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Without getting too technical, there are several key differences between toner and ink. Printer ink is a liquid tinted with four different shades—cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK)—that when combined, are capable of producing a wide variety of hues. Inkjet printers spray the ink directly onto the paper, creating vivid, colorful prints. Ink can be pigmented or dye-based. Dye-based ink consists of a colorant that is fully dissolved and suspended in liquid. Pigmented ink consists of a fine powder of solid colorant particles suspended in a liquid carrier. Previously, pigmented ink created longer-lasting prints but was more expensive than dye-based. Steady improvements in the inks’ formulas have addressed the shortcomings of both types of ink, and today there is little difference between current dye-based and pigmented inks.

By contrast, toner, which is used in laser printers, is made up of a dry powder. Laser printers produce electrostatically charged dots on a light-sensitive drum which attracts the toner powder. The printer toner is transferred to the paper and fixed by a heating process. Toner is also available in four different shades—cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK)—that when combined, are also capable of producing a wide variety of hues. A mono laser printer requires only require black toner while a color printer needs four cartridges (one black and three color) to create full-color prints.