Adding Up the Cost of HP® PageWide® Technology

Speedy, inexpensive printing is essential for any busy business.  There are a number of different printer options on the market and printer manufacturers are constantly coming up with new and innovative ways to sell you their latest machine.  HP®’s PageWide® Technology is just one of the many new print technologies vying for your attention and although its features  deliver on speed and performance, it may not be all that cost effective for some.  We will break it down for you by focusing on one of the more popular printers that’s equipped with this technology, the HP OfficeJet® Enterprise Color MFP X585.

First, let’s explore how PageWide Technology works and what sets it apart from your average inkjet printer.  The typical inkjet printer uses a printhead that scans across the page from left to right to produce a print.  If you watch an inkjet printer in action it’s easy to recognize the printhead at work, the carriage helps move the printhead back and forth, releasing microscopic ink droplets onto the page with absolute precision. Most lower priced inkjet printers operate with a standard printhead and for years this has been the norm for printer manufacturers across the board.  HP’s PageWide Technology is different in that it uses a stationary printhead that’s designed to print across the entire page in a single pass.  This technology allows you to print faster and more reliably, and with print speeds of up to 70 pages per minute, owning a PageWide printer may be an enticing option.  Speed however shouldn’t be the only deciding factor when choosing an inkjet. When it comes down to it, a company’s bottom line may be the top concern, and analyzing the overall cost for the life of the printer puts a different perspective on the PageWide series.

If you read up on any of HP’s promotional articles on their PageWide series it’s understandable why their main selling points are speed and reliability.  A reliability test conducted by independent research company the Buyer’s Lab puts the HP OfficeJet Enterprise Color MFP X585 in a favorable light.  Their findings concluded that the X585 series can print 200,000 pages without failure, a very impressive number from a dependability standpoint.  Compare the figure against the cost of actual HP brand ink, and the price of that reliability might be a concern.  The printer alone goes for $1,436.79 in stores, a hefty price for any heavy duty inkjet machine.  Each printer requires a black, cyan, magenta and yellow cartridge.  The standard black cartridge yields 10,000 prints while each standard color cartridge yields 6,600 prints apiece.

Let’s say you want to print 200,00 pages of just the black ink cartridge.  With the standard genuine brand price going for $126.99 you would be spending $2,539.80 on ink alone, almost twice the initial cost of the printer.  Go with a compatible cartridge and the price for the same amount of ink would only be $659.80.  After analyzing the numbers it’s clear that compatible cartridges may be a compelling alternative. Compatible cartridges are a great money saving solution and if bought  from a reliable source you can find a far cheaper alternative cartridge that’s comparable in quality to the genuine HP brand.

Take the time to do the math before buying a genuine brand ink cartridge.  It’s important to pay attention to all of the factors that make a printer a worthwhile purchase. Innovative technology is great but it’s easy to get distracted by flashy new features and neglect equally important buying basics like the total cost of operation. The next time you are in the market for a new printer make sure you weigh all of your options so you can make best purchase for your business.

*Savings based on price comparison between remanufactured/compatible cartridge prices and printer brand (OEM) cartridges effective as of June 27, 2023 on www.LDProducts.com.  OEM names are registered trademarks of their respective owners and are not affiliated with, and do not endorse LD Products.