The cheapest printer can be the dearest to run — ink and toner are where the real cost lies. Here's how to cut your printing costs without buying a new machine.
Why ink costs so much
Manufacturers often sell printers cheaply and make their money on cartridges. The trick is to reduce how much ink you use and buy it more cheaply.
Easy ways to save
- Use an ink subscription (like HP Instant Ink) — it can dramatically cut cost per page for regular printers.
- Buy XL/high-yield cartridges — more pages for less per page.
- Print in draft mode for everyday documents to use less ink.
- Print in mono when you don't need colour.
- Print double-sided to halve paper use.
- Use “print preview” to avoid wasted pages.
If you print a lot
For high volumes of black text, a laser printer has a much lower cost per page than inkjet — worth the higher upfront price. Browse printers.
Final thoughts
An ink plan, XL cartridges and draft/mono printing are the quickest wins — and a laser pays off if you print heavily. Browse printers online or ask in any of our 60+ stores.
