What's the Least Expensive Inkjet Printer? (A Buyer's Guide)

In our business, customers are constantly asking for printer recommendations for machines that use inexpensive printer supplies.

So we have decided to put together another in depth study, on which new inkjet printer provides the best bang for your buck, based on your printing habits.

This year's printer review produced a short list of economical printers in comparison to our last evaluation. If the existing trend continues (and it likely will), the options for low cost printers which use inexpensive supplies and have problem free performance may be limited. As we've observed the trend we're seeing is that in general, the newer the printer, the smaller the cartridge and the more expensive the ink per milliliter.

(This information is current as of January 2011)

Most new printers create superior images typically described in DPI (dots per inch) from 6000 x 1200 to 4800 x 1200. This means that resolution is not a good point of analysis between brands and models since they all produce high quality images (for everyday printing).

This is not a review on photo printers per se, if you are looking for a printer that will be utilized for printing full size pictures exclusively, this is not an article that will help you.

Here's how we reached our conclusions on finding the least expensive inkjet printer model to own?

First, we selected printers best suited for printing text/color with an occasional photo thrown into the mix. Printers can be multifunction or standard, but we were predominantly concerned with the printer and supply costs.

Next, we eliminated printer models, that cost over $200 or any printer models that have well known problems. For this reason most of the Dell and Epson NX series printers were not considered.

A printer must be available as "new" from Amazon.com and have at least 10 user ratings to qualify for review consideration.

Once that list was created, the printers were evaluated in the following areas.

1. Cost for cartridges- The cost for both black and color cartridges on cost per ml (cost based on ASAP inkjets retail price)

2. Cost of printer- The average retail price you would expect to pay.

3. Ratings from users- Star rating 0 - 5 stars from Amazon.com (5 being the best rating)

4. Cartridge reliability- Our own assessment of the most reliable aftermarket cartridges available

LEAST EXPENSIVE PRINTER CARTRIDGES

This is the cost of the ink only. This does not consider printer rating, printer cost or other costs of operation (such as replacement printheads). If you are a very high volume user of ink, this is an important section for you.

"Page yield" information cannot be relied on because you will most likely not get the same page yield from an inkjet cartridge as the manufacturer claims. Manufacturer listed page yield information does not account for variances in coverage area, font type, font size, spacing, printing frequency, or environmental conditions etc. Page yields between different manufacturers also cannot be compared fairly, because they do not use the same benchmarks. In other words, page yield cannot be replicated or verified on inkjet printers.

This is why we choose to focus on the cost per ml (milliliter) of ink in each cartridge to determine value (cost per volume of ink contained in the cartridge). Milliliter volume is absolute, equal, and verifiable.

Judging only on cost for ink, the lowest price BLACK text printing with an aftermarket cartridge is the HP 940XL series black high capacity cartridge. This cartridge was rated first with a super low cost per ml of.22 cents! The HP 920XL series black was second with.42 cent per ml cost. The Brother LC-61 black compatible was third at.46 cents per ml.

Most EXPENSIVE after market cartridge, black ink - Canon PG-210XL $1.33 per ml

For color printing, these cartridges ranked at the top. The Kodak 1810829 (Kodak 10 color) came in first with.20 cents per ml, which is simply amazing, for color! The Brother LC-61 series cyan, magenta and yellow was in second place with.39 cents per ml. The 3rd place goes to the Canon CLI-221 series cartridges at 1.00 per ml.

Most EXPENSIVE after market cartridge, color ink - Canon CL-211XL $1.69 per ml

COST OF PRINTER

Printers had to have an average retail price of $200 or less. Because printer life has decreased to roughly 4 years or so, we felt an investment of more than this could mean a poor ROI (unless you are printing very large volumes, then you can make a case for spending more).

The least expensive printer that made the list was the Canon PIXMA iP2702 for $40.00 (but it also uses the most expensive cartridges.

RATINGS FROM OWNERS

We wanted to present unbiased quality information on what people thought of each of the printer model reviewed. To do this, we gleaned the star ratings listed from printer owners on Amazon.com to determine their level of satisfaction.

Although many printer manufacturers had machines with 3.5 to 4.5 star ratings, some brands ranked better than others, as to be expected.

