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I often get asked about color printers. Whether you want to print pictures, home school curriculum, or anything else, the price of ink can very quickly add up. The average price to print in color is 8¢ per page! Let’s cut that way down.
I have it narrowed down to two great options. One option is great if you want something cheap now and the other option is great if you want something cheaper in the long run.
Instant Ink
HP has an Ink Subscription Service. They mail you ink, you pop it into your printer, they track how many sheets you print, and they send you a new one when you need it on repeat. They have a few different subscription plans and you can rollover pages from month to month. This is a great option for lighter printing.
You can get a HP compatible printer for around $70. It will usually come with 3 months of free Instant Ink. I have this printer and it really does work well for printing homeschool materials. I can print from my phone and the printer does a good job staying connected to the network.
To maximize my printing ability, I have paired my color HP color printer with a Brother HL laser printer. The Brother printer only prints in black and white. I print everything that doesn’t need to be in color on this printer (most worksheets, coupons, forms). You can get a (2) pack of cartridges for $22 that will print 2,600 pages… that comes out to $0.008 per print vs $0.05 per print with the HP Instant Ink.
Yes, add those together and you just spent $170 on printers, but they both go on sale. I’ve seen the HP printer on sale for $40 and the Brother on sale for $60. Due to Covid, supplies are more limited so sales are harder to come by. You could also just skip the Brother printer if you aren’t going to print a ton.
Epson EcoTank
If you plan to print a lot, the EcoTank may be a better option. There are different options that start at $200 based on which features you want. For me, duplex printing (meaning it will automatically print two sided) is worth the $50 extra. Think of how much you’ll save on paper and see if it makes sense for you based on what you’ll be printing the most.
The tanks hold enough ink to print up to 7,500 pages black and 6,500 pages color. So if you buy the printer for $200, you’re spending 1¢ per print (when including the price of the printer). Refills are $56 and you’ll get 7,500 pages black and 6,500 pages color. That’s $0.001 per print for black & white or $0.006 per color! Actual print amounts will vary greatly depending on how much ink is being used (full color pictures vs a color report page).
If you use the generic refills, they are $20 and will last for around 12,000 prints (depending on how much is on the page). Y’all, that comes out to $0.001 per print! Wowza!
Let’s Break Down the Math
If you print 100 pages per month it will be $5 per month. The printer is $70. That means it will take 26 months before you’ve spent the price of the Ecotank.
Other Considerations
-The Ecotank holds 100 sheets of paper.
-The HP holds 60 sheets of paper.
-Both can air print.
-Both can scan.
-Ecotank has a 2 year warranty.
-HP has a 1 year warranty.
