# Which make of printers are cheapest to use?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-make-of-printers-are-cheapest-to-use/107404>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 5, 2002, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-make-of-printers-are-cheapest-to-use/107404 "2002-05-05T18:10:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![The\_Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Griffin)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-make-of-printers-are-cheapest-to-use/107404/1 "2002-05-05T18:10:16Z")

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In terms of ink?

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**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-make-of-printers-are-cheapest-to-use/107404/2 "2002-05-05T18:43:29Z")

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Since you mentioned ink, I’m assuming ink jet printers (which are more costly than laser printers, on a per page basis) are what you are looking at.

PC Magazine’s [tests](http://www.pcmag.com/article/0,2997,s=1567&a=19103,00.asp) indicate that it’s not manufacturer dependent, so much as model dependent. There’s a link from this cite that has actual cost per typical page.

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**Author:** ![The\_Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Griffin)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-make-of-printers-are-cheapest-to-use/107404/3 "2002-05-05T20:44:49Z")

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Thanks!

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**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-make-of-printers-are-cheapest-to-use/107404/4 "2002-05-05T20:50:39Z")

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**DMC** is correct of course, its the model not the brand but i’m partial to HP myself. I’ve owned three of them over six years and i’ve never had a single problem.

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**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-make-of-printers-are-cheapest-to-use/107404/5 "2002-05-05T22:45:46Z")

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Whatever it is, it is NOT Lexmark. Cheap printers - terribly expensive ink.☹

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**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-make-of-printers-are-cheapest-to-use/107404/6 "2002-05-05T22:48:21Z")

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Im using a laser printer now. They can output 3000 pages per cart or so. Which is more than twenty times  
what an inkjet can do. So, if a black ink cart is $20.00 then a toner cart would be $400 but they  
are more liked $50-75

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**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-make-of-printers-are-cheapest-to-use/107404/7 "2002-05-05T22:48:43Z")

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A general rule of thumb is that the smaller the ink cartridge a printer uses, the higher its cost of use.