When choosing a printer for home use, most people focus on its price and quality, yet forgetting about another important aspect – ink cost. At Smart Ink, we believe that this is one of the essential parameters that you should take into consideration.
For this reason, we’ve created this short guide that will help you find the best printer for home use with cheap ink. We’ve listed several printer models dwelling upon their key features, main pros, and cons.
So if you wonder which printer has the cheapest ink cartridges, read on!
Canon PIXMA MX922
As most PIXMA models, Canon PIXMA MX922 offers quite low CPP both of the simple text pages and colored printouts. It is a good printer with cheap ink that is basically an all-in-one solution with scan and copy functions, built-in faxing, and an automatic document feeder.
Black text cost per page (CPP) – 5.3 cents
Graphics CPP – 16.8 cents
8×10 photo CPP – $1.95
Printer cost – from $305.65 on Amazon
Original cartridge cost – $104.95
Smart Ink compatible cartridge cost – $9.99
Some people claim that it is the best printer with cheap ink, yet there are a lot of other worthwhile options in the market.
HP OfficeJet Pro 8210
This HP model may be the cheapest printer to operate. It is an ordinary color inkjet printer, which enables wireless printing via WiFi network, Apple AirPrint, and Google Cloud Print. If you are looking for a home printer with the lowest ink cost and without some extra functions, take a closer look at HP OfficeJet Pro 8210. It is easy to use, quite inexpensive, and reliable.
Black text CPP – 1.9 cents
Graphics CPP – 5.2 cents
8×10 photo CPP – $0.95
Printer price – from $130.40 on Amazon
Original cartridge cost – $154.56
Smart Ink compatible cartridge cost – $33.99
Can anything be even less expensive? Yes! Read on to see a printer with the cheapest ink.
Canon PIXMA TS8220
Canon TS8220 is not just another color printer with cheap ink, but a whole all-in-one solution for those who need to scan and copy documents as well. This model has one distinctive feature: it has an additional paper tray that can hold up to 100 sheets.
Black text CPP – 7.3 cents
Graphics CPP – 13.2 cents
8×10 photo CPP – $2.05
Printer cost – from $197.88 on Amazon
Original cartridge cost – $107.20
Smart Ink compatible cartridge cost – $36.99
We believe that this Canon model is great for home use since the printer itself is very affordable and it doesn’t consume too much ink.
HP OfficeJet Pro 8100
Among printers that use generic ink, HP Officejet Pro 8100 is one of the most affordable options. It just a regular printer with Ethernet and WiFi that also allows printing via AirPrint and Google Cloud Print. The distinctive feature of this model is paper capacity – the main tray fits 250 sheets. Besides, it can accept quite heavy paper – up to 114# basis weight, which is also a nice benefit.
Black text CPP – 1.6 cents
Graphics CPP – 9.4 cents
8×10 photo CPP – $1
Printer cost – from $476.98 on Amazon
Original cartridge cost – $149.89
Smart Ink compatible cartridge cost – $17.99
There is only one small disadvantage of this model – it is not an all-in one solution but just a simple printer. This may be a bit inconvenient in case you want to fully cover your needs.
Epson Expression Home XP-340
Although this model was first released in 2017, it is still popular among consumers. It produces quite high-quality printouts and may become a nice printer for home use. It also has scan and copy functions and may work via WiFi networking, Apple AirPrint, and Google Cloud Print.
Black text CPP – 5.5 cents
Graphics CPP – 26.6 cents
8×10 photo CPP – $0.6
Printer cost – from $297.88 on Amazon
Original cartridge cost – $81.96
Smart Ink compatible cartridge cost – $33.99
This printer will allow you to save more on printing photos, even though the cost per page of the text documents and color graphics is a bit higher than in other options.
Brother HL-L3230CDW
This is a color laser printer from Brother that will help you get sharp and clear printouts at home. Unfortunately, it is not suitable for a home office and some users may find the lack of scan and copy options really inconvenient. But it mostly depends on your needs and demands.
Black text CPP – 3.3 cents
Graphics CPP – 21.2 cents
8×10 photo CPP – $0.65
Printer cost – from $313.77 on Amazon
Original cartridge cost – $346.96
Smart Ink compatible cartridge cost – CDN $89.99
As you can see, the cost per page of this printer is also very low, so you won’t spend too much if you opt for this Brother model.
Comparing the best printers for home use
Canon PIXMA MX922 | HP OfficeJet Pro 8210 | Canon PIXMA TS8220 | HP OfficeJet Pro 8100 | Epson Expression Home XP-340 | Brother HL-L3230CDW | |
Printer price | $305.65 | $130.40 | 197.88 | $476.98 | $297.88 | $313.77 |
Cost per page (black text) | 5.3 cents | 1.9 cents | 7.3 cents | 1.6 cents | 5.5 cents | 3.3 cents |
Cost per page (color) | 16.8 cents | 5.2 cents | 13.2 cents | 9.4 cents | 26.6 cents | 21.2 cents |
Original cartridge price | $104.95 | $154.56 | $107.20 | $149.89 | $81.96 | $346.96 |
Smart Ink compatible cartridge price | $9.99 | $33.99 | $36.99 | $17.99 | $33.99 | CDN $89.99 |
Want to save even more?
No matter which of the printers with the least expensive ink you choose, it’s possible to save even more by using compatible or remanufactured cartridges. This way, you will still get high-quality printouts, but the total expenses will be significantly lower, which will allow you to spend money on what’s really important.
Smart Ink has been providing top-quality compatible cartridges to users all over the world for years. We are proud to say that when it comes to the cheapest ink replacement, we are the guys you’ve been looking for. Our team will help you select the cartridges that fit your printer best and organize free shipping in the shortest possible time.
So don’t think hard, think smart with Smart Ink! Because with us, you can use cheap ink cartridges and spend the money on what you do care about.
One thing you should consider when trying to decide between the brands is whether or not you will be printing the labels yourself or hiring someone to do it. If you are just looking for a simple product to put on packages, it may be cheaper just to purchase the product rather than paying for a label maker.