Inkjet Vs Laser Printer: Where Lies The Demand?

Pooja Sharma

INDIA: Be it an inkjet or a laser or even a multi-functional device (MFD), printer vendors are coming up with a wide range of printers to suit the needs and tastes of diverse customer segments. However, with lasers witnessing a fall in price, the market for inkjet printers has been hit considerably. There is no denying that even the home user segment that was earlier restricted to an inkjet has developed a taste for better quality picture and is willing to shell out a little more for laser printers than buy an inkjet. Apparently, there are several reasons behind it. The cost of running an inkjet is higher when compared to lasers; owing to cartridge cost and number of pages an inkjet can print, which is less in number when compared with lasers. So while vendors are investing heavily in schemes, promotions and launches in order to push the printer models in the market, dealers are divided in their opinion when laser is pitted against an inkjet. On contacting the dealers, several points came to light.

Laser is in
Chetan Vithlani of Merlin Multitech, Raipur, opined that the demand for laser printer is more as compared to inkjet. Citing several reasons behind the trend he said, “The price of laser has come down and consumers are also looking for quality print. This aside, the operating cost of a laser printer as compared to an inkjet is less making it more effective.”

Elucidating the same by example, he stated that if one buys an inkjet at Rs 2,200, then Rs 1,500 is only the cartridge cost and it can print only 100 to 200 pages but as opposed to that, a laser printer, which is now available at an affordable price of Rs 4,500, can print 3,000 pages and it's cartridge can be refilled for a sum of Rs 350. Once refilled, it can again print 3,000 pages. Another problem with an inkjet is that if one does not use it for a period of three to four months, then the cartridge dries out which is not the case with lasers. Again from a dealer's point of view, margins in an inkjet is around Rs 50 to 100, while in lasers, we earn margins close to Rs 400 to 500, that makes it more attractive for us to stock.

He further added that while stocking, a dealer always goes by the prevailing price of the product, vendor's scheme and margin. At a time, Vithlani maintains 50-200 units of laser printers and has completed phased out inkjet printers.Manoj Gupta of Delhi-based Challenger Computer mentioned, “Both the printers have an equal demand in the market. However, a consumer always buys a printer depending upon his own requirements. Of late, the market has witnessed another kind of trend wherein the SOHO and the home users have started opting for laser multi-function devices (MFD). One then can copy, print and scan at the same time.”

Sharing the same view, NK Aggarwal, Pulse Systems, Delhi said that inkjet is definitely on the decline. “I am not keeping more than 15 to 20 inkjet printers at the moment and laser is where the demand lies. The home user segment is gradually drifting towards lasers as the cartridge cost is low in them.”

A Akhtar Hussain of Challenger Computer, Chennai, had already sensed that the market will move towards laser, so gradually he phased out the stock of inkjet printers. “In the past six months, we have sold more of lasers,” he said. However, he also mentioned that in the inkjet category, it is the MFD that is still in demand. Keeping the above in mind, he maintains
95 to100 units of lasers in stock, at any given point of time.

Dinesh Suhasaria of Kolkata-based Caltron said that the market is definitely drifting towards lasers and there is a motivation among buyers to purchase lasers, keeping both fall in price and quality in mind. However, inkjet is one printer that is affordable and hence the homebuyers are sticking to it.

Inkjet for SIs, assemblers and for bundling
Chennai-based dealer, Murali, CEO, Pelkin Office Automation opined that lasers being push products and with cost coming down, are definitely more in demand. However inkjet is mostly demanded by PC assemblers, system integrators (SIs) and for bundling purpose. Hence, they are still in demand, but the trend obviously is in favor of lasers.

Puneet Singhal, CEO of Delhi-based Pioneer Enterprises, who deals in consumables suggested that the demand for laser is certainly more when compared to inkjet. “Most of the customers that come to us for getting the cartridges refilled are using lasers. In such a scenario, the inkjets is mostly being used for bundling purpose, and dealers who are no more interested in selling inkjets are either selling their parts out to recover some cost or fazing them out gradually.”

Inkjet will continue to exist
Vinod Mulchandani of Mumbai-based Aarvee computers differed in his opinion and stated that the home users and the SOHO segment still rely on inkjet, as their printing requirements are not huge. “Infact, now-a-days in the inkjet printer category itself, vendors have come up with such features which not only helps an end-customer to print fast but also to avail the best of the color options, making the inkjets equally useful and effective.”

He further elaborated that in the laser category, it is the laser all-in-one that is mostly in demand and hence at a time, he maintains at least 1,000 units of such printers in stock.

Anil Mhaske, CEO, Data Care Corporation, Pune was of the view that both share a 50-50 market when it comes to demand. “The home users and the SOHO segment are still inclined more towards inkjets and the market for the same will never diminish. However, lasers are also being opted by SOHOs and SMBs,” said Mhaske.

Agreeing to Mhaske was Anil Sachdeva of Kadam Marketing, Delhi. “The market for inkjet will continue to exist. Infact, it was 60:40 in favor of inkjets. In this category, companies have come up with such products that at times produce better color quality picture as opposed to lasers. Laser however is used more for office purpose,” opined Sachdeva.