In spite of the “paperless office” that was supposed to be ushered in by the common use of computers, there is more printing done today than ever before. And that means that printers and their supplies have to be replaced on a fairly regular basis, whether you’re printing at home or in a business.

Modern printers boast a plethora of functions. Printers can read digital memory cards and print high resolution photos. Some multi-function printers can print, scan, and fax. It is important to consider your options before deciding on which is best for you to purchase.

Think about the expenses that will be involved in the extended use of the printer. Color printers can commonly be purchased for less than $100. Keep in mind, however, that the same low priced printers require the frequent purchase of expensive ink cartridges.

If you’re thinking about buying a budget printer, find out how much the ink costs to replace and whether there are generic or refilled cartridges available for it.

Many printers are sold with ink straight out of the box, but the cartridges might be smaller than normal. It is important to think about this when deciding which printer is for you.

The printer may not seem like such a good deal when you have to buy a new set of ink after printing 40 or 50 pages.

Black and white printing is more common than color printing, so check on the price of the black print cartridge. On some printer models, larger black cartridges are available and buying those could help save money over the life of the printer.

It’s also important to have in mind what your personal printing needs are. For example, if you plan to print your own photos from a digital camera, you should consider the variety of digital photo printers available on the market.

Photo printers, however, usually produce more costs than most inkjet printers. Find one that matches your needs. A laser printer costs even less to operate than the average inkjet.

Something else to be considered is if extra features such as scanning, copying, and faxing are for you. While such features are nice, they often go unused by owners, and might not be necessary.

And consider the cost for these other features as well. Do you really want to make photocopies at home that could cost $0.50 to $1.00 per page when you can get them for 5 to 10 cents at the local copy store?