One of the first questions when shopping for a copier: do you need color? The answer isn’t always obvious — and getting it wrong costs money either way.

When Color Is Worth It

You regularly print customer-facing documents (proposals, presentations, marketing materials)
Your branding relies on consistent color reproduction
You’re currently sending color jobs to an outside print shop — an in-house color MFP often pays for itself quickly

When Black and White Is Smarter

The majority of your printing is internal (reports, invoices, internal memos)
You have a separate color printer for the occasional color job
Budget is a priority — color machines cost more upfront and color toner is significantly more expensive per page

The Numbers

A typical black and white page costs $0.01–$0.02 per page to print. Color pages run $0.08–$0.15 per page depending on coverage. If you’re printing 5,000 pages a month and only 10% need color, running everything through a color machine costs you an extra $300-400 per month versus a hybrid approach.

The Hybrid Approach

Many businesses do best with a primary black and white MFP for volume printing and a smaller color device for when color actually matters. We help businesses right-size their print fleet all the time — it’s one of the easiest ways to cut costs without cutting capability.

Copier Dynamics serves businesses throughout the Chicago Southland with sales, service, and managed print. Call 708-596-2990 or email info@copierdynamics.com to talk through what makes sense for your setup.