There are probably many of you out there who really have no idea what the difference between ink and toner is. Don’t feel bad, we were in the dark for many ages ourselves. Here is a short and helpful lesson on how these two products differ.

Toner is an electrically charged dry carbon compound that is housed in a plastic cartridge. Typically speaking, toner cartridges are used with laser jet printers and copy machines in places of business where there are demanding printing needs. That is not to say you cannot find home printer models that utilize toner cartridges. During the printing process, toner is transferred from the cartridge to your paper via heating process. The toner essentially melts and binds with the fibers in the paper.

Ink is the ideal choice for home printers or low volume needs. Ink cartridges are much less messy and are quite simple to replace. Ink is available in two types; dye-based and pigment-based, here are the differences.

The most common of the two is the dye-based ink cartridge. Like toner, this type of ink is absorbed into the paper creating bright and vivid colors that are excellent for printing photographs. Just be careful as sunlight will cause these prints to fade. These inks will also smear when exposed to water.

Pigment-based inks are made up from resins crushed into tiny particles. These inks sit on top of the paper as opposed to being absorbed by it. This type of ink produces prints that are resistant to water as well as fading.

We carry a wide selection of both ink cartridges and toner cartridges. If you are in the market for an HP Q2612A black toner cartridge, we carry it.