Looking to purchase a printer that ONLY uses Black & White ink

Forums › Gadgets, robotics, home automation, electronics (including wearables) › Looking to purchase a printer that ONLY uses Black & White ink

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Behodar

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#3110558 1-Aug-2023 15:43

Indeed. If you take the "B&W ink" request literally then I suspect you'll be hard-pressed to find a printer that uses white ink :)

richms

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#3110756 1-Aug-2023 17:25

Behodar:

Indeed. If you take the "B&W ink" request literally then I suspect you'll be hard-pressed to find a printer that uses white ink :)

White toner is used in some. We looked at getting one a while back to be able to put text on dark pre-printed things but the price was just absurd for a printer with an extra toner cart in it.

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Dynamic

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#3110757 1-Aug-2023 17:30

Behodar:

Indeed. If you take the "B&W ink" request literally then I suspect you'll be hard-pressed to find a printer that uses white ink :)

I learned something new last week. A signwriter client is having a new wide format printer installed that I understand uses a latex-based ink... and it can print white!

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coffeebaron

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#3110778 1-Aug-2023 18:01

Dynamic:
We tried third party toner in our own office printers (one HP and two Brother) on three occasions over 5 years and each time was disappointed. One resulted in a damaged drum that was only a month old. 🤬

Since then we've stuck with genuine toners, which give the benefit of extending the warranty our to 4 years. Particularly for business clients, the benefit of the warranty generally outweighs the cost savings of cheap toner.

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I got that a lot when I used do work at the banks; ATM's, teller, back office etc. They all went through stages of using non genuine toner cartridges, ink ribbons etc.
I used to get jobs for poor print quality on the laser printers, first thing I'd ask for is a new cartridge. They'd say they just replaced it. I look more carefully and find the refilled times X label. I then ask for a brand new genuine non refilled cartridge and problem solved. Cost them way more than any savings they made.

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Tinkerisk

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#3112578 7-Aug-2023 07:45

shk292:

Tinkerisk:

Unfortunately, he asked for a b/w inkjet printer.

I was faced with the same question and yes, there are cheap (even used, professional) laser printers. In the end, I opted for a more modern, environmentally friendly solution and have not regretted it. If you just want a Windows PC standalone printer with tank technology, these models are cheaper (ET-M1120 for 155€) compared to my PCL office network printer with print server above. And this is not too far from his budget.

No he didn't. He asked for a printer that only used B&W ink and the intent of the question - not to have to buy colour ink - was clear to most readers.

And the cost comparison with your office printer is irrelevant; there have already been several posts recommending great consumer-grade lasers for prices comparable to an inkjet. The printer you linked to is significantly more expensive and, unlike the recommended laser, doesn't have duplex - you'll need to spend around $700 for the next model up for that. Lastly, the ink bottles are $30 here so while cheaper than the liquid gold normally used, still not negligible.

Obviously you did not read (or understand) my post. It is an inkjet printer that has only one (huge) tank for black ink (bottle refill) and has duplex. So why run relatively small, expensive b/w cartridges along with even smaller, empty colour cartridges in a printer when there are now better solutions? Others have long understood that.

Not everybody ever heard of the term „TCO“ and wonders, when the first „refill“ or „replacement“ is needed. (I don‘t monitor NZ$ prices but for me it is by far the most economical and ecological solution). If you are only interested in the superficial, you may be right - but that is why we are where we are with the earth. Or do you also operate your laser printer (heating unit) with solar power from the roof, like I do my IT? 😄

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shk292

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#3112593 7-Aug-2023 08:37

Tinkerisk:

Obviously you did not read (or understand) my post. It is an inkjet printer that has only one (huge) tank for black ink (bottle refill) and has duplex. So why run relatively small, expensive b/w cartridges along with even smaller, empty colour cartridges in a printer when there are now better solutions? Others have long understood that.

Not everybody ever heard of the term „TCO“ and wonders, when the first „refill“ or „replacement“ is needed. (I don‘t monitor NZ$ prices but for me it is by far the most economical and ecological solution). If you are only interested in the superficial, you may be right - but that is why we are where we are with the earth. Or do you also operate your laser printer (heating unit) with solar power from the roof, like I do my IT? 😄

Of course I read your post! That's how I could see that you made an incorrect statement that the OP wanted an inkjet printer, whereas actually this was just an assumption you made and are now clinging to. And yes, I know all about TCO, being an engineer. And yes also, I know all about those large tank inkjet printers and the fact that none of the low-end ones have duplex printing, which is why a bought a laser a few years ago.

As for power use, one thing you may not be aware of is that the vast majority of NZ's power use is from renewable sources. Germany used to be quite good at this (if you count nuclear as renewable) until they got scared by Fukushima and decided to rely on Russian gas instead. That worked out really well. So, the miniscule amount of electricity that my laser uses (since it sits in sleep mode 99% of the time) comes mostly from Hydro, geothermal or wind generation.

Gurezaemon

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#3112598 7-Aug-2023 08:45

shk292:

Tinkerisk:

Of course I read your post! That's how I could see that you made an incorrect statement that the OP wanted an inkjet printer, whereas actually this was just an assumption you made and are now clinging to. And yes, I know all about TCO, being an engineer. And yes also, I know all about those large tank inkjet printers and the fact that none of the low-end ones have duplex printing, which is why a bought a laser a few years ago.

As for power use, one thing you may not be aware of is that the vast majority of NZ's power use is from renewable sources. Germany used to be quite good at this (if you count nuclear as renewable) until they got scared by Fukushima and Russian-backed scare campaigns and decided to rely on Russian gas instead. That worked out really well. So, the miniscule amount of electricity that my laser uses (since it sits in sleep mode 99% of the time) comes mostly from Hydro, geothermal or wind generation.

Fixed that for you 😋

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shk292

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#3112605 7-Aug-2023 08:53

Gurezaemon:

Fixed that for you 😋

I didn't know that! I thought it was just Angela Merkel's decision. I'll read up on it, thanks

Tinkerisk

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#3112616 7-Aug-2023 09:02

shk292:

Tinkerisk:

And yes, I know all about TCO, being an engineer.

As for power use, one thing you may not be aware of is that the vast majority of NZ's power use is from renewable sources..

But fellow engineer, you should know that energy that is not consumed in the first place is the best energy, whether it comes from renewable or conventional sources, right? Trick. Your heavy industry infrastructure and huge population only need twice as much as our city alone. However, this requires the willingness to think beyond one's own coast. 😉

shk292

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#3112633 7-Aug-2023 09:26

Tinkerisk:

But fellow engineer, you should know that energy that is not consumed in the first place is the best energy, whether it comes from renewable or conventional sources, right? Trick. Your heavy industry infrastructure and huge population only need twice as much as our city alone. However, this requires the willingness to think beyond one's own coast. 😉

No, sorry, you've lost me. The thread was meant to be about the best printer for the OP and I think we've done that. I don't understand the relevance of advocating for him to use a worse printer in order to not use some green energy that could otherwise be used beyond the coast. It's difficult for NZ to export power due to the length of cable that would be required, although we effectively do this by smelting aluminium using hydro power. I don't suppose we'd smelt a huge amount extra if we all switched from lasers to inkjets but I admit I haven't done the maths.

This reminds me of using SAP. We used to have to use it at work because that's what the IT management had chosen and I spent many years trying to understand why the UI was just so heinously bad, and superficially similar but actually totally different to Windows. Then someone explained that some countries' people just think differently to English-speaking people, and there's no point trying to change that, you just have to understand it. Fortunately I don't have to use SAP any more. But this thread and the one about auto or manual cars for beginners are two more datum points in my understanding.

Tinkerisk

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#3112639 7-Aug-2023 09:35

If your engineering is as good as your knowledge of politics, you can expect a technological breakthrough soon. I wish you success! 😄

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