Invented at the Xerox PARC in the 1970s, laser printers have revolutionised office and home printing with their quick page-per-minute speeds, low cost-per-page for black-and-white as well as colour prints, long toner cartridge life and excellent photo print quality. Many have also become multifunctional, allowing you to scan and copy as well as print, making them the ultimate workhorses in a small business or office.
Unlike inkjet printers, laser printers use a complex system of static electricity and powdered toner to produce images on paper. These powders are made from a mixture of plastic particles, carbon and colouring agents. They are generally used in professional settings as they can produce large quantities of high-quality prints rapidly. However, some people choose to buy them for home use due to their reliability and lower costs.
While they can reproduce millions of colours, laser printers aren’t as good at reproducing subtle tonal nuances of pastel hues as an inkjet printer. Moreover, they can produce colour and brightness banding, which are visible artefacts that result from variations in the density of the toner.
The Brother HL-L2350DW is our best laser printer overall for anyone who wants a no-frills unit that’s up to the task of churning out pages at a rapid pace. It’s a little larger than some models, which may not be ideal for smaller spaces, but its range of modern features and stellar customer reviews make it worth considering. It’s a good idea to set your printer to ‘black only’ when not using it for colour print jobs; this will help extend the life of both the toner and the ink.