Labs

Inkjet MFPs

Print speed

We time how long it takes each device to print a single page at normal quality, a 50-page document at draft quality, 50 copies of a mono letter at correspondence quality and 25 pages of mixed-colour text and images. The mono letter and mixed-colour tests are carried out at the printer's default quality settings. We also perform timed prints of two 10x8in and six 6x4in photos at maximum print quality.

Print costs

We use the manufacturers' page yield figures to work out separate print costs per page for mono and colour documents. Most manufacturers calculate their printers' page yields using ISO/IEC 24711 standard test pages. We divide the cost of each cartridge (including VAT) by the number of pages it can produce. In the case of printers that take several colour cartridges, we add up all their costs to arrive at our final colour print cost. However, our colour print cost calculations do not include black ink.

Scan speed

As shown in the Labs table, we test scan speeds at various resolutions, including 150dpi and 300dpi A4 document scans and 600dpi and (where available) 1,200dpi 6x4in photo scans. We test scan quality by scanning a Q60 colour target test card and examining it for accurate colour and detail.