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Ink costs exposed

Posted on 27 Feb 2006 at 11:37

The second way is to 'print smarter'. Rather than print sporadically, save photos up to the end of the month when you have enough to drain cartridges in one go. We noticed in testing that many printers tend to launch into head-cleaning mode soon after finishing a print job, so you're risking wasting ink after every single session.

You might also be tempted to go against the advice of companies like HP and switch off the printer when you're not using it. This may actually backfire, as some printers will default to print-head cleaning after being switched completely off, but if you're not using your printer for weeks at a time then it could save you money. However, print quality may degrade as the nozzles become too blocked by the ink, so it's a risky strategy.

The final way to save money is to buy a new printer. When a complete refresh of cartridges can cost more than the printer itself, running costs can quickly add up. Read on to discover which of the 15 printers on test best suits your needs.

How we test

The best way to test inkjet printers is to print documents and pictures that reflect what users would print both in the office and at home. Our tests range from draft text on plain paper to best-quality photos on specialist glossy paper.

Our overall aim is to establish the print quality, speed, total cost of ownership, value and the longevity of each printer's output to see how it compares with others.

Poto quality

These tests use manufacturers' best-quality photo paper. We print an A4 photomontage and a borderless 6 x 4in colour photo to assess skin tones, colour transitions and gamut. We also print a borderless 6 x 4in black-and-white photo, as monochrome performance can vary considerably.

Draft mode

Our draft test examines quality and speed of text printed on plain paper. We print ten copies of a standard 5 per cent coverage A4 letter, as developed by IDC Consulting. We look for spidering around the edges of characters that should have a sharp outline: the ink appears to bleed onto the paper.

Standard modee

We use two tests for standard mode, both on plain paper. We print ten copies of the 5 per cent letter to assess quality and speed. The second test involves printing a single-page map from www.streetmap.co.uk

Presentation graphics

When you want to produce good photographs without the cost or thickness of glossy photo paper, plain paper won't do. For this, we use coated inkjet paper. We print our mono quality test, which determines the image quality of a greyscale file with black-and-white photos, fades and varying font sizes of text.

Fade resistance

Instead of conducting our own longevity tests for this Labs, we use Henry Wilhelm's figures. Wilhelm (www.wilhelm-research.com) is an independent research company, which uses accelerated fading to predict print permanence. The figures you'll find on the feature table represent the years of display before noticeable fading, changes in colour balance and/or staining occurs.

Wilhelm uses the industry-standard scenario where photos are placed behind glass frame in a home and exposed to daylight (450lux) for 12 hours per day. The accelerated testing is carried out at 35klux with glass-filtered cool white fluorescent illumination.

Printers not intended by manufacturers for printing photos (such as the Dell 720 and Lexmark Z735) aren't rated for fade resistance, so are best suited to those who won't need to print photos.