Extra cost of printing b/w on a color printer?

[Lee Choquette]

Our black-and-white laser printer (Samsung ML-1430) is on its last legs
and needs replacement. We also need a copier, now that we've moved and
can't use my father-in-law's anymore. We will probably make over 500
copies per month. We won't need fax.

My wife wants to get a color laser printer, now that they don't seem to
cost as much as they used to. My question is, since most of the time we
will be copying and printing in black and white, will there be an
additional per-page cost to do so on a color printer, apart from the
higher cost of the printer itself?

For example, the black and white HP LaserJet 3030 takes a Q2612A black
print cartridge that supposedly yields 2,000 pages "in accordance with
ISO/EIC 19752". The HP Color LaserJet 2820 takes a Q3960A black print
cartridge that costs about 20% more, but yields 5,000 pages "based on 5%
coverage".

Can these yields really be compared? If so, it would suggest that a
color printer is really cheaper per-page when printing black-and-white
pages than a black-and-white printer. Perhaps it's not fair to compare
these two printers, but then can somebody suggest a fairer comparison?

I've been trying to research the total cost of ownership for various
printers and running up against these inconsistencies in specifications,
even with different printers from the same manufacturer. Is some kind
soul willing to share knowledge gained from hard experience?

Thanks,
Lee

 

[Bob Headrick]

My wife wants to get a color laser printer, now that they don't seem
to
cost as much as they used to. My question is, since most of the time
we
will be copying and printing in black and white, will there be an
additional per-page cost to do so on a color printer, apart from the
higher cost of the printer itself?

For example, the black and white HP LaserJet 3030 takes a Q2612A black
print cartridge that supposedly yields 2,000 pages "in accordance with
ISO/EIC 19752". The HP Color LaserJet 2820 takes a Q3960A black print
cartridge that costs about 20% more, but yields 5,000 pages "based on
5%
coverage".

Can these yields really be compared? If so, it would suggest that a
color printer is really cheaper per-page when printing black-and-white
pages than a black-and-white printer. Perhaps it's not fair to compare
these two printers, but then can somebody suggest a fairer comparison?

Sorry I do not know much about the intricies of the LaserJet side of
printing. You can see the samples used at
http://h10060.www1.hp.com/pageyield/us/en/index.html. You might get
some user feedback on these models by asking your question in the HP
forum at:
http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/bizsupport/categoryhome.do?categoryId=420

Regards,
Bob Headrick, MS MVP Printing/Imaging

 

[Hawker]

I have an older network color laser printer and several very nice black
and white laser printers. I think the Color is an HP4650 or some such
number.
I also have an HP4MV, HP4000 and HP5000 laser printer (and some QMS
stuff). The HP4000 gets about 5 times as much printed on it as the
color does and has a toner cartridge about the same size. I replace 2
black cartridges in the 4650 for every 1 in the 4000 even though the
4000 prints 5x as much. This may be because the 4650 tends to print
pages with more coverage on it than the mostly text only 4000 (graphics
tend to go to the 5000).

Your millage may very. You are using consumer printers, I am using more
pro-network with duplexer printers. and your info sounds like it
contradicts my experience so who knows so that probably does not help you.

Hawker

 

[Hawker]

I just googled, that must be a HP4550 we have, not 4650. Sorry.

Hawker

 

[me]

Our black-and-white laser printer (Samsung ML-1430) is on its last legs
and needs replacement. We also need a copier, now that we've moved and
can't use my father-in-law's anymore. We will probably make over 500
copies per month. We won't need fax.

My wife wants to get a color laser printer, now that they don't seem to
cost as much as they used to. My question is, since most of the time we
will be copying and printing in black and white, will there be an
additional per-page cost to do so on a color printer, apart from the
higher cost of the printer itself?

For example, the black and white HP LaserJet 3030 takes a Q2612A black
print cartridge that supposedly yields 2,000 pages "in accordance with
ISO/EIC 19752". The HP Color LaserJet 2820 takes a Q3960A black print
cartridge that costs about 20% more, but yields 5,000 pages "based on 5%
coverage".

Can these yields really be compared? If so, it would suggest that a
color printer is really cheaper per-page when printing black-and-white
pages than a black-and-white printer. Perhaps it's not fair to compare
these two printers, but then can somebody suggest a fairer comparison?

