Bill Becker, Network Administrator from the Pacific Center for Advanced Technology Training (PCATT), offers advice on picking the right printer that best suits your needs:

Printers come in a variety of types, models, and brands. With so many options available, choosing the right printer can be challenging. There are several variables and things to consider. Today we will examine choosing a printer as a consumer, compared to choosing a printer for a business.

Consumers typically choose inkjet printers, since the cost of the printer is relatively inexpensive, and in some cases free. However, most people don’t take into consideration the cost of the ink cartridge supplies. Inkjet printers come with cartridges that are only 30-50% filled with ink, which means you will be purchasing cartridges often. These cartridges can cost up to two or three times your initial investment of the printer. Our cost effective recommendation for inkjet printers would be Epson printers.

Businesses, on the other hand, should almost NEVER buy an inkjet printer. Typically, businesses print at a much greater volume than a consumer, and should thus consider a laser printer that utilizes a toner cartridge. Ink cartridges have a higher cost per print than a toner cartridge. Example: The HP#45 ink cartridge prints 200 pages and cost $29.99, which means the cost per print is 0.15. On the other hand, the HP Q2613X toner cartridge prints 4,000 pages and cost $79.99, which means the cost per print is 0.019. You would need to buy 20 inkjet cartridges to get the same amount of prints from one toner cartridge. As you can see, if you print on a daily basis, a laser printer is by far the more economical choice. Our laser printer recommendation is Hewlett Packard.

Whether you are a business or a consumer, don’t be fooled by the cost of the printer. Instead, research the cost of the supplies and take into account which option will save the most money over time. I always tell my employees “Don’t attempt to pick up the pennies while the dollars fly over your head."