Tips for reducing ongoing ink and toner costs for a combined printer and scanner.
The purchase price is only part of owning a multifunction printer. A combined printer and scanner can become expensive when the wrong model prints too much colour, uses low-yield cartridges, wastes paper or needs frequent intervention. The goal is not only to buy cheaper ink or toner; it is to choose and use the printer correctly.
Tips for reducing ongoing ink and toner costs for a combined printer and scanner.
To reduce ongoing ink and toner costs, match the printer to your page volume, use draft or mono settings where possible, enable duplex printing, avoid unnecessary colour, buy the correct consumables and choose ink tank or higher-yield toner models when printing volume is regular.
Recommended models to compare first
Start with a short list rather than every printer in the catalogue. A buyer should compare one affordable inkjet option, one mono laser option and one colour laser option before deciding. This keeps the choice practical while still showing the real trade-off between price, colour, scan features and running costs.
| Model | Best for | Why compare it |
|---|---|---|
|
HP OfficeJet Pro 8123 All-in-One Printer + Genuine HP 925 Ink Cartridges R 3 039 |
Light office colour | Good when entry cost matters and printing is moderate. |
|
Canon i-SENSYS MF275dw All-in-One Mono Laser Printer (5621C032AA) R 3 505 |
Mono document savings | Avoids colour toner when the office mostly prints black text. |
|
Lexmark MX632adwe Mono Laser Multifunction Printer (38S0915) R 19 979 |
Higher-volume mono | Better when higher volume and office workflow justify a stronger machine. |
|
HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3303sdw Printer (499M6A) R 6 153 |
Controlled colour office use | Useful when colour is needed but should be managed. |
How can printer settings reduce costs?
The cheapest savings often come from settings: print in mono when colour is not needed, use draft mode for internal documents, set duplex printing as default, preview pages before printing and keep high-quality mode only for final customer-facing documents.
For offices, simple defaults matter. A staff member printing 30 internal colour pages daily can cost more over a year than the upfront price difference between two printers. If black text is the main output, compare mono laser multifunction printers. If colour is required often, compare toner yield and cost before choosing a colour model.
When should you choose ink tank or higher-yield toner?
Choose ink tank when colour inkjet printing happens often and low running cost matters. Choose higher-yield toner or office laser models when black-and-white documents or team printing happen every day. The right consumable system depends on actual monthly page volume.
ElectroGuy also organises consumables into ink cartridges, toner cartridges and printing consumables. Before buying a printer, confirm the replacement path so the second month of ownership is not a surprise.
How should South African buyers compare prices?
Compare the total ownership cost, not only the first price you see. The best multifunction printer is the one that balances printer price, ink or toner price, paper handling, scan workflow, user count and delivery needs. A cheaper device can become expensive if it slows the office down.
On ElectroGuy, you can compare all printers, inkjet printers, laser printers, scanners and printing consumables in one place. That matters because a buyer may start with a printer question and then realise the real issue is toner yield, scanning volume or paper handling.
| Buyer need | Best starting category | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Light home colour | Inkjet multifunction | Lower entry price and flexible colour documents. |
| Daily black documents | Mono laser multifunction | Sharper text and stronger document workflow. |
| Business colour | Colour laser multifunction | Better office colour, speed and team use. |
| Mostly scanning | Scanners | A dedicated scanner may be better than a basic MFD. |
How to reduce multifunction printer running costs
Use a step-by-step process so the printer matches the real job, not just the search result. A clear buying process prevents overpaying for features you will not use and prevents underbuying a device that cannot handle your document workload.
- Set black-and-white printing as the default for internal documents.
- Enable duplex printing where the printer supports it.
- Use draft mode for review copies.
- Check toner or ink yield before buying the printer.
- Do not print colour when the document does not need colour.
- Track monthly page volume and upgrade if the printer is overloaded.
Which brands are worth comparing?
HP, Canon, Brother, Epson, Lexmark and Oki are the main names shoppers should compare for multifunction printer decisions. HP covers OfficeJet and LaserJet ranges, Canon covers PIXMA and i-SENSYS, Brother is practical for small-office value, Epson is strong for ink tank printing, while Lexmark and Oki suit heavier office environments.
Brand reputation helps, but the model line matters more. A basic HP DeskJet should not be compared as if it were an HP LaserJet Enterprise. A Canon PIXMA and Canon i-SENSYS serve different buyers. Brother ink tank, Brother laser and Lexmark enterprise printers are also built for different workloads. Use brand as a filter, then compare the exact model, SKU, price and consumables.
For trusted background on printing and connectivity standards, useful references include ENERGY STAR imaging equipment, Mopria mobile printing and Apple AirPrint. These are informational references, not competing retail links.
Why buy through ElectroGuy?
ElectroGuy is built for buyers who want premium tech options online without guessing about price, delivery or support. Product pages show the model name, brand, price, image and category path so customers can compare printers in a structured way before checkout.
Orders are online only. Standard delivery is free in South Africa, and typical delivery is 2-3 business days after payment clearance and order processing. If a buyer is comparing printers for a business, school, home office or admin desk, the best next step is to open the linked product pages and compare two or three models side by side.
Common questions before buying
Is ink cheaper than toner?
It depends on the printer system and page volume. Ink tank can be economical for colour volume, while mono laser toner is strong for document-heavy work.
Should I refill cartridges myself?
Refilling can cause quality, leak or warranty issues. Use compatible consumables recommended for the exact model.
Does scanning use ink or toner?
Scanning itself does not use ink or toner. Printing copies from scanned documents does.