I've been trying to research the total cost of ownership for various
printers and running up against these inconsistencies in specifications,
even with different printers from the same manufacturer. Is some kind
soul willing to share knowledge gained from hard experience?

Generally, the more expensive the machine the cheaper the running costs.
Over the last couple of weeks I have been researching a new business
machine, together with a supplies and service contract, these are colour
copier/printers starting at around $5,000 and various different
suppliers were able to quote a supplies and service cost on black copies
of less than 1p so just over or about 0.5cents.

Either pcpro.co.uk or pcplus.co.uk currently has a colour lexmark laser
as its recommended machine, and quotes a black running cost of 1.1p per
page.

Having said that a dedicated black only machine should have a lower
black only running cost, at the same price level. So I would expect a
$1,000 mono laser to be cheaper per page than a $1,000 colour laser.

 

[Fenrir Enterprises]

Generally, the more expensive the machine the cheaper the running costs.
Over the last couple of weeks I have been researching a new business
machine, together with a supplies and service contract, these are colour
copier/printers starting at around $5,000 and various different
suppliers were able to quote a supplies and service cost on black copies
of less than 1p so just over or about 0.5cents.

Either pcpro.co.uk or pcplus.co.uk currently has a colour lexmark laser
as its recommended machine, and quotes a black running cost of 1.1p per
page.

Having said that a dedicated black only machine should have a lower
black only running cost, at the same price level. So I would expect a
$1,000 mono laser to be cheaper per page than a $1,000 colour laser.

Yes, I think that while there are more consumer level (<$500) laser
printers available now, you're not going to actually see much savings
per print unless you buy something in the $1000 range or higher. I
posted a price comparison awhile back that looked like the 2600n costs
more to run in consumables than some inkjets cost.

---

http://www.FenrirOnline.com

Computer services, custom metal etching,
arts, crafts, and much more.

 

[Yianni]

For example, the black and white HP LaserJet 3030 takes a Q2612A black

print cartridge that supposedly yields 2,000 pages "in accordance with
ISO/EIC 19752". The HP Color LaserJet 2820 takes a Q3960A black print
cartridge that costs about 20% more, but yields 5,000 pages "based on 5%
coverage".

Can these yields really be compared? If so, it would suggest that a
color printer is really cheaper per-page when printing black-and-white
pages than a black-and-white printer. Perhaps it's not fair to compare
these two printers, but then can somebody suggest a fairer comparison?

You can rely enough on given page yield. But on the other hand, color lasers
have more consumables (may separate drums -is included on the 3030-, may
transfer belt, may both). Definately the print cost of color printers is a
bit higher.

 

[William R. Walsh]

Hi!

Can these yields really be compared? If so, it would suggest that a
color printer is really cheaper per-page when printing black-and-white
pages than a black-and-white printer. Perhaps it's not fair to compare
these two printers, but then can somebody suggest a fairer comparison?

Not really. I have a Color LaserJet 2500n that--if I remember
correctly--offers about the same yield from a black toner cartridge as the
printer you're looking at. However, there is a separate imaging drum in
these units. At some point it too must be replaced, and it is quite
expensive for an HP printer.

Also, if you switch between color and black printing, you might find that
the printer has to clean itself out before switching from one to the other.
The Samsung CLP-5xx series color laser printers do this. I don't know if the
HP units do or not. They don't have a waste toner tank that I can see, but
maybe wasted toner is stored somewhere in the imaging drum.

Is some kind
soul willing to share knowledge gained from hard experience?

I don't think it is easy to go wrong buying an HP printer, unless it is a
very cheap model.

However, when it came time to buy my own color laser printer, I opted for a
Samsung CLP-550n. The "polish" of the included software is not quite as nice
as that of HP, but it works well once you understand how to use it. (It's
not hard, but you can add maybe 10 minutes if you network the printer.
Samsung doesn't document that process well.)

The output quality of the Samsung is much nicer than that of the HP 2500n.
The HP 2500n seems to make "waxy" prints and I don't really like that. The
Samsung does not make waxy prints, and operates much more quietly.

You can read my review of the CLP-550n (though I've never quite finished it)
here:
http://greyghost.dyndns.org/clp550n/

William