Which of the following printer types uses a powder based consumable with a lower cost per page compared to other printers?

Thermal printers use heat to produce an image on special heat-sensitive paper or transfer an image from a ribbon, and do not use powder-based consumables.

Laser printers use toner, which is a fine powder, as their consumable. They work by using a laser to draw an image onto a photosensitive drum, which then attracts toner, and finally fuses it to the paper with heat and pressure. Laser printers typically offer a lower cost per page than inkjet printers, particularly for black-and-white documents and high-volume printing.

Dot matrix printers use an ink-soaked fabric ribbon and a print head with pins that strike the ribbon to create images, not powder.

Inkjet printers use liquid ink cartridges and spray tiny droplets onto the paper, which is a liquid-based consumable, not powder.