What does PPM mean for printers?

PPM stands for Pages Per Minute. It measures how many standard pages a printer can produce in one minute. Most manufacturers test PPM using ISO/IEC 24734 standards with default settings and standard text documents at 5% page coverage.

What is a good PPM for a home printer?

For home use, 8-15 PPM is typically sufficient. Most household printing involves occasional documents, so speed is less critical than cost-per-page and print quality. If you print frequently, look for 15+ PPM.

Why is my printer slower than the rated PPM?

Real-world PPM is often 30-50% slower than rated speeds because: (1) First Page Out Time adds delay, (2) Color printing is slower than black, (3) High-quality modes reduce speed, (4) Complex graphics take longer to process, (5) Duplex printing halves effective speed.

Printer PPM Explained: Pages Per Minute Speed Guide 2026

What is Printer PPM?

PPM (Pages Per Minute) measures how fast a printer produces pages. A printer rated at 30 PPM can theoretically print 30 standard pages in one minute under ideal conditions.

8-15 PPM

Home Use

20-40 PPM

Small Office

50+ PPM

High Volume

PPM by Printer Type

Inkjet Printers

Budget 5-8 PPM

Mid-range 10-15 PPM

High-end 20-25 PPM

Color typically 30-50% slower than black

Laser Printers

Personal 20-30 PPM

Workgroup 35-50 PPM

Production 60-100+ PPM

Generally faster than inkjet for text

All-in-One

Home AIO 8-12 PPM

Office AIO 20-35 PPM

Business MFP 40-60 PPM

Print speed + scan/copy capabilities

Photo Printers

4x6 photo 15-45 sec

8x10 photo 1-3 min

Pro photo Varies

Photo speed measured per print, not PPM

Popular Printers PPM Comparison

Printer Model	Type	Black PPM	Color PPM	Best For
HP DeskJet 2734e	Inkjet	7.5	5.5	Light home use
HP OfficeJet Pro 9015	Inkjet	22	18	Home office
Brother HL-L2350DW	Laser	32	N/A	Small office
HP LaserJet Pro M404n	Laser	40	N/A	Workgroup
Epson EcoTank ET-2720	Ink Tank	10.5	5	High volume home
Canon PIXMA TS3322	Inkjet	7.7	4	Budget home
Brother MFC-L8900CDW	Color Laser	33	33	Business

Real-World PPM vs Rated PPM

Important: Actual print speeds are typically 30-50% slower than manufacturer ratings

Why Real PPM is Lower:

1

First Page Out Time (FPOT)

Printers take 5-30 seconds to warm up and print the first page. This delay isn't factored into PPM ratings.

2

Color vs Black

Color printing is 30-50% slower than black-only. Manufacturers often advertise the faster black speed.

3

Quality Settings

PPM is tested in draft/normal mode. "Best" quality can be 2-3x slower.

4

Complex Documents

Graphics, photos, and complex layouts take longer to process than simple text.

5

Duplex Printing

Two-sided printing effectively halves your speed since pages need to flip.

6

Connection Speed

WiFi printing is slower than USB. Large files take time to transfer.

Pro Tip: Calculate Your Real PPM

Take the manufacturer's rated PPM and multiply by 0.6-0.7 for a realistic estimate of everyday printing speed. A "30 PPM" printer will typically deliver 18-21 