One of the questions our customers most frequently ask us is ‘which manufacturer retails the cheapest ink cartridges?’ It’s only natural that people want to cut costs where possible, which is why we’ve decided to put together a news post to better educate you all in what to look for when buying ink and toner cartridges.

There’s a lot of confusion when it comes to buying ink cartridges and saving money, and that’s because the face value of cartridges isn’t always the strongest indicator as to which cartridge is the cheapest option in the long run. To simplify this, some ink and toner cartridges are cheap on actual outlay (entry level and low-end inkjets such as Canon MX925), but the yields for these cartridges are small, meaning that they are incredibly costly to run.

One of the best ways to calculate this properly is to take note of the cost per print.  In this case machines belonging to the Epson WorkForce Pro range, for example, would be considerably cheaper in the long-term. The inks for such machines are more expensive per unit – perhaps £30.00 or so per ink – but the yield is much higher, meaning that in the long-run, there is a lot of money to be saved.

As a general rule, we tend to advise that low end machines may boast low ink costs, but the pricey cost per print tends to eradicate the benefit of buying cheap at face value. On that same note, higher end machines generally have a higher cost per ink, but a much better cost per print.

So, what should I buy?

There’s no right or wrong answer to this question – at the end of the day, what works better for one customer may prove a lot less beneficial to another. However, generally, we would advise that if you rely heavily on your printer and you require a continuous, high volume of output, a more expensive machine with pricier inks will probably work a lot better for you. High end machines come complete with lots of handy features and settings designed to aid fast-paced businesses, and the low cost per print that the cartridges boast promises to minimise your spending in the long term.

If on the other hand, you require your machine for infrequent/low volume use in the home, a simple, low cost inkjet is probably much better suited to your needs. As your output will be low, investing in a larger, more expensive machine wouldn’t have the same benefits as it would if you were a large, high-output business. For users with a minimal volume of output and less reliance on their printer, the lower upfront cost of the machine itself and the ink and toner cartridges needed for that machine will probably help keep your costs down.

We really hope that you found this news post useful! If you enjoyed it, why not share it with your friends, family and work colleagues on Facebook and/or Twitter now?

Happy printing!

The Printerbase Team