideal for printing markings that are traditionally impossible to print.
They are cheaper to run since there is no need to buy refills and ink cartridges. Besides this, their printing speeds are faster than traditional inkjet monochrome printers. The accuracy and high quality are also advantages you get to enjoy.
However, for you to own a monochrome laser printer, you need a bigger budget. If it were to fail, the repair costs could be pretty high. Besides, they need extra care and maintenance since they tend to wear and tear faster than inkjet printers.
How much does a Monochrome Printer Cost?
The monochrome printers’ prices tend to vary depending on the size, capacity, and technology used in them.
You can get a monochrome printer for anything between $80 and $1000 plus, depending on the seller and other factors.
The most important determining factors here are your budget, needs at hand, the type of monochrome printer to buy, and where you want to buy your monochrome printer.
Final Verdict!
A monochrome printer is a black-and-white printer. As simple as it may sound, this is the hard fact. It uses black ink only, but it does scan the documents in color. It’s more beneficial for personal use and high-volume professional printing.