Printing Math Mammoth--color or B&W?

[HollyBee]

Okay MM pdf users, that's a pretty straightforward question. I've been printing in color, one-sided (b/c it shows through if I duplex, which seems distracting). However, it would be much less expensive to print it on my B&W laser printer. Of course, it would be ideal to have a COLOR laser printer, but that's not in the budget right now.

 

So? What do you do? Comments welcome!

[Veritaserum]

I have a color laser and still print in black and white. :) Double-sided.

[Guest Cheryl in SoCal]

My dd prefers color.

[hollyhock]

I just want to say that there are times in the lessons where the colour kind of matters. Like it will say "do this with the red balls and that with the blue balls" or something similar. That being said, I still print it in b&w and have only run across one instance where I couldn't figure out what it wanted my son to do because of the lack of colour. And in that case, I just referred to the file on my computer and then it was no problem.

[boscopup]

Color, fast draft, double sided. It doesn't show through in fast draft, since the color is lighter.

 

Not sure what I'd do if I had a b&w laser printer though. Maybe try a few pages with your kid and see how it goes? I don't think the color is necessary.

[Corraleno]

My kids prefer color, so I print in color on "fast draft" mode; it uses very little ink.

 

Jackie

[Beth in SW WA]

Color :)

[robsiew]

B&W here, single side. Sometimes my olders need room for their "work" so they use they back.

 

The only things I print in color are the money lessons because the coins are hard to tell apart otherwise.

 

If something "has" to be in color I trace it with a marker. It's usually just a tiny bit every great once in a while.

[ChandlerMom]

Got both color and B&W lasers; print most things on B&W and select pages in color (if important for content or just as a treat).

 

ETA: I print single-sided then comb bind a chapter -- can use the back of last page as extra scratch if needed.

[ocelotmom]

B&W except for the money sections.

[Guest aquiverfull]

I print it out with fast draft mode in Black and White. I have been printing on one side only, simply because it never occurred to me to print on both sides...lol.

[TheAutumnOak]

I print in color, one side on a setting called "fast normal"...It uses less ink than normal, but is not as light as "draft"...

The pro to buying the PDF was that the lessons could be in color...

[HollyB]

B&W laser, doubled-sided. I use colored pencils to mark the problems when they need it, but so far it's only been a few pages. Color printing would be nice, but it's money that I don't need to spend. It osunds like you have both printers, so you could just print those few pages in color and the rest in B&W.

[nansk]

I agree with the other posters who voted colour.

I print in colour, fast draft, double sided. My dd prefers colour. Plus, there are some pages where colour matters.

[freerange]

I usually ask if they want colour, and they mostly say black and white. Single sided, draft.

[micheller1]

I took the files to office depot and had them printed and binded into books for my kids - BUT

I asked the lady who printed them to go through it and print the pages that needed to have color for the math to be understood and print in color and then if it didn't - don't.

for all 6 (2 books each A and B books) books for my three kids - I ended up with 35 pages of color. The rest was all b & w.

 

I think more pages HAD color but those were the only ones where it was necessary for the math to be completed.

[MelissaMinNC]

Like others, I print in color on draft, one-sided. When we're done with this book, or at the end of the year (whichever comes first), I'll go through all the pages, recycle the ones that she's written on the back and flip them over to print the next book on the other side.

 

:)

Melissa

[HollyBee]

It's interesting that there's not an overwhelming consensus one way or the other. Obviously with something like this there's no right or wrong way. I may try going through and picking out the ones where the color makes a difference for the actual math itself and print those in color, and the rest in b&w.

 

Thanks, everyone, for sharing!

[Blueridge]

Not to hijack, but does anyone actually buy the printed book? I wonder if, ultimately, it is more cost effective.

[TheAutumnOak]

Not to hijack, but does anyone actually buy the printed book? I wonder if, ultimately, it is more cost effective.

 

I don't buy the printed book because I have three kids and could use it with each of them if I print it out...I also like the color and the print version is in B&W...

 

I use to love the print version of stuff, but now I find it easier to get a download if it is something that has to be filled out...

[ocelotmom]

Not to hijack, but does anyone actually buy the printed book? I wonder if, ultimately, it is more cost effective.

Depends on your printer (some are cheaper per page than others), how many kids you're planning to use it for, how long you're planning to use it for, and so on.

 

If you have just one kid, the workbook may well be more cost effective, especially if you're just doing a few grades, and not all of 1-6 (there are significant discounts for packages).

 

I have 3 kids, though. If we'd started with MM from the start with #1 and bought the 1-6 package, it would come out to about $7 per year (not including printing costs), which is undoubtedly cheaper than buying workbooks.

 

I bought the workbook for this semester because I wanted to pay using my funds on Amazon. It was worth it for that, and the convenience of having it ready to go during a particularly stressful time (moving, new baby). But now I'm waiting for an additional sale and buying the 1-6 package for the future :)