The sticker price is the smallest part of what a printer costs. Here is how to compare inkjet and laser models and pick the features online school actually needs.
Quick takeaways
- Inkjet printers suit art projects and color work and often cost under $100, while laser printers usually start around $200 but print sharp text far more cheaply per page.
- Calculate cost per page by dividing cartridge price by page yield and adding paper; a $90 toner cartridge yielding 3,000 pages beats a $30 ink cartridge yielding 300.
- Page yield figures assume 5% ink coverage, so dense worksheets will cost more per page than the label suggests.
- Automatic duplexing, ENERGY STAR certification and scan-to-cloud features save paper, energy and time on weekly assignment submissions.
- Before buying online, check the seller’s return policy and total cost, and keep order confirmations in case a charge needs disputing.
A printer is one of those school purchases that looks simple and isn’t. The machine is a one-time cost, but ink or toner keeps charging you as long as it sits on a shelf, and the wrong pairing can cost more over a school year than the printer did. Here is how to compare inkjet and laser models and work out the true cost per page before you pay.
Do You Actually Need a Printer for Online School?
Start with what your school requires, not a guess. Many online programs deliver lessons and quizzes entirely on screen, and most assignments can be typed and submitted without paper. Even so, a few needs come up again and again:
- Younger students often work better from printed worksheets than from a screen, especially for handwriting practice; our article on what to do if your child struggles with handwriting pairs well with printed pages.
- Art projects, science diagrams and cut-and-paste activities need paper.
- Some schools ask families to print, sign and scan forms, or to scan handwritten work and upload it.
If your household prints a few pages a week, a modest machine plus a phone camera may be all you need. If teachers expect scanned multi-page work regularly, put scanner quality near the top of the list. If a laptop is on the same shopping list, our guide to mistakes to avoid when buying a student laptop can help you keep the whole budget in view.
Inkjet or Laser: Matching the Machine to the Work
The two technologies build a page in different ways. Inkjet printers spray droplets of liquid ink through microscopic nozzles, which makes them strong at photos and smooth color blending. Laser printers use powdered toner and heat to fuse sharp, crisp text to the page.
- Choose an inkjet if art projects and photo-quality graphics matter more than volume. Basic models are often available for under $100.
- Choose a laser if your student mostly prints text: worksheets, reading packets and essay drafts. Laser printers typically cost $200 or more upfront, but a high-yield toner cartridge can deliver up to ten times the output of a standard inkjet cartridge.
Two trade-offs deserve attention. Ink cartridges can dry up if a printer sits unused; toner is a dry powder with a much longer shelf life. Modern inkjets run self-cleaning routines to protect the printhead, though those routines use ink. Both types come in multifunction models that print, scan and copy.
The Real Running Cost: Calculating Cost Per Page
The number on the price tag is the smallest part of what a printer costs. What matters is cost per page: cartridge price divided by the pages it produces, plus paper.
Cartridge price ÷ estimated page yield + paper cost = cost per page
- An ink cartridge that costs $30 and prints 300 pages works out to 10 cents per page.
- A toner cartridge that costs $90 and prints 3,000 pages works out to 3 cents per page.
Yet the toner cartridge prints pages for a fraction of the price:
| Print type | Typical cost per page |
|---|---|
| Inkjet, black and white | 5 to 10 cents |
| Inkjet, color | 15 to 25 cents |
| Laser, black and white | Under 5 cents |
| Laser, color | About 15 cents |
Paper counts too. A ream of 500 sheets of standard printer paper averages about $5, a penny a sheet. Premium and specialty paper can run 10 cents a sheet or more.
One catch: page yields assume 5% page coverage, roughly a third of a page of double-spaced text. Dense text and graphics use far more ink, so real costs run higher than the label suggests. Compare replacement cartridge prices and yields before you buy; a cheap printer with expensive ink is the classic trap.
