How to Determine Your Printer Type (Laser or Inkjet?)

Tips & Tricks

• An inkjet printer propels tiny droplets of ink onto the paper during printing, which then must dry. Try rubbing the print, if it smears with the touch of a hand or bleeds when it gets wet then it’s most likely an inkjet printer.
• Inkjet cartridges are often much smaller than laser cartridges, so if your cartridge is about the size a cell phone it’s probably an inkjet printer.
• Laser printers use a special laser to produce an electrically charged image on a drum, which is then rolled through powdered toner. The toner then fuses onto the paper using heat. If the printed label material feels warm to the touch, you most likely have a laser printer.
• Laser cartridges are often much larger than inkjet cartridges, so if your cartridge is bigger than a standard cell phone it is most likely a laser printer.