As a whole, it was evident that Canon printer owners were happier than any other group, with the purchase of their machines. Although the average price for a new Canon printer was more than HP, Brother or Kodak, some people swear by them and are willing to plunk down the extra money.

The Canon printers are among the most reliable and durable printers on the market and their quality puts them at #1 for ratings alone. The printer supplies costs vary dramatically from model to model, so be aware of this before buying.

Out of the 72 printers surveyed, 7 of the top 10 printers were Canon printers receiving a 4.5 out of 5 star rating.

The most reviewed and highest rated printer was the Canon Pixma MP 560 receiving 532 reviews. This printer, uses the PGI-220 and CLI-221 cartridges, which are rated right around the middle in terms of cartridge cost.

In second place was Brother showing strong customer support for most of their printer models currently available. Brother has been around for years but have never had a huge presence in retail centers.

CARTRIDGE RELIABILITY

In terms of reliability, it was close. After much contemplation and debate we have concluded that the Brother LC-61 series cartridge has edged out the competition in performance. While the Kodak 10 series and Canon PGI-220-CLI-221 series both have excellent records of problem free use and good to excellent economy, the Brother LC-61 beat all three in one category; simplicity.

The LC-61 ink cartridges do not use a microchip to communicate with the printer like the Kodak or Canon cartridges. With no electronics and a simple sponge reservoir, there is very little that can go wrong with this ink cartridge. It is no more than a plastic box of ink; simple, economical and reliable.

BEST INKJET PRINTER FINAL SUMMARY

Considering all of the information: cost of supplies, (cost of printer, ratings for printer owners and ratings of the cartridges) these printers do well in some categories but maybe not in all.

Best high volume inkjet printer: - HP OfficeJet Pro 8000 4 stars (about $100) * HP OfficeJet Pro 6000 3.5 stars (about $70)

The HP 920XL and HP 940XL series cartridges are cheap, big and mostly reliable. The problem is that this type of printer tends to go through printheads which can be about $100 per set. If you print 1000 pages or more per month, this is a great printer for you since the cost will be offset by the low cost per ml in the cartridges.

Best low volume inkjet printer: - Canon PIXMA iP2702 4.5 Stars (about $40.00)

This was a tough question to answer since this printer uses the most expensive cartridges. However, if you need a printer that will not be used very often, such as for a vacation home, a backup, or for grandma's house (if she does not print much), this is a low cost unit that is rated well. Again, this would be a good choice for very low volumes of printing.

Best overall printer to own - Brother MFC-295CN multi function 3.5 stars (about $75) * Brother MFC-J265 w multi function 3.5 stars (about $75)

Although the Brother printers do not tend to print envelopes or heavy photo paper very well due to the bottom feeding paper tray, the value for the dollar cannot be beat considering all factors, for the average user over a period of 4 years.

These machines use the same printhead technology and deliver inexpensive, quality printing in both black and color. They use the LC-61 series cartridges and have an excellent track record using the higher capacity compatible cartridges from ASAP inkjets.

Best overall printer Runners up - In runner up for great all around printing would be one of the following Canon printers that use the PGI-220 and CLI-221 cartridges.

* Canon PIXMA MP620 4 stars (about $100)

* Canon PIXMA MP990 4 stars (about $100)

* Canon PIXMA MP560 4.5 stars (about $100)

These Canon machines are very well built and other than a little higher average cost for the printer and supplies, are nearly perfect.

We don't sell printers at ASAP inkjets but we do try to help people make good decisions when looking to buy one.

If you are in need of a new printer now, or have been on the fence about getting a new one, you may want to act sooner since printer models do not stay around for long.

Get your inkjet cartridges and laser toner at up to 80% below retail store prices from ASAP Inkjets. Signup for their free newsletter for tips & discounts at: subscribe@asapinkjets.com or visit http://www.asapinkjets.com/

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Printers - A Practical Buyers Guide

Buying a printer can be a complicated business, there are more shapes, sizes and types of printers available to the home and small business user than ever before. Printers have also become specialised for their intended purpose.

It is no longer a case of "a printer is a printer". Printers are now designed to be good in a particular area rather than a "Jack-of-all trades", which will do everything.

An often overlooked issue, is the very serious consideration of cost of ownership, which is all about of how much it will cost to keep your printer running (see below). So making that decision on which printer to go for can be a seriously arduous task, especially if you are keen to buy a printer that is not only affordable to buy but also cheap to run.

