sweetpea3829 Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 So I set out to print Part 1 of the free Jump math 1st grade curriculum. It was about 40 pages I think. And the brand new black ink cartridge I JUST put in is already showing that it needs to be replaced because it's low. There's got to be a more affordable way to print large quantities of pages. I checked Staples to see how much it would cost to have them print the file and that was over $7...still too expensive. What other ways of printing large quantities can you suggest? TIA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 Use "fast draft" mode on your ink jet. That will help a lot. Also, do double sided printing (it's probably manual, so you'd tell it to print double sided, then halfway through the job, you flip the paper around and stick it back in to do the other side). In the meantime, save up for a laser printer. You can get a good Brother for about $80, and the high yield toner lasts 2600 pages regular, and probably 3000+ on "toner save" mode (which I use for everything - can't really tell much difference). I got over 1000 pages on the starter toner that was rated for 700 pages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomatHWTK Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 :iagree: Laser printer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetpea3829 Posted April 30, 2012 Author Share Posted April 30, 2012 Lol, how can I tell what kind of printer I have? It's from Dell...it was an inexpensive add-on when I bought the laptop. Honestly, I am completely clueless when it comes to printers and whatnot. A bit over a year ago, my husband tried to convince me to buy this copier thing that Staples was selling. But it was really expensive and when I sat down and did the math, the cost per copy was about the same as the cost to bring books to Staples and photocopy them myself. This, however, is different. I'm looking to actually print stuff out. How do I set it to fast draft? Oh, and I tried the whole double-sided printing...and I ended up with even numbers right side up and odd numbers upside down. And then there was the batch that didn't collate correctly because I didn't take into consideration that there was one extra even page....I've got a small pile of "oops" printouts...lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomatHWTK Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 Homework time: http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/370445/buying_printer_how_choose_best_printer_home_business/ http://reviews.cnet.com/4352-13747_7-6588856.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meggie Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 Lol, how can I tell what kind of printer I have? It's from Dell...it was an inexpensive add-on when I bought the laptop. Honestly, I am completely clueless when it comes to printers and whatnot. A bit over a year ago, my husband tried to convince me to buy this copier thing that Staples was selling. But it was really expensive and when I sat down and did the math, the cost per copy was about the same as the cost to bring books to Staples and photocopy them myself. This, however, is different. I'm looking to actually print stuff out. How do I set it to fast draft? Oh, and I tried the whole double-sided printing...and I ended up with even numbers right side up and odd numbers upside down. And then there was the batch that didn't collate correctly because I didn't take into consideration that there was one extra even page....I've got a small pile of "oops" printouts...lol. If you had to put an ink cartridge in, it's an inkjet. You can Google the brand and model number just to be sure. But laser printers have toner cartridges. And they smell like a copy store. I have a Brother HL-2240, it is amazing. It cost me $60 on sale at Office Depot. If I could go over and do it again, I'd get one that could print on both sides instead of just the one. My DH *insisted* that we keep the inkjet copy/scanner/printer just in case. We've used it twice in the last year :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 Lol, how can I tell what kind of printer I have? It's from Dell...it was an inexpensive add-on when I bought the laptop. It's an inkjet. This, however, is different. I'm looking to actually print stuff out. How do I set it to fast draft?When you go to click print, there should be a properties button that you can click on to change it to "fast draft" in the print quality. Oh, and I tried the whole double-sided printing...and I ended up with even numbers right side up and odd numbers upside down. This is why auto-duplex on a laser printer is my friend. I say duplex, and it prints the first side, sucks the page back in, prints the second side, spits the paper out, repeat with the rest of the pages. :) I have a Brother 2270DW. It goes on sale for about $80 at various places often. With an inkjet, it will usually show you which way to turn the paper to print duplex. Make sure you are selecting "manual duplex" and that the document you are printing is NOT pre-prepared for double sided printing (that messes things up). So take a regular document, tell it "manual duplex", then when it pops up the dialog box saying which way to turn the paper, look carefully and follow those exact directions. In my HP, I just had to take the stack, turn it 180 degrees, and stick it back in. Some printers may have you just stick it back in without turning. Practice by printing just the first TWO pages of your document, so you can figure out which way to turn it or not turn it. ;) Then write down how you did it and tape it to the printer. