If anything, we're printing more than ever. Tumbling prices for both kinds of printer makes the idea practical for anyone doing more than the average amount of printing. Inkjet printers, as I've discussed in previous columns, are even less expensive. Inkjet printers, as the name implies, make images using small tanks of liquid ink.
Laser printers use a dry powder called toner.
Because toner is more efficient than ink, toner cartridges last much longer than inkjet cartridges and cost much less per page. Indeed, inkjet printers are so inexpensive in part because manufacturers are forgoing profits on hardware to recoup their investment through premium-priced refill cartridges. If you're performing very color-intensive tasks, such as 8x10 photographs, you might burn through a set of cartridges in only a few dozen pages. But I find there are actually few home printing chores where color is essential, and most of the time I'd rather avoid draining those expensive ink tanks. I spend much of my work day in a home office and print frequently, perhaps 50 pages a week.