Parent Communications, Learning Activities & Attendance
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Updated December 2025 - Affordable printing for childcare centers
The Epson EcoTank ET-2850 is the best printer for daycares, offering ultra-low ink costs (critical for printing colorful learning activities), reliable color output, and 2 years of ink included. For larger centers needing faster output, the Brother MFC-L3780CDW color laser is excellent.
View Top Pick on AmazonUltra-low ink cost for high-volume color
Fast color laser for busy daycares
Affordable color all-in-one
Daily reports, newsletters, permission slips, and policy updates. Parents expect professional, readable documents.
Coloring sheets, alphabet practice, number worksheets, and craft templates. COLOR IS ESSENTIAL - kids engage better with colorful materials.
Sign-in sheets, medication logs, emergency contacts, and licensing documentation. State regulations often require physical records.
Birthday certificates, achievement awards, graduation diplomas. Color printing on cardstock makes these special.
Daycares print A LOT of color pages. A busy center might print 500+ color pages per week for activities alone. With traditional ink cartridges, that's $100-200/month in ink!
Solution: Ink tank printers (EcoTank, MegaTank, Smart Tank) reduce cost per page by 90% or more.
| Printer Type | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Inkjet (cartridges) | $150-200 | $1,800-2,400 |
| EcoTank/Ink Tank | $3-5 | $36-60 |
| Color Laser | $40-60 | $480-720 |
| Printer | Type | Ink Cost | Speed | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Epson EcoTank ET-2850 | Ink Tank | Very Low | 10 PPM | $299 |
| Brother MFC-L3780CDW | Color Laser | Low | 26 PPM | $449 |
| Canon PIXMA TR4720 | Inkjet | High | 8.8 PPM | $99 |
| Epson EcoTank ET-4850 | Ink Tank | Very Low | 15.5 PPM | $499 |
These websites offer free printables perfect for daycare use:
Thousands of free worksheets, activities, and classroom decor
Age-appropriate worksheets for preschool through elementary
Endless free printables, bulletin board ideas, and activities
Create custom newsletters, certificates, and parent notices
Use auto-duplex printing for parent handouts and newsletters to cut paper costs in half. Most parents don't mind two-sided printing.
Small home daycares: 200-500 pages. Medium centers (30-50 kids): 1,000-2,000 pages. Large centers (100+ kids): 3,000-5,000+ pages. Most of this is color for activities and learning materials.
For large centers printing 2,000+ pages monthly, yes. Color laser is faster and toner is cheaper per page than standard inkjet (but more expensive than ink tank). For most daycares, an EcoTank is the best balance of quality and cost.
Use 65-80 lb cardstock for certificates and awards. It feels special and stands up to handling by little hands. You can buy pre-designed certificate paper or print on plain cardstock and add borders.
Yes! Inkjet prints laminate well. Let prints dry for 1-2 minutes before laminating to prevent smearing. Laminated activity cards and name tags last much longer in a daycare environment.
Colorful learning activities without the high ink costs
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