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetpea3829 Posted April 30, 2012 Author Share Posted April 30, 2012 Well, laser it is! Going to have to save my pennies and probably wait until Black Friday (pretty sure I'll find one at a great price then). Thanks everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iucounu Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 I have a high opinion of low- and mid-grade Brother laser printers, but you can print quite cheaply using a modern inkjet as well. We bought an HP Officejet Pro 8600 recently, which has under 2 cents per page printing costs, double-sided printing, etc. as well as high-capacity cartridges available. And it prints in color. Total including shipping and a next-business-day replacement plan for three years was $200. Printer costs in general have come down so much that I would say that anyone with a printer 4+ years old should look at buying a new printer-- it would probably save a lot of money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 Laser printer. You can get good ones for under $200 these days that work great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iucounu Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 With an inkjet, it will usually show you which way to turn the paper to print duplex. Make sure you are selecting "manual duplex" and that the document you are printing is NOT pre-prepared for double sided printing (that messes things up). So take a regular document, tell it "manual duplex", then when it pops up the dialog box saying which way to turn the paper, look carefully and follow those exact directions. In my HP, I just had to take the stack, turn it 180 degrees, and stick it back in. Some printers may have you just stick it back in without turning. Practice by printing just the first TWO pages of your document, so you can figure out which way to turn it or not turn it. ;) Then write down how you did it and tape it to the printer. :D I don't know about the OP's printer, but this is all highly printer-dependent. Our two HP inkjets both print double-sided just by making a selection when printing from the computer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitterpatter Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 Laser copier/printer. I buy toner refills from Toner Pals on Amazon for $9.99 each. I copy/print a lot and spend well less than $10 a month. After rebate, and a coupon that I purchased on eBay, I paid $80 total for a $200 laser copier/printer from Staples.com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 I don't know about the OP's printer, but this is all highly printer-dependent. Our two HP inkjets both print double-sided just by making a selection when printing from the computer. I've only ever had manual duplex ink jets, so yes, my instructions are assuming that the OP's printer doesn't do automatic duplex, since it was a freebie with her computer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iucounu Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 Yep, I think you were very helpful. I just don't want the OP to only consider laser printers, if she buys a new one, based on the idea that only lasers can do automatic duplex printing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 Yep, I think you were very helpful. I just don't want the OP to only consider laser printers, if she buys a new one, based on the idea that only lasers can do automatic duplex printing. Which ink jets do autoduplexing? We're having to replace my DH's HP Photosmart All-In-One very soon (it was damaged during a garage fire, and it's the only scanner we have!). An autoduplexing AIO would be nifty, though not absolutely necessary. :) We at least have the autoduplexing laser. Really, really, really love it. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommamia Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 www.bestvaluecopy.com They were cheap and fast! Printed almost 300 pages for under $15 shipped to my door (and they hole punched for me):001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeeBeaks Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 Which ink jets do autoduplexing? Mine does for sure. It is a Canon MX882 from Costco. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iucounu Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 (edited) Which ink jets do autoduplexing? We're having to replace my DH's HP Photosmart All-In-One very soon (it was damaged during a garage fire, and it's the only scanner we have!). An autoduplexing AIO would be nifty, though not absolutely necessary. :) We at least have the autoduplexing laser. Really, really, really love it. :D Barring some sort of website with auto-compare features, I don't know of a better way than just browsing and shopping around. I noticed that the Dell V525w and V725w seem to support it, though I don't have any recent experience with Dell printers. HP's PhotoSmart and Officejet Pro lines support it, but apparently not the Envy and Officejet (non-Pro). It seems to be a well-supported option now, unlike in the past when one would sometimes have to buy a clunky add-on and it was prone to error. I also love autoduplexing. I love lasers too, and I think the Brothers I've used have been excellent, with a couple of minor quirks (envelope printing can be finicky and require special setup, and scanning large numbers of pages to the same document is not the best due to the scanner software that's packaged with the machines, but of course I don't have experience with their entire product line). If I were the OP I would look into a new printer sooner or later, and probably give extra weight to lasers unless she specifically needs color or photo-quality printing. ETA: There are laser all-in-ones that have autoduplexing, like the MFC-8480DN (I've actually used that one and it is fairly nice, though not the cheapest). Edited April 30, 2012 by Iucounu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetpea3829 Posted May 1, 2012 Author Share Posted May 1, 2012 Do laser printers not print in color? We've had our current printer (a Dell V313w) for about a year and a half. I appreciate the scanning features it has, and have used that feature frequently. Printing in color would be something that I would want a printer to be able to do. Maybe I could use both a laser printer AND the one we have now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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