Don't let printers consume your budget

If you need a new printer, take a look at what your current model does in a typical day.

• Does it churn out mostly black-and-white CMA pages and listing sheets, or color fliers and photographs?

• Is it too slow or just about right? (If you answered too fast, you have bigger problems than can be addressed here.)

• Are you the only person who uses the printer, or do you share it with coworkers or your family?

At first glance, you might lean toward an inkjet printer; color inkjet models cost less than or are comparably priced with many black-and-white laser printers and can produce good-quality images. However, the real cost of an inkjet printer comes not from the price tag on the unit but from the ongoing cost of replacement ink cartridges.

In a multi-user office or home, these “consumables” need constant attention. Inkjet cartridges may be cheaper than the toner cartridges used in laser printers—roughly half the price—but toner cartridges often last up to three times longer.

Laser printers, both black-and-white and color models, quickly produce consistent, high-resolution images that usually exceed the quality of those from inkjet printers. That type of performance and speed come at a higher price than inkjet printers; color lasers remain too expensive for most small-business users.

Depending on how long you intend to keep a printer, factoring in the consumables might close the price gap between an inkjet and black-and-white laser printer. Even if you want color-printing capability, an inkjet’s consumables might make it cheaper and faster to outsource your fliers and other projects.

Assess your printing needs and you might find that a laser printer isn’t that expensive after all.

Photo © Photodisc.

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