Which has the lowest cost per page?

[ted]

Hello,
I would like to buy a color printer to print text mainly and photos
sometimes. I am looking for a printer with the lowest cost per page.
Could you recommend a model? (inkjet or laser)
Thank you
Cheers
Chris

 

[BobS]

Ted,

This was just posted in another thread.

http://www.tomshardware.com/consumer/20041229/index.html


Bob S.

 

[mpx]

If you plan to use original supplies (toner or ink), or remanufactured
supplies and want to print a lot of text, then you have to buy laser
printer. Their cost per page for text is up to few times lower than than for
an inkjet, text looks superior to any inkjet, have better longevity and
water resistance - which is important if you print documents. Printing is
REALLY faster. And toners usually last for few thousand pages, which makes
it more convenient than inkjet, where you will be forced to replace
cartridges every few hundred pages. The costs of color prints may be lower
if you count the fact that you don't have to use expansive photo paper to
achieve good looking prints, but is usually not as cheap as printing with
black cartridge. Unfortunately color laser printers are much more expansive
to acquire than inkjets.

Good inkjets offer best photo printing quality (especially multicolor, low
droplet ones), relatively low purchase cost, take less desk space than
lasers. You can easily find affordable inkjet for larger paper formats (A3,
A2). Unfortunately they are slow, paper trays are small, ink lasts for just
few hundred pages, and original ink is decisively overpriced, as well as
original photo paper. The cost factor changes dramatically if you want to
refill cartridges yourself with third party bulk ink. This way an inkjet
printer has the lowest running than lasers. But refilling is a dirty work.

BTW. If you print really a lot of text then the lowest cost per page belongs
to photocopy machines with printing function.

 

[Chris]

Hi Bob,

I have read this article but could not find an answer to my question. I
would like to know what is the printer with the lowest cost per page (in
the inkjet class and in the laser class). I print mainly text but also
photos.

Cheers

 

[Bill]

I have read this article but could not find an answer to my question. I
would like to know what is the printer with the lowest cost per page (in
the inkjet class and in the laser class). I print mainly text but also
photos.

Costs vary, even for similar models in the same line from the same
manufacturer. If absolute lowest cost is your main priority, then
initial purchase cost is likely going to be among the highest.

As for laser or inkjet, that's easy - inkjet. You can't print glossy
photos from a laser.

And if you want recommendations on models, then you will have to be much
more specific in your needs, such as budget, print volume, and other
expectations.

 

[BobS]

Chris,

Your question left out a lot of info and covered a lot of territory (inkjet
and laser). Doubt anyone can answer that question for you. You'll need to
do some research and narrow down your choices, read the reviews which will
hopefully give some indication of costs per page. I doubt you'll find a
laser printer that will print photo's but I don't keep up on all the
technology...

So when you have narrowed down your choices to inkjets - then go back and
read the article I pointed you to again and you'll see that of the 3
printers they tested, which one is the lowest cost to operate based on their
testing.

Bob S.