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Printer Shopping Tips

Shopping considerations include the cost of cartridge or toner refills. We'll also list things to watch out for when shopping for an inkjet or a laser printer.

Refilling the Tank

Ink cartridges. Inkjet printers might be inexpensive, but the cost of replacement ink can drive up the overall cost. Check the prices of ink cartridges, and find out how many pages each cartridge is rated to print. Once you figure out how many pages you will print per month, you can determine the cost of the printer plus ink over the course of a year. Consider getting individual cartridges if you know you'll need one color more than others--for instance, if many of your documents have a red logo.

You can save significantly on the cost of printing each page by buying ink and toner made by a company other than your printer's manufacturer. That's fine, if you want just the cheapest possible printing for short-lived documents. However, you're taking a risk if print quality is paramount. For example, at the temperatures applied by your printer's engine, generic toner may not fix to the paper as well as the manufacturer's compound. The result could be poorly shaped characters and gray banding across the page--and that's not a great way to impress a potential customer.

There are several ways to spend less on ink and paper for your printer. From the printer's driver settings dialog box, set draft mode to save on ink when you don't need the best quality. You can also save by turning off color printing; black ink and toner are usually cheaper than their color counterparts. Save on paper by printing two pages side-by-side on the same sheet and, if your printer has a built-in duplexer, always print on both sides. Use cheap multipurpose paper for most jobs, such as Web pages and draft documents only you will read. Keep your best paper for when you need the highest quality, such as for business letters and your r??sum??.

When you do purchase ink and paper, buy in bulk. Many manufacturers offer bundles of ink and paper that dramatically lower the cost of printing photos. For example, HP's value pack for its Photosmart 375 and Photosmart 385 combines one tricolor ink cartridge with 50 sheets of snapshot paper for $20--less than the $25 cost of the cartridge alone.

Laser toner. Several laser printer manufacturers, including Dell and Lexmark, sell toner cartridges at a discount if you return the cartridges for recycling when they're empty. For example, Dell charges $90 for each 6000-page cartridge for its Laser Printer 1710n when you return it, but a nonreturnable version costs $130. In part, this is to discourage customers from refilling the cartridges, but it can also help to save the environment.

Other manufacturers have programs for recycling their inkjet and toner cartridges. For example, HP includes postage-paid shipping materials with most of its printers for returning used cartridges, but you can also order these from its Web site. Brother and Oki have similar programs through their Web sites. Konica Minolta includes prepaid shipping labels with its new cartridges for returning the used part.

Your local school or charity may participate in a collection program that helps it raise funds. You can also look for an office supply store that pays you a small sum or offers a discount in exchange for refillable cartridges.

Inkjet Printers

Speed. Manufacturers often list faster print speed specifications on their packaging than we see in testing.

Photo printing. Most color inkjets can print photos at a quality that approaches the level of a professional photo lab. If you plan to use your printer primarily for photos and graphics, look for models that specialize in that type of printing. If you plan to print mostly photos, look for photo printers with features such as media card readers and an LCD panel that allows you to view and print an image without using your PC. Also look for bundled image editing software.

Overall value. Price does not necessarily translate to print quality or speed. Shop around, and check the latest Top Inkjet Printers chart on PC World's Printer Info Center for the most recent test results. If you plan to print lots of graphics, keep an eye on our tested print speed for full-page graphics. Don't forget to research prices on PCWorld.com's Product Finder before making a purchase.

Monochrome Laser Printers

Text only? If you print lots of text-only documents, consider buying an inexpensive monochrome or color laser printer. These printers provide superior text quality compared with inkjet printers.

Value lasers. Some monochrome and color lasers cost as little as $150 and $400, respectively, making them a good deal for home users.

An inkjet for photos. If you need to print a lot of text and glossy photos, buying a good photo inkjet printer in addition to an inexpensive monochrome laser printer could save you money on ink and maintenance costs in the long run.

Is ethernet necessary? Most monochrome lasers come with optional ethernet ports for networks. If you plan to use the printer with just one PC, however, don't pay the extra money for an ethernet card.

Color Laser Printers

High-yield cartridges. When buying toner for laser printers, look for high-yield cartridges. Many manufacturers produce cartridges for the same printer that come in larger capacities at a better price. For example, Dell offers cartridges rated for 3000 pages for its Laser Printer 1710n at $70, whereas a 6000-page cartridge costs $90.

Print speed. PC World tests consistently find that color laser printers print color graphics more slowly than the printers' manufacturers claim they do. If print speed is a factor for you, always check the speeds on the latest Top Color Laser Printers chart listed on PC World's Printer Info Center page before deciding on a model.

Toner vs. cartridge. Color laser printer toner cartridges are the most expensive consumable you can buy for a printer, but their yield is so much higher than an inkjet cartridge that, in the long run, color laser toner is less expensive on a per-page basis.

Recyclability. Color laser toner cartridges are also potentially hazardous to the environment. Make sure your office supply store or supplier accepts spent units for recycling.

The cost of color. If you're not running a graphics department but still want to print color, you'll most likely choose an inkjet printer, which can create beautiful photo prints at a tenth of the cost of a color laser--when it comes to initial purchase price, that is. Keep in mind that the inexpensive price of an inkjet is quickly surpassed by the cost of replacement ink.

Paul Jasper contributed to this Buying Guide.