Are Color Laser Printers Worth It for Home Use?

On this page (10 sections)

1. When a color laser printer earns its place at home
2. What a color laser printer costs to run
3. How color laser printers compare on speed
4. Quality, photos and paper for color laser printers
5. Scan and copy in color, and when you need an all-in-one
6. When black and white is enough for home printing
7. Color vs black and white: which home printer fits
8. Who should buy a color laser printer for home
9. Questions to ask before you buy a color laser printer
10. Are color laser printers worth it for your home

Color laser printers are worth it for home use when you print color pages often, such as school work, flyers or colored forms. If you rarely print color, a black and white laser printer costs less to run and does the job.

The honest answer depends on how much color you print each month. A few color pages a month rarely justify a color printer, but a steady flow of color documents often does.

When a color laser printer earns its place at home

Color earns its place when a page loses meaning without it. Charts, colored forms, school projects and flyers are common examples.

If color is a small part of your printing, a black and white printer is the simpler plan. Buy the color printer for the color jobs you actually do.

Our best color laser printer for home use guide ranks the color models by speed, features and cost. Start there once you know color is part of the job.

What a color laser printer costs to run

A color laser uses four toners, cyan, magenta, yellow and black. Each color page can draw on more than one cartridge, so the cost per page is usually higher than on a mono printer.

The yield on each cartridge matters more than the sticker price. Canon sells a high-capacity version of its Genuine Toner 075, which is designed for more pages than the standard cartridge.

Brother's TN229 cartridges come in standard, XL and XXL sizes on the HL-L3220CDW. Pick the size that matches how much color you print, not the smallest one.

For a full breakdown of the cost per page across printers, see our laser printer cost per page guide.

How color laser printers compare on speed

Home color lasers print slower than the fastest mono models. The color models here are rated at 19 to 27 pages per minute, while the Brother HL-L2460DW prints black and white at 36 pages per minute.

If you print long black text documents often, a mono printer finishes them faster. Keep that in mind if your work is mostly reports.

Quality, photos and paper for color laser printers

Color laser printers are built for documents, flyers and forms. Text and simple graphics look sharp on them.

A laser printer is not the usual choice for photos at home. Our can laser printers print photos guide explains what to expect and when to use a different printer.

Color laser printers take standard office paper. Check the paper tray and the manual feed slot before you buy if you print envelopes or heavier stock.

Scan and copy in color, and when you need an all-in-one

A color all-in-one copies and scans in color, which a print-only model can't do. That matters for a home office that sends and files colored documents.

If you only print, the all-in-one costs more than you need. A print-only color model covers the job at a lower price tier.

When black and white is enough for home printing

Most home printing is black text, such as letters, forms, recipes and receipts. A black and white laser printer handles that work faster and with fewer cartridges to buy.

If you print one color page a month, a mono printer and an occasional trip to a copy shop may suit you better than a color printer you rarely use. Count your color pages for a month before you decide.

For the mono picks, read our black and white laser printer guide. It covers the models that handle text-heavy home printing best.

Color vs black and white: which home printer fits

Color is the feature you pay for on every page, so the choice comes down to how often you need it. A mono printer covers text at a lower running cost, and a color printer covers color jobs without a second machine.

Some homes need both. A black and white printer for the daily work and a color printer for the occasional flyer makes sense if the color jobs are big enough.

Our color vs black and white laser printer guide compares the two in more detail.

Who should buy a color laser printer for home

Color laser printers worth it for a home that prints color every week

A color laser printer is worth it if you print colored school materials, flyers or reports every week. The running cost is easier to justify when color is the main job.

A home that prints color rarely

If color shows up once a month, skip the color printer. Use a black and white printer and print the color pages at a copy shop when you need them.

A home office that scans and copies in color

A color all-in-one fits a home office that files colored documents. It copies and scans in color, which a print-only model can't do.

Questions to ask before you buy a color laser printer

Ask how many color pages you print in a typical month. A small number points to a mono printer, while a steady flow points to color.

Ask whether you need scan and copy. Those features change the choice more than speed does for most home buyers.

Check the cartridge yields and the paper sizes you use. Those two details decide the running cost more than the printer's list features.

Are color laser printers worth it for your home

Color laser printers are worth it for home use when color pages show up every week. If color is rare, a black and white laser printer is the cheaper choice to run.

Count your color pages for one month before you buy. That count tells you whether the color printer earns its place or whether a mono printer covers the work.

Frequently asked questions

Are color laser printers worth it for a home that rarely prints color?

Usually not, since a few color pages a month favor a black and white laser printer. Keep the color printer for the jobs where color matters.

Do color laser printers cost more to run than black and white?

They can, because a color printer uses four toners, cyan, magenta, yellow and black. Compare the cartridge yield and the cost of each color cartridge before you decide.

Is a color laser printer good for printing photos at home?

A laser printer isn't the usual choice for photos. Color lasers suit documents, flyers and forms better, so check our photo guide before you buy one for pictures.