Inkjet Cartridges vs. Laser Toner Cartridges
For many of us, the computer itself was expensive enough without the added costs of all the extra accessories that go along with it. After buying a computer, a monitor, and all the accessories, the discount price we got on that computer doesn't look so good. The temptation is to then buy the cheapest printer we can find. The problem with that is that (especially for those that run small businesses or students) the printer is our connection to the world. We want our papers to be the best quality at the cheapest price. The first instinct is to go with an inkjet printer which can be way lower in price. However, it may not be the cheaper when you consider the ways in which you will use your printer.
The original cost for an inkjet printer is fairly inexpensive. Prices for printers range from $70 to around $200 for higher quality printers. These seem to be the most cost efficient, but it depends on the kind of printing you are going to do. Upfront, inkjet printers are cheap, but the cost of replacing the inkjet cartridges can be astronomical! They also provide the best quality print. That being said, if you are doing a lot of printing, the average cost per page can be as high as $.08 to $.09 cents a day. When you consider that the shelf life of a standard printer is around five years or so, it makes sense to go with an inkjet. As long as you are printing sparingly for the occasional report, paper, or picture, it is fairly cost effective. To put it into dollars and cents, if a person buys an inkjet printer for $100 (about the average price for an inkjet cartridge printer) and prints one page per day (at .08 cents per day), in five years he will have spent roughly $246 on printing in five years. If that same person is printing ten pages a day, the numbers go up exponentially (total printing costs $1560). The numbers begin to really add up quick and many consumers unknowingly shell out hundreds of dollars of extra money because of their "good buy".
Laser Printers on the other hand are generally more expensive than inkjet printers. When you add the price of laser toner cartridges, most people start running for the inkjet aisle. Laser toner cartridges cost about twice as much as inkjet cartridges, but they last much longer than inkjet cartridges. Where average inkjet cartridges print 300-400 pages, an average laser toner cartridge will print around 1500-2000 pages. The average price per page is around three cents. Using the same math for the Laser Toner machine, the cost for a person printing one page a day for five years after buying a two hundred dollar laser printer at three cents a page is $254.75. The inkjet printer in this case is probably a better buy. However, doing the quick math calculations in your head, anything more than a page a day starts to make the inkjet printer seem like a bad idea.
On top of the per page cost, there are other factors to consider. While the top inkjet cartridge printers can print around 20 pages per minute, laser printers go about twice that speed. For the most part they are usually quieter than an inkjet as well. The time saved and noise reduction alone might give the laser toner the edge in you office or home. In any case, when looking for a printer, consider the amount you will be using it as well as the costs after buying the printer. Spending a few extra dollars up front may save you hundreds in the end.
The original cost for an inkjet printer is fairly inexpensive. Prices for printers range from $70 to around $200 for higher quality printers. These seem to be the most cost efficient, but it depends on the kind of printing you are going to do. Upfront, inkjet printers are cheap, but the cost of replacing the inkjet cartridges can be astronomical! They also provide the best quality print. That being said, if you are doing a lot of printing, the average cost per page can be as high as $.08 to $.09 cents a day. When you consider that the shelf life of a standard printer is around five years or so, it makes sense to go with an inkjet. As long as you are printing sparingly for the occasional report, paper, or picture, it is fairly cost effective. To put it into dollars and cents, if a person buys an inkjet printer for $100 (about the average price for an inkjet cartridge printer) and prints one page per day (at .08 cents per day), in five years he will have spent roughly $246 on printing in five years. If that same person is printing ten pages a day, the numbers go up exponentially (total printing costs $1560). The numbers begin to really add up quick and many consumers unknowingly shell out hundreds of dollars of extra money because of their "good buy".
Laser Printers on the other hand are generally more expensive than inkjet printers. When you add the price of laser toner cartridges, most people start running for the inkjet aisle. Laser toner cartridges cost about twice as much as inkjet cartridges, but they last much longer than inkjet cartridges. Where average inkjet cartridges print 300-400 pages, an average laser toner cartridge will print around 1500-2000 pages. The average price per page is around three cents. Using the same math for the Laser Toner machine, the cost for a person printing one page a day for five years after buying a two hundred dollar laser printer at three cents a page is $254.75. The inkjet printer in this case is probably a better buy. However, doing the quick math calculations in your head, anything more than a page a day starts to make the inkjet printer seem like a bad idea.
On top of the per page cost, there are other factors to consider. While the top inkjet cartridge printers can print around 20 pages per minute, laser printers go about twice that speed. For the most part they are usually quieter than an inkjet as well. The time saved and noise reduction alone might give the laser toner the edge in you office or home. In any case, when looking for a printer, consider the amount you will be using it as well as the costs after buying the printer. Spending a few extra dollars up front may save you hundreds in the end.