So here is the information that you need to know and consider, but no one tells you! We have not expanded on which printer is the best at any given time because models constantly change and you can find that information in any current glossy PC magazine off the shelf. Instead, here you will find the good, bad and ugly bits from the different types of printers available so you can make an informed decision yourself.

Inkjet Technology

Inkjet printers form images by spraying tiny droplets of liquid ink onto paper. The size and precision of the dots of ink and the type and quality of the ink itself govern how good the print quality is. A quality inkjet printer can produce very near photo-quality images using specialist photo coated paper. In general there are two types of inkjet printers, those with the printhead built into the printer like Epson, Brother etc and those where the printhead is actually on the ink cartridge like HP and Lexmark. There are many arguments for and against both technologies, but in our experience we have found both to be very good, the major difference seems to be that the cost of running a printer using the "printhead" type ink cartridge is usually higher.

Inkjet ink is specially formulated for specific printer models and their purpose, much technology is involved in the development of these inks to improve print quality, longevity, drying speeds and printing speeds etc. Most inkjet ink is produced using dye based ink which can flow easily through the tiny nozzles of the printhead, this type of ink is good for photos and colour shades but not so good for longevity or solid vibrant colour, think of it like a water colour painting. In recent years pigment ink technology has advanced considerably to enable use in inkjet printing. Previously ink pigments were too large and would block up the nozzles. This type of ink is good for solid colours and longevity, think of it like an oil painting.

Manufacturers like Epson, HP and Jet Tec are now increasingly using a fusion of dye based and pigmented inks to create superb quality photo printing with vibrant colours and longevity too.

Inkjet printers use anything between two and eight ink cartridges to do their job. Generally speaking the entry-level machines use two cartridges, good all round machines use four and specialist photo printers use six or more. The two cartridge system works fine though can be a bit wasteful on the colour ink, so go for a four-cartridge system where possible especially if you do colour printing. The six or more cartridge systems produce outstanding photos, but can be costly and a pain to keep changing cartridges (printer does not work if any one cartridge is empty).

Inkjet printers are the best solution for most people and are usually the most cost effective way to print - unless you are printing large volumes.

Portable Inkjet Printers

These printers are small, lightweight and ideal for people on the move. Although the printing of high quality photographs is usually beyond this type of printer, basic colour printing is of good quality and the quality of text print is mostly outstanding considering the size of these tiny portable A4 printers. These printers are not suitable for high volume printing.

Inkjet Printers

The Inkjet Printer is the most commonly used type of printer among home and small business users. With excellent all round printing capabilities, from black & white text print and good colour prints through to very hi-resolution, high quality photographs using Inkjet Photo Printers. Inkjet printers are available from cheap entry level to high-end business use machines and can print from photo size prints to massive A2 and bigger sizes, there are models for occasional use and others for high volume print jobs too. One of the many great things about Inkjet printers is that you can use a wide variety of media to print on, including standard paper, photo paper, card, t-shirt transfers, canvas, projector film etc, achieving different looks and textures for your prints and print for different purposes. Most Inkjet printers are USB connections and not suitable for networks, although models are also available for networks and with parallel connections.

Multi-Function Inkjet Printers

Multi-Function Inkjet Printers have been built to meet the needs of home offices and small businesses. These excellent value machines provide multiple solutions in one compact and easy to use machine i.e. printing, scanning, copying and some also have built in fax machines too. Not only are these machines great for saving space on your desk, but they are also very good for printing too using the same technology as standard inkjet printers. The only thing you should be aware of is that you can only use one function at a time and if anything goes wrong with an "All-in-one" machine, you may lose the all the functions at once!

Laser Printers

Laser printers work in a similar way to photocopiers, except they use a laser instead of a bright light to scan with. They work by creating an electrostatic image of the page onto a charged photoreceptor, which in turn attracts toner in the shape of an electrostatic charge. Toner is the material used to make the image (as ink is in an inkjet printer) and is a very fine powder, so laser printers use toner cartridges instead of ink cartridges.

