Cost Savings

We all like a bargain. But let's face it, there are times when we just don't have the time or enthusiasm to shop around.

When it comes to buying office equipment, particularly printers, it's very tempting to go for the cheapest option on the shelf.

But buyer beware - what you see is not necessarily what you get. In some cases, it would be cheaper to buy a brand new printer rather than replace an empty tri-colour ink cartridge.

The day-to-day running costs of a printer or multifunction device are difficult to predict, but Brother's ready reckoner (below) can help you calculate the total 'cost of ownership' of any printing device, meaning you can estimate which equipment has the flexibility to match the predicted growth of your business.

Calculate typical laser costs

Step 1: Work out the cost per page by dividing the cost of each toner by the stated yield (the number of pages it will give you)

Eg. £41.99 for a black toner divided by 3,500 page yield = 1.2p. If your chosen laser printer has separate drum and toner technology, repeat this exercise for the drum unit too and add these two figures together. For more information on the benefits of separate drum and toner visit www.brother.co.uk

(Assume toner usage is based upon 5% page coverage).

Add to this the cost of laser paper, approximately 0.8p a sheet.

Step 2: To work out the running costs take the total cost per page and multiply this by the number of sheets you expect to print in a month and then by the number of months you are likely to have the machine (usually 36 months / 3 years)

Eg. 2.0p (laser cost per copy plus a sheet of laser paper) x 200 pages a month x 36 months = £144.00

Step 3: Work out the total cost by adding the purchase price and the running costs together.
Eg. £229 + £144.00 = £373.00 (with laser paper)

Example

Mono laser machines

MC (machine cost) = £229
CC (cost per copy) = £1.2p
P (laser paper per sheet) = £0.8p
V (monthly volume) = 200 pages
L (Life expectancy) = 36 months

MC+((CC+P)x(VxL)) = £373

Calculate typical inkjet costs

Step 1: for inkjet models, calculate the cost per copy for each cartridge and divide by the number of cartridges to achieve the same coverage as laser calculations.

(Assume ink usage is based upon 5% page coverage).

Here is an example for a four cartridge machine:

	£13.99 for a black cartridge divided by 500 pages = 2.8p
	£7.99 for a cyan cartridge divided by 400 pages = 2.0p
	£7.99 for a yellow cartridge divided by 400 pages = 2.0p
	£7.99 for a magenta cartridge divided by 400 pages = 2.0p
	Total: 8.8p divided by 4 = 2.2p

Add to this the cost of the inkjet paper, approximately 1.4p a sheet.

Step 2: To work out the running costs take the total cost per page and multiply this by the number of sheets you expect to print in a month and then by the number of months you are likely to have the machine (usually 36 months / 3 years)
Eg. 3.6p + (inkjet cost per copy plus a sheet of inkjet paper) x 200 pages a month x 36 months = £259.20

Step 3: Work out the total cost by adding the purchase price and the running costs together.
E.g. £149 (typical purchase price of an inkjet model) + £259.20 = £408.20 (with inkjet paper).

Example

Colour inkjet machines

MC (machine cost) = £149
CC (cost per copy) = £2.2p
P (inkjet paper per sheet) = £1.4p
V (monthly volume) = 200 pages
L (Life expectancy) = 36 months

MC+((CC+P)x(VxL)) = £408.20

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