There is no single cheapest printer type. The lowest running cost comes from dividing the price of each supply by its rated page yield for the exact model you are considering, then multiplying by the pages and colours you print each month. As a general guide, a laser printer suits steady black-and-white documents, an ink tank printer suits colour and higher volumes at a low cost per page, and a standard cartridge inkjet suits light printing where the purchase price matters most.
Who this is for and what you will have at the end
This is for small offices, shops, clinics and home businesses choosing or replacing a printer. At the end you will have a cost-per-page formula, know how to read yield claims, and be able to compare three printer types on total cost of ownership. It gives no brand ranking and no prices, because prices vary by seller, country and date. Pick numbers from the seller's page on the day you buy and note the date.
The three printer types in plain terms
| Type | How it works | Supplies |
|---|---|---|
| Inkjet (cartridge) | Sprays liquid ink from small cartridges. | Cartridges, often separate black and colour, sometimes four separate colours. |
| Ink tank | Sprays liquid ink, but from built-in tanks you refill from bottles. | Ink bottles, one per colour. |
| Laser | Fuses dry toner onto paper with heat. | Toner cartridges, plus parts such as drum units on some models. |
Some models are sold under names such as Smart Tank (HP's ink tank line), and other brands use their own names. Check the product page to see which design the model uses.
The cost-per-page formula
Running cost has one core calculation:
cost per page = price of the supply / rated page yield of that supplyThen add the supplies a page uses. For a colour page on a printer with separate colours, you pay for each colour in use. For a black-and-white page on most printers you use only black.
An example with made-up numbers, to show the method only:
Black toner: price 6,000 for 3,000 pages -> 2.0 per page
Black ink bottle: price 800 for 6,000 pages -> 0.13 per pageThese are illustrative numbers, not real prices or yields. Replace them with the figures from the seller's page and the manufacturer's spec sheet for your model.
Add the other costs
Cost per page ignores some real costs. For a fair comparison, add:
- Printer purchase price. Spread it over the pages you expect to print in its life.
- Other consumables. Some printers use drum units, maintenance boxes or waste ink pads, and the manual states which.
- Paper. The same for every type, so it does not change the comparison.
- Power and downtime. Small compared with supplies for most offices, but consider repair visits and warranty.
How to read page yield claims
Page yield is the number of pages a supply is rated to print. Manufacturers publish it on product pages, often with a tilde, as in "~6,000 pages". For example, HP's EMEA product page for the GT53XL 135 ml black ink bottle lists "~6,200 pages", with the tilde showing the number is approximate. The page labels that figure "Page yield (color)" even though the bottle is black, which is a reminder to read the label and any footnote carefully and to use the manufacturer's page for your country and model.
Points to keep in mind:
- Standard test pages. Manufacturers measure yield on test pages under a defined method, and a yield figure is not a guarantee for your documents. A test page is not a full-colour graphic or a page of solid black, so dense pages will use more. Look for the manufacturer's note on the test method.
- Real yields can differ. Dense images, frequent cleaning cycles and many short print jobs can reduce the actual page count. Check whether the manufacturer's yield note states the test conditions.
- Yields do not transfer between models. A bottle or cartridge that fits two printers might yield different page counts on each. Use the yield listed for your printer.
- Starter supplies. Check whether the supplies in the box have a different yield from the replacements, and calculate from the replacement supplies.
Compare by workload
Work out how many pages you print per month and what kind of pages they are.
| Workload | Likely good fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A few pages a week, mostly black text | Laser, or a basic inkjet if colour is occasionally needed | Dry toner does not dry out, and low volume means supply cost matters little. |
| Steady black-and-white documents such as invoices and forms | Laser | Toner cartridges are rated for large page counts and printing is fast. |
| Regular colour printing such as brochures, reports and labels | Ink tank or colour laser | Ink tank bottles are rated for thousands of pages, and colour laser is an alternative if you need sharp text and speed. |
| Photos and graphics | Check the manufacturer's photo-capable models | Standard office yield tests are not meant for photo printing. |
| Very low volume, price-sensitive | Standard inkjet | Lowest purchase price, but cartridges cost more per page. |
These are guidelines. Check the model's own spec sheet for print speed, duty cycle and supported paper sizes.
Other features that change the real cost
- Duplex (two-sided) printing. Saves paper on every job. Check that the model supports automatic duplex.
- Print speed and duty cycle. The monthly duty cycle is the manufacturer's maximum recommended load. If you print above it, the printer wears faster.
- Scanner and document feeder. Multi-function models cost more but replace a separate scanner. A feeder matters if you scan stacks of pages.
- Connectivity. Check wired network, Wi-Fi and mobile printing support if staff print from phones.
- Supplies availability. Make sure the supplies are available locally and note the price of genuine ones. Third-party supplies may be cheaper, but check the warranty terms on whether they affect coverage.
- Warranty and support. Compare onsite versus carry-in service, as you would when choosing a business laptop.
Step-by-step: compare two models
- Estimate your monthly pages, split into black-and-white and colour.
- Pick two or three models and open each manufacturer's spec page for the model number.
- For each, find the replacement supply, its price today from a seller, and its rated yield. Note the date and source.
- Calculate the cost per page for black-and-white and for colour.
- Multiply by your monthly pages to get a monthly supply cost.
- Add the printer price divided by the months you expect to use it, for example over three years.
- Add other consumables and any maintenance items the manual lists.
- Compare the totals, and also check speed, duplex, scanning and warranty.
Troubleshooting running-cost surprises
| Problem | What to check |
|---|---|
| Supplies run out faster than the rating | Your pages are denser than the test pages, or cleaning cycles are using ink. Reduce print quality for drafts. |
| Colour comes out when printing black text | Check the print settings for grayscale or black-only, and the default in the driver. |
| Ink dries out after weeks of no use | Run the manufacturer's cleaning routine as the manual advises, and print a page regularly. |
| Printer refuses third-party supplies | Some printers check supplies. Read the manufacturer's policy before buying non-genuine supplies. |
Summary checklist
- Know your monthly pages and the split between colour and black.
- Use the cost-per-page formula with the price and yield for the same supply.
- Add the printer price and other consumables.
- Treat yields as approximate, and take them from the manufacturer's page for your country.
- Choose the type by workload: laser for steady black-and-white documents, ink tank for colour at volume, cartridge inkjet for light use.
- Check warranty, duplex, connectivity and local supply availability.
References
- HP GT53XL 135-ml Black Original Ink Bottle product page, HP (page yield and compatible printers): https://www.hp.com/emea_middle_east-en/products/ink-toner/product-details/24596867
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