Laser Printers have traditionally been the best printing solution for heavy office users as they produce a very high quality black text finish and offer relatively low running costs. However, laser printers have advanced a great deal recently and their prices have steadily dropped, as a result there are now compact laser printers, multi-function and colour laser printers all at very affordable prices. Laser printers make sense if you need to do a lot of high quality black or colour prints, not photos. The great thing about a colour laser printer is that they can print a very good quality colour image on standard copier paper, so you do not need to use expensive photo paper for large jobs. Do check the prices of the consumables before you buy the printer as these can be very expensive for colour laser printers.

Laser printers are the best solution for people who are printing in large volumes, that is, in 100's of pages at a time or 1000's of pages per month. Colour lasers also take quite a while to warm up, so are not ideal for printing single pages.

Solid Ink Printers

Solid ink printers use solid wax ink sticks in a "phase-change" process, they work by liquefying wax ink sticks into reservoirs and then squirting the ink onto a transfer drum from where it is cold-fused onto the paper in a single pass. Solid ink printers are marketed almost exclusively by Tektronix / Xerox and are aimed at larger businesses and high volume colour printing.

Solid ink printers used to be cheaper to purchase than similarly specified colour lasers and fairly economical to run owing to a low component usage, today it is not necessarily any cheaper than a colour laser printer. Output quality is good but generally not as good as the best colour lasers for text and graphics or the best inkjets for photographs. Print speeds are not as fast as most colour lasers.

Dye-Sublimation Printers

Dye-Sublimation printers use heat and solid colour dyes to produce lab-quality photographic images. Dye-Sub printers contain a roll of transparent film made up of page-sized panels of colour, with cyan, magenta, yellow, and black dye embedded in the film. Print head heating elements vaporize the inks, which adhere to a specially coated paper, as the ink cools it re-solidifies on the paper. Colour intensity is controlled by precise variations in temperature.

Dye-sublimation printers lay down color in continuous tones one color at a time instead of dots of ink like an inkjet, because the colour is absorbed into the paper rather than sitting on the surface, the output is more photo-realistic, more durable and less vulnerable to fading than other ink technologies.

The downside of Dye-Sub printers is that they are generally more expensive to buy and run, usually limited to photo sized prints only and can only print onto one type of specialised paper as well as being quite slow to print.

Dye-Sublimation printers are best for those who want to link up their digital camera to a purpose built printer and print out the finest quality photos at home without fuss.

Dot Matrix Printers

Dot matrix printers are relatively old fashioned technology today with poor quality print, slow and very noisy output. This type of printer is no longer used unless you wish to create invoices using the continuous paper with holes on both sides. The good thing is that they are very cheap to run!

Cost of Ownership

Many printers today are very cheap to buy, but people are sometimes shocked to discover the cost of replacing the consumables (ink or laser cartridges, imaging drums, fuser, oils, specialist papers etc). The cost of replacing the ink can sometimes cost more than the printer itself! This is one of the most commonly overlooked factors when printers are reviewed and yet one of the most important things to consider before handing over your hard earned cash. Tests run in 2003 by Which? magazine famously compared the cost of HP's ink with vintage 1985 Dom Perignon.

A Sheffield City Council report aimed at helping schools decide on the best-value printers to buy, calculated total cost of ownership over the lifetime of a printer (not sure how long that is!). Adding up all the running costs, ink or toner, paper, maintenance and even electricity, SCC worked out that a colour inkjet costs approx 38p per page to run compared to a colour laser which costs approx 7p per page. Sheffield City Council advised its schools that if they printed more than three colour pages a day (assuming a 40-week academic year) they should buy a laser.

These figures cannot be taken hard and fast due to the many variables involved, but it is generally accepted that the cost per print of a laser printer is cheaper than that of an inkjet, which is in turn cheaper than that of a sub-dye printer. However, you would have to do a fair amount of colour printing to take advantage of the economy offered by a laser printer.

Summary

When buying a printer, firstly carefully consider its use, is it mostly general printing or for photographs, is it for occasional use or high volumes, will it be a stand alone device or connected to a network? Then using the guideline information above you will be able to decide on which type of printer is most suitable for you at the time.

Article by Iggy Quazi director of Ecommerce business Mouse2House based in Essex, England stocking a wide range of digital imaging devices. ...For more information visit http://www.mouse2house.co.uk for the latest digital media products. For a wide range of Canon ink cartridges see http://www.mouse2house.co.uk/index.php?CatURN=51

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