Scanner Features That Matter for Submitting Work
Scanning often matters as much as printing in online school, because many teachers want handwritten or paper-based work uploaded. Look for:
- A flatbed scanner handles single sheets, textbook pages and anything fragile without feeding it through rollers.
- An automatic document feeder saves real time on multi-page packets: load the stack and let it run.
- Scan-to-email and scan-to-cloud options send a file straight to a teacher’s portal or a shared family folder.
- Resolution that fits the job. Ordinary settings produce readable homework scans, so there is no need to pay for photo-grade scanning.
A phone camera covers the occasional single page, but a dedicated scanner makes weekly submissions far less tedious.
Automatic Duplex, Wireless and Other Features Worth Paying For
- Automatic duplexing prints on both sides of the page without anyone flipping sheets, cutting paper use in half on long packets. ENERGY STAR’s criteria for imaging equipment require duplexing on certain printers and multifunction devices.
- ENERGY STAR certification. Certified printers, copiers and scanners use up to 35% less energy than conventional equipment, largely through power management when idle. The program’s product finder lets you filter by print technology, color, speed and page size.
- Wireless printing. Wi-Fi lets every laptop and tablet print without cables, but the printer needs a steady signal, so place it where your network is strong. Our guide to speeding up slow Wi-Fi for online classes covers the network side.
- Ink subscriptions, read carefully. Some manufacturers ship cartridges on a monthly plan, which can lower the cost per page. Read the terms first and check exactly how cancellation works; the FTC has examined whether companies make canceling too hard.
Helpful tip
When you order a printer online, check the seller’s refund and return policy and the total cost before you pay, and keep your order confirmation. Credit card billing errors can generally be disputed within 60 days of the statement showing the charge.
Print Speed, Volume and Matching a Printer to Your Household
Speed differences are real: inkjets typically average 5 to 15 pages per minute, while lasers often produce 20 to 40. The gap hardly matters for a two-page spelling sheet, and it matters a lot the day a teacher posts a 25-page packet due tomorrow.
Estimate your weekly volume honestly. One elementary student printing a few worksheets a day sits at the low end, where any reliable machine will do. Two or three students printing daily pushes you toward the volumes where laser printers earn their higher price. If a model lists a recommended monthly volume, treat it as a ceiling rather than a target.
Setting It Up Right: Drivers, Wi-Fi and Kid-Friendly Defaults
Setup is where a good printer becomes a useful one:
- Install the manufacturer’s current driver or app on every device your child uses for school, and test printing from each before the first assignment lands.
- Connect it to Wi-Fi during a calm moment, not ten minutes before class. If it keeps dropping off the network, move it closer to your router; placing it near the home learning space solves two problems at once.
- Set kid-friendly defaults. Make black-and-white the default so color becomes a deliberate choice, turn on duplexing, and show your child how print preview works so they send two pages instead of forty.
- Practice the scan workflow with a real worksheet once, so submitting work is routine before a deadline.
- Watch for fake support. If someone asks for a verification code, do not engage; the FTC advises hanging up, blocking the number and reporting the request.
Before you shop, write down what your family prints and scans in a typical week, then use the cost per page formula to compare two or three models on your shortlist.
Parents and students ask
Is an all-in-one printer worth it for online school?
Usually, yes, if teachers expect scanned or paper-based submissions. Multifunction models combine printing, scanning and copying, and both inkjet and laser versions come in all-in-one designs.
Why does our ink seem to dry out if we rarely print?
Inkjet cartridges can dry up when a printer sits unused, while toner is a dry powder with a much longer shelf life. Printing a page now and then helps keep an inkjet healthy.
Are ink subscription plans a good deal?
They can lower the cost per page, but read the terms before signing up and check exactly how cancellation works. Some companies make canceling harder than joining.
What print speed does a family actually need?
Inkjets typically print 5 to 15 pages per minute and lasers 20 to 40. Occasional worksheet printing can ignore speed, while long reading packets reward a faster machine.
This guide is general information for families. Follow your school’s policies, and talk to your child’s teacher, school counselor or pediatrician about your child’s specific needs.