My House of Ink

The terms “ink” and “toner” are often used interchangeably, but they are sold as two distinct products. While the two products are both used to create an image, there are some differences. The most obvious disparity is that ink is a liquid while toner is a powder.

Toner has been in use for longer and is essentially a slab a powdered ink which is pulverized to create printed images. Originally toner was poured into a machine through a bottle, but today we have convenient, reusable toner cartridges. Ink cartridges contain liquid ink that is spread on paper through the printing process.

In the last three months I have ordered two new computers on the internet. I bought the first computer, for myself, from the HP Store, and when my sister needed a new computer as well, I suggested that she look there. Now that I have purchased two computers from the HP online outlet, I am constantly bombarded with promotions from the company.

One item that they seem to be pushing with particularly ardor lately is printers and fax machines. My guess is that sales are slumping due to the economy and more people communicating electronically. I would hate to give into HP’s e-mail marketing, but I could use a new printer and know I would get a great deal on HP ink cartridges.