Most customers ask: how much is the printer? And they forget the far more important question: how much will every page cost me after I buy it? You pay for the machine once, but you pay for ink every month, for years of use. That is exactly why a cheap printer can end up costing you more than one priced at twice as much. In this 2026 guide we explain how to work out the real cost of printing, what the practical difference is between cartridges, ink tank and laser, and which printer genuinely fits the amount of work you do.
Cost per page is the real yardstick
Cost per page simply means how much ink you burn printing a single sheet. Cheap printers that run on small cartridges usually leave you with the highest cost per page, because the cartridge price is steep relative to the small amount of ink inside it. Ink tank printers, by contrast, are refilled from ink bottles that cover far more pages, which drops the cost per page to a very small figure.
The practical rule is clear: the more pages you print each month, the more it pays to spend extra on the machine so you win on ink later. And if you print very little, the opposite holds.
Work it out yourself before you buy
You do not need technical know-how, just two formulas:
- Cost per page = price of the ink pack ÷ the number of pages that pack covers — ask for the page yield the manufacturer states for each bottle or cartridge.
- Total three-year cost = printer price + (cost per page × your monthly page count × 36).
Run this calculation on the two printers you are weighing up and the result will surprise you: sometimes the printer that costs 150,000 dinars more turns out to be the cheaper one within a year and a half. And do not forget to add paper and routine maintenance.
Cartridges, ink tank or laser?
| Type | Who it suits | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Ink cartridges | Home and light use, a few pages a week | Low machine price but high cost per page, and the ink dries out if the printer sits idle |
| Ink tank | Students and households printing research papers and course notes, and small offices | Slightly higher machine price, but the lowest cost per page, especially in color |
| Laser | Offices and government departments printing text documents in volume | Fast and consistent on text with no dried-out ink, but toner comes as one bigger outlay |
Light use at home? Start here
If your printing is limited — school papers, receipts, or the occasional official document — it is not worth spending big on a machine that will sit idle most of the time. The Canon PIXMA TR4645 is a color 4-in-1 with Wi-Fi that prints straight from smart devices, at around 128,000 IQD, and it is the most economical starting point. Just remember: with this type, ink stays the biggest running expense, so do not lean on it for heavy volumes.
Printing every day? Ink tank is the answer
This is where the maths flips completely in your favor. The Brother DCP-T536DW is an ink tank machine, color and multifunction (print, copy and scan) with wireless connectivity and double-sided printing, at around 194,000 IQD. It is ideal for a student or a household printing research papers and course notes every month, because duplex printing on its own halves your paper consumption.
And if you want something sturdier for a small office or a shop that prints daily, the Epson EcoTank L4360 is a color A4 multifunction with Wi-Fi and double-sided printing, at around 374,000 IQD. What separates it from the cheaper option is not only the specs, but its ability to take continuous work without turning into a bottleneck during the working day.
An office printing text documents in volume? Laser fits better
If your work is all contracts, invoices and text documents, laser gives you higher speed and print that water will not smudge, and it does not matter if the machine goes a week without being used. The Brother DCP-L3551CDW is an LED laser 3-in-1 multifunction at around 328,000 IQD, and it is a practical answer for offices, clinics and service shops.
Need A3+ size?
Design studios, advertising agencies and small print shops need something larger than A4. The Epson EcoTank L18050 is a color A3+ multifunction with Wi-Fi and an ink tank system, at around 868,000 IQD. The upfront price is high, but if your work depends on color printing in quantity, an A3+ ink tank saves you serious money compared with paying someone else per sheet.
Mistakes that inflate your bill for nothing
- Buying the cheapest machine on the shelf while printing hundreds of pages a month — the fastest way there is to throw money away.
- Leaving the printer switched off for weeks — inkjet printers need to run regularly so the heads do not clog.
- Ink of unknown origin — it saves you today and costs you a print head repair later.
- Printing in color for no reason — make black and white the default and save color for when you actually need it.
- Ignoring double-sided printing — half your paper budget goes to waste for no reason at all.
Buying and delivery
Every printer listed here comes with cash on delivery and shipping to all Iraqi provinces, and you can inspect the product before you pay and check the machine and its accessories before you hand over any money. The prices given here are for guidance only, and the up-to-date price is always on the product page.
Frequently asked questions
Is refilling a cartridge a good idea?
It saves money in the short term, but ink of uncertain quality clogs print heads and leaks inside the machine. If your printing volume justifies it, moving to a genuine ink tank printer beats gambling on a refill every month.
Why does the printer use ink even when I am not printing?
Because inkjet printers run an automatic cleaning cycle on the print heads, and that cycle uses a small amount. The answer is not to stop it, but to use the printer regularly and avoid cutting the power to it abruptly.
Is laser cheaper than ink tank?
For text printing in large volumes, laser is a very strong competitor on speed and consistency. For color printing and photos, an ink tank usually delivers a lower cost per page. Work out which kind of job dominates for you, then choose.
What is the best printer for a student in Iraq?
A multifunction ink tank printer such as the Brother DCP-T536DW, because it combines printing, copying and scanning in one machine, its cost per page is low, and you can print from your phone over the wireless connection.
Can I inspect the printer before I pay?
Yes. The order reaches your door in any province, you open the box and check the model and the accessories, and then you pay. That is what cash on delivery means with us.
