Color laser printers use colored toner (dry ink), typically cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (CMYK).
While monochrome printers only use one laser scanner assembly, color printers often have two or more scanner assemblies.
Color printing adds complexity to the printing process because very slight misalignments known as registration errors can occur between printing each color, causing unintended color fringing, blurring, or light/dark streaking along the edges of colored regions. To permit a high registration accuracy, some color laser printers use a large rotating belt called a "transfer belt". The transfer belt passes in front of all the toner cartridges and each of the toner layers are precisely applied to the belt. The combined layers are then applied to the paper in a uniform single step.
Color printers usually have a higher "cents-per-page" production cost than monochrome printers.
DPI Resolution
1200 DPI printers are commonly available during 2008.
2400 DPI electrophotographic printing plate makers, essentially laser printers that print on plastic sheets, are also available.