If you only print now and then — like return labels, forms, tickets, or simple documents — you might wonder: is it cheaper to print at home or use an online print-and-post service? The answer depends on how much you print, the ongoing costs of printing, and how you value your time.
Below, we look at the real costs of home printing vs. online printing in the UK and compare typical prices to help you decide.
The Real Cost of Printing at Home
At first glance, owning a printer seems like a one-off purchase, but the real cost includes ongoing supplies and maintenance.
Printer Purchase
Budget inkjet printer: £40–£70
Laser printer (better for text): £80–£150+
This is the upfront cost before you even print a single page.
Ink or Toner Costs
Ink and toner are where most home printing costs add up.
Typical UK costs:
Standard inkjet cartridge set: £15–£30
High-capacity cartridges: £30–£60
Toner for laser printers: £30–£90
Average page cost estimates:
Inkjet: £0.10–£0.30 per page
Laser: £0.04–£0.10 per page
These costs vary by brand, printer model, and whether you buy official or third-party cartridges.
Paper
Standard A4 paper packs cost around:
£3–£6 for 500 sheets
Per page, that’s just a few pennies, but it still adds to total cost.
Total Example Costs (Typical Usage)
Scenario | Annual Prints | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|---|
Low usage (20 pages) | 20 | ~£8–£30 (ink) + paper |
Medium usage (100 pages) | 100 | ~£15–£50 (ink/toner) + paper |
High usage (500 pages) | 500 | ~£50–£150 (ink/toner) + paper |
If you only print infrequently, the per-page cost can be high because cartridges degrade over time, and printers can sit unused.
The Cost of Online Print-and-Post Services
With a UK online printing service, you pay only for what you print — with no printer to buy and no ink or toner to maintain.
Typical costs for online document printing in the UK:
Black & white A4 print: £0.15 – £0.40 per page
Colour A4 print: £0.32 – £0.55 per page
Delivery: £2.99 per order (usually free on orders over £10)
Real-Life Example Pricing
100 pages of college coursework (black & white, 15p per page): ~£15.00 (free delivery)
20 pages of piano sheet music (black & white, 15p per page): ~£5.99 including £2.99 delivery
Calculations:
100 pages of coursework: 100 × £0.15 = £15.00 → Delivery free → Total = £15.00
20 pages of piano sheet music: 20 × £0.15 = £3.00 + £2.99 delivery = £5.99
Time and Convenience Count Too
Money isn’t the only cost. Time is valuable.
With home printing you might spend time:
Replacing cartridges
Cleaning print heads
Fixing paper jams
Finding paper
Driving to a shop if your home printer fails
With online printing you:
Upload your file from home
Receive prints posted to you
Avoid travel and printer maintenance
If you value convenience, online printing often feels worth the small per-page cost.
So, What’s Cheaper?
Home Printing Might Be Cheaper If:
You print frequently (hundreds of pages a year)
You own an efficient laser printer
You buy toner and paper in bulk
Example: 500+ pages/year — home printing can average £0.04–£0.15/page once the printer is paid off.
Online Printing Might Be Cheaper If:
You print occasionally (labels, documents, tickets)
You don’t want to buy a printer
You prefer no upfront cost or maintenance
Example: A couple of pages delivered for £3–£8 beats buying cartridges you rarely use.
Print or Not — No Printer? No Problem
If you rarely print, online print-and-post services in the UK often make more sense than buying and maintaining a printer you don’t use.
You pay per page and get professional prints posted to your door — simple, transparent, and often cheaper in real terms for low usage.