I hate to mention this, because it's kind of off the wall, but if you have a computer show, such as BlueStar productions that comes to your aea, you might find cheap printers, new in the box.

These are the "junk" show where close-out items, and last months technology, are at many of the tables.

Here's what I have found. Lexmark color printers, new in the box, for less than the cost of the cartridge refills. Hypothetical situation, you buy a printer for $50 at the show and run it until it runs out of ink, take the printer and throw it in the trash, or give it to a friend, then open a new printer...

Of course at these prices, you could run the printer into the ground, pop out the cartridges and open a new printer to finish those, and go with the new ones that came in the box.

In other words, it's cheaper to buy the whole printer, with ink and throw it away, than it is to buy replacement ink carts. Pretty silly!

But if you wish to extend the life of each printer, until it breaks, you can still get by pretty cheap and have continued high quality printing.

Just buy 10 printers, all the same model, ask for a volume discount, and for around $500 you are set with cheap printing. IF they last longer, that's fine. If they last the life of a few cartridges full of ink, so what?

I said it is unusual!

My question would be, is doing your own printing cheaper than taking it to some Kinko's or large wholesale printer and letting them pay for the overhead and equiment?