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Do you use a colour laser printer?
I do a fair amount of color printing at my office, and am wondering if it would be smart to invest in a colour laser printer. Is the value of a colour laser printer worth the price?
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4 Answers
With prices in the US down as low as $200, you can save quite a bit of money using a color laser in place of an inkjet printer. If you regularly send out printing jobs for color copies, such as for non-glossy marketing handouts, the right color laser will save money and time there as well.
Julia: I do have one in my office. I assessed my need for color copies and my need for an immediate solution so I didn't have to keep running out for color copies. I did my homework on cost of inhouse copies compared to using a copy center. My analysis showed that for most short run color jobs it actually is less expensive to do the jobs in my office. When I have large jobs I still use the copy center or a short run printing house. When you do your analysis, be sure to account for the time and transportation savings by doing them inhouse.
It comes down to two things...
1. The price per page of your existing in house/out of house printing and the volume
2. The price per page of the colour laser and the volume you intend to use it for
You'll note that in the main inkjet priniting is atrociously expensive (cartridges often cost more than the printer) on a price per page basis (you can work out price per page from the manufacturers website), but it's also pretty expensive in cheap laser printers too (they subsidise the printer but sting you on consumables).
Once you've determined the direct cost savings of replacing your existing methodologies, then you can work out how much is reasonable to spend on a colour laser to replace them.
To be honest. I've always looked to laser printers as a small way to save some money (in the long run) when color print jobs are a regular. InkJet cartridges constantly require changing and can quickly eat up a portion of ones' budget.
But as far as savings wise; it really does all come down to how much you print and what you are printing. Those two factors will determine what truly works for you.
Try contacting your local HP sales representative. I have seen where HP will allow you to try a refurbished LaserJet for a month to compare costs and usage with your current setup. You will more than likely have to reach out to a local or regional rep though as standard sales staff usually don't do "test runs". I'm not sure if other companies have similar offers.
Hope this helps.
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