Editing Laser printing (section)

==Performance==
As with most electronic devices, the cost of laser printers has decreased significantly over the years. In 1984, the HP LaserJet sold for $3500,<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/abouthp/histnfacts/museum/imagingprinting/0018/index.html | title = HP Virtual Museum: Hewlett-Packard LaserJet printer, 1984 | publisher = Hp.com | access-date = 2010-11-17 }}</ref> had trouble with even small, low-resolution graphics, and weighed {{convert|32|kg|abbr=on}}. By the late 1990s, monochrome laser printers had become inexpensive enough for home-office use, having displaced other printing technologies, although color inkjet printers (see below) still had advantages in photo quality reproduction. {{As of|2016}}, low-end monochrome laser printers can sell for less than $75, and while these printers tend to lack onboard processing and rely on the host computer to generate a [[raster image]], they nonetheless outperform the 1984 LaserJet in nearly all situations.

Laser printer speed can vary widely, and depends on many factors, including the graphic intensity of the job being processed. The fastest models can print over 200 [[monochrome]] pages per minute (12,000 pages per hour). The fastest color laser printers can print over 100 pages per minute (6000 pages per hour). Very high-speed laser printers are used for mass mailings of personalized documents, such as credit card or utility bills, and are competing with [[lithography]] in some commercial applications.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.papergear.com/xerox-news/facts-about-laser-printing.html |title=Facts about laser printing |publisher=Papergear.com |date=2010-09-01 |access-date=2010-11-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101124224933/http://www.papergear.com/xerox-news/facts-about-laser-printing.html |archive-date=November 24, 2010 }}</ref>

The cost of this technology depends on a combination of factors, including the cost of paper, toner, drum replacement, as well as the replacement of other items such as the fuser assembly and transfer assembly. Often printers with soft plastic drums can have a very high cost of ownership that does not become apparent until the drum requires replacement.

[[Duplex printing]] (printing on both sides of the paper) can halve paper costs and reduce filing volumes, albeit at a slower page-printing speed because of the longer paper path. Formerly only available on high-end printers, duplexers are now common on mid-range office printers, though not all printers can accommodate a duplexing unit.

In a commercial environment such as an office, it is becoming increasingly common for businesses to use external [[software]] that increases the performance and efficiency of laser printers in the workplace. The software can be used to set rules dictating how employees interact with printers, such as setting limits on how many pages can be printed per day, limiting usage of color ink, and flagging jobs that appear to be wasteful.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://asl-group.co.uk/print-efficiency-workplace/|title=Print efficiency in the workplace: how to make your office more efficient|date=2017-05-11|work=ASL|access-date=2017-07-26|language=en-GB}}</ref>