Inkjet vs Inktank vs Laser Printer

Including detailed running cost comparison

Everytime I remove my printer to print out - one problem or the other makes it certain I don’t get a print. Either the ink is over or dried out or it prints blank pages. It’s 2021 - we should now stop buying inkjet printers altogether.

WATCH INSTEAD OF READ?

Here’s why

1. While inkjet printers have a low initial cost and can print color prints quite well, the running cost of an inkjet printer is really high. Each cartridge costs around Rs. 800 and is expected to print around 480 black pages and 150 color pages. So that makes it at Rs. 1.67 for black and white prints and Rs. 5.33 for color prints.

   1. Take these number of pages with a pinch of salt, the actual number will be MUCH LOWER - manufacturers called out ISO Standards when mentioning the number of pages - the assumption manufacturers make for coming up with this number is that less than 5% of the page is covered with ink - no bold, no graphics, no picture. 5% coverage is what you see on the screen! Who prints like that?! So in theory - if you print longer pages or more graphics filled, the number of pages you get is much lower. https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/LaserJet-Printing/5-page-coverage/m-p/6044407/highlight/true#M310801

2. Second is inkjet cartridges can dry out if you use it occasionally (like I do). So in most cases, even when I refill the cartridge - within a year I have to replace it even if I have printed only a max of 40-50 pages. So my cost per page is significantly high.

3. Most manufacturers sell the printer at cost or less than cost. Most of their money is made in the cartridges. Normally inkjet cartridges are not just a refill of the ink - they have a thin filament which is heated, which causes the ink to bubble and push out a drop of ink from the cartridge. Apparently this technology is bound by patents - making cartridges ridiculously expensive. Most modern inkjet printers also have a way of detecting if you are not using original cartridges - so that option is also quickly going away.

So long story short - stop buying inkjet printers.

So what are our options instead of inkjet that last longer, cost cheaper in the long run and also don’t dry up?

1. Inktank - if your usecase is mainly color printing

2. Laser - if your usecase is mainly black and white printing

If you need to print in color - then an ink tank printer is a better option. Unlike inkjets - the cartridges have no intelligence or technology associated with it. It’s like filling petrol / diesel in your car. Just refill with the raw materials, no intelligence.

Yes, it has a higher upfront cost but the ink that comes with the printer lasts for atleast 2 years (i.e., does not dry as fast as inkjet) and prints over 4000 pages in black and white and 8000 pages in color. It can hold a lot of ink inside it - no need to constantly monitor the cartridge levels. Also the ink refills are not expensive at all - each color costs around Rs. 500 (you need a total of 4 - black, cyan, magenta, yellow)! No problem of drying out or paying for expensive refills. The speed is faster as well compared to ink jet printers . Depending on the brand - it prints at 19 - 33 pages per minute while inkjet prints at 7-10 pages per minute.

If you primarily print occasionally - a laser printer is a good option. It uses a toner - which is a powder - so does not dry out at all and can last forever - best for infrequent use. The speed is faster than ink jet printers at approximately 20 - 30 pages per minute while inkjet prints at 7-10 pages per minute. The toner that comes within the printer prints about 1500 pages and refill toners cost about Rs. 4000 based on which model you go with. I don’t recommend duplicate / refills as it can void your warranty and spoil your printer.

So what is the cost of each of these? For the sake of consistency, I used an HP model for each of these types (not that they are the best because I have a fondness for HP as I worked there for a while). The cost per page is the cheapest in the ink tank printers and most expensive for laser printers (if I consider black and white). If I take the upfront + printing costs for 1000, 2500, 5000, 10000 pages - where 1000 is occasional use while 10,000 is high use - like school or msall office. I found that the costs go up exponentially in the inkjet and laser printer as the costs of the cartridges are quite high. In the ink taxnk - since refill is with refill bottles, not expensive at all and gives a good coverage for many pages - the costs don’t go up exponentially.

So is ink tank a no brainer - well - not really. There is still a chance that the ink can dry over time and it requires you to print atleast on a weekly basis so the nozzle and ink does not dry up.

• An ink tank printer is THE BEST option for home use if you print atleast once a week - it gives really high number of pages with a single refill (i.e., high page yield if you wanna get technical), cheaper refills and can do both black and white and color printing.

• If you, like me, use a printer rarely - say once in a few months - don’t print too much and black and white is sufficient for you - get a cheap laser printer that can last you forever (over 10+ years with the factory cartridge) as it does not dry.

• If you absolutely require color or still think laser is expensive (which it is) - then get an ink tank but add a reminder on your calendar to remember to print atleast once a week. Not that the cost is too high to cause heart burn :)

Drop me a comment on which one would work best for you.