Inkjet printers use water-based ink -- it runs and bleeds into the surrounding paper when it gets wet.
Toner is plastic colored beads, melted into the paper's surface, with heat and pressure. It will not run when wet, it will not bleed into the surrounding paper when wet.
I bought a color laser duplex printer for around $300 USD, several years ago. Toner cartridges average $89 USD/color: Black, Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow. They don't last all that long when printing terrain, but I have no regrets.
I print on matte, full-sheet label paper. I peel it, apply it to 2-3 mm thick cardboard from framing shops. I cut to size, gluing the cardboard to square wooden dowels, in the corners; I glue square wooden dowels down the long sections, to prevent warping, and to strengthen the whole structure. They have plenty of weight, are durable, and they look great, without painting!
My cardstock models took a beating, and they did not last. These were made per the instructions, using inkjet printing. The ink was expensive, the time and labor was considerable. Their delicate structures were wholly disappointing. Now, I've had castle wall sections, towers, gates, and even siege towers, which have lasted many years, through numerous tabletop battles, without issues. They look as good, today, as they did when I finished building them. They even survived a house move, without damage!
Also, be sure to use a colored marker (brown, gray, or black) to erase the white cut edges of the paper. Cheers!
has been spending time in paradise lately.
