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Finding a printer with cheap cartridges is not that easy - often a look at the price is not enough to decide whether the printing costs are more expensive than other models.
After all, there are big differences between cartridge sizes and the resulting printing performance.
Many printers under 100 euros have also fallen into disrepute, as the manufacturers offer the device cheaply, but offer the original cartridges at high prices.
Here we would like to give you an overview of the pitfalls when buying - we also explain how you can calculate printing costs.
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Printers with the lowest printing costs: the most important information
If you print a lot, you should think about the printing costs when purchasing a device.
It can be worthwhile to not only look at the price of a printer, but also to take a look at the power consumption and the cartridges used.
Some cartridges can be reused by refilling them with ink, others are particularly large and offer more printing performance.
Basically, however, the following applies: Don't be dazzled by cheap printers, but also consider more expensive devices.
Experience shows that the cartridges for high-priced models are cheaper - for people who print a lot, this can pay off.
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You can of course achieve the best printing results with original cartridges - imitation or remanufactured cartridges are sold by other manufacturers, so that the color brilliance and UV resistance of the colors is not always guaranteed.
For some products it is also questionable how environmentally friendly the cartridges are.
Nevertheless, it should be mentioned here that many printers also work with cartridges and toners from third-party suppliers and this saves a lot of money.
Laser printers: These models have inexpensive cartridges
An affordable laser printer is the Brother HL-L2350DW * is initially relatively expensive, but one cartridge can print up to 3,000 pages.
You also have the option of using a no-name toner * that costs less than half the price.
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The price of the HP LaserJet Pro M15w * laser printer is still reasonable to purchase and the original toner * costs just under 50 euros for 1,000 pages.
In contrast, you pay less than half for the compatible toner from BAISINE *
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Inkjet printer: cheap cartridges
This shows what we mentioned earlier: More expensive printers often have cheap cartridges.
The HP OfficeJet 250 * costs a little more to buy, but then runs with cartridges * that are as cheap as those of many no-name manufacturers.
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Epson has come up with an affordable solution that can save shoppers a lot and do something good for the environment.
The EcoTank ET-2650 * has refillable cartridges - the original colors are available individually for less than ten euros - the color lasts for up to 4,000 pages.
A set with compatible colors from Kineco * is even cheaper.
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With the Canon Pixma TS5050 * you get an affordable inkjet printer and 20 individually insertable XL cartridges from another manufacturer in four different colors.
The no-name products work with the printer, so you can save a lot when buying more.
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The Brother DPJ572DW * also comes with a starter set of individually replaceable cartridges for 200 pages each.
Another set from another manufacturer * is reasonably priced at just under 24 euros - even 400 pages per color are promised.
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Calculate printing costs: Here's how
When calculating printing costs, you should keep an eye on the prices for printer cartridges or toner, but also for the necessary paper *.
Calculate the price of a sheet of paper by dividing the cost of the package by the number of sheets.
Printer cartridges usually have a note on the number of sheets they can print on.
Divide the price by this value and you will get the cost of the printing ink.
Now you just have to add both values to get the total price for a printed page.
Please note, however, that electricity costs or the purchase of the device are not included in the calculation.
You can use these tips to reduce printing costs
Make sure you have separate ink tanks on inkjet printers so that you don't have to replace the entire cartridge if only one color is empty.
Some printers work with XXL cartridges or the cartridges can be refilled with ink bottles in an environmentally friendly and cost-effective manner.
With toner, you should make sure to choose the largest possible cartridges.
With products that can print 3,000 pages, you save quite a bit of money in return for toners for 1,000 pages - similar to bulk packs in the supermarket.
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You can also reduce printing costs with double-sided printing because less paper is required - which is also better for the environment.
Before buying, ask yourself how much you need to print around the home or office.
If you only have a few print jobs per month, you will probably get away with an inkjet printer for less.
It is also crucial whether you really need a color printer - maybe a black-and-white printer will also work for your purposes?
In any case, you will save on the purchase of the cartridges.
If possible, use printer cartridges and toners from other manufacturers - these are often much cheaper.
Before buying, however, pay attention to the quality (buyer reviews), whether the cartridges are compatible with your device and whether any warning notices on the printer light up and the fill levels can still be called up.
*
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This article was first published on February 20, 2020.