Brother has built a strong reputation in both the inkjet and laser printer markets, offering solutions for home users, students, and businesses. Two of their most popular product lines — the INKvestment series and their laser printers — cater to very different needs. Choosing between them requires looking beyond the marketing claims and focusing on your specific printing habits, budget, and workspace needs.

This guide breaks down the differences between the two series, highlighting where each one excels and the trade-offs you should consider before buying.

1. Understanding the Core Difference

At the simplest level, the INKvestment series is inkjet technology, while the Laser series uses toner and a drum system. This fundamental difference impacts print quality, cost per page, maintenance, and even the types of documents each technology handles best.

• INKvestment models use high-capacity cartridges that last much longer than typical inkjet cartridges. Brother designed them to compete with tank systems for low running costs without requiring messy refills.

• Laser models use toner powder fused to the page with heat. They are built for speed, durability, and high-volume monochrome printing, though many color models are available.
  
  

Understanding your typical monthly print volume and whether you need color is the first step in deciding between them.

2. Print Quality and Color Performance

If your work involves printing color documents, graphics, or images, INKvestment printers tend to have an edge. They can produce smoother gradients and richer colors than most laser printers in the same price range. This makes them better suited for:

• Marketing materials and flyers

• School projects

• Documents with charts and images

• Occasional photo printing
  
  

Laser printers, particularly color lasers, have improved significantly over the years. However, they still lean toward slightly flatter color output, which is fine for business presentations and colored graphs but less ideal for photo-realistic prints.

3. Speed and Volume Handling

Laser printers generally win when it comes to raw speed, especially for large text-heavy jobs. They are built to handle dozens or hundreds of pages at a time without slowing down, and they’re less affected by coverage density.

INKvestment models are fast for inkjets, often printing black-and-white pages at 15–20 pages per minute, but if you regularly print 50+ page reports, a laser will complete the job noticeably faster.

Volume also affects maintenance:

• Laser printers have a higher monthly duty cycle, meaning they’re designed for sustained heavy use without wearing out.

• INKvestment printers can handle steady office use but may require more frequent printhead cleaning if left idle for long periods.
  
  

4. Cost Per Page

Both lines aim to offer competitive running costs, but they excel in different ways:

• INKvestment models, using XL cartridges, can reach around 1.6¢ per black page and 5–7¢ per color page — very low for an inkjet.

• Laser models, when paired with high-yield toner, can achieve 2–3¢ per black page and higher for color.
  
  

For pure black-and-white printing, lasers are usually more cost-effective in the long run. For mixed color and text, INKvestment models can be a better value, especially for light-to-moderate volumes.

5. Maintenance and Reliability

Laser printers are generally less sensitive to infrequent use. Toner does not dry out like ink, so you can leave a laser idle for months and still print perfectly on the next job.

INKvestment printers are more resilient than traditional inkjets, thanks to their larger ink reserves, but ink can still dry if left unused for long periods, requiring a cleaning cycle that consumes some ink.

When it comes to durability:

• Lasers have fewer moving parts in the printhead and are better for dusty or high-temperature environments.

• INKvestment printers have more components exposed to ink flow, so they benefit from regular use to keep things in good condition.
  
  

6. Size, Noise, and Energy Use

INKvestment printers are generally quieter than lasers, especially when printing small batches. They also tend to use less power, which might be relevant for home offices.

Laser printers can be bulkier, particularly color models, and generate more fan noise during printing due to the fuser unit. If space is tight or you’re sharing a small room, an INKvestment printer may feel less intrusive.

7. Connectivity and Extra Features

Both series offer similar connectivity options: USB, Ethernet (on some models), Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, AirPrint, Mopria, and Brother’s iPrint&Scan app.

Where the differences emerge:

• Many INKvestment all-in-ones include flatbed scanners with an automatic document feeder, duplex scanning, and the ability to scan directly to cloud services.

• Some laser models focus purely on printing and skip scanning or copying features entirely, though Brother’s multi-function laser models do include them.
  
  

If scanning and copying are essential, check the specific model — don’t assume every laser has the same all-in-one features as the inkjets.

8. Which Should You Choose?

The decision boils down to your primary printing needs:

Choose INKvestment if:

• You print a mix of text and high-quality color.

• You want low color printing costs without a refill tank system.

• You value quieter operation and smaller footprint.
  
  

Choose Laser if:

• You print mostly text in high volumes.

• You need faster large-job performance.

• You want a printer that can sit idle for weeks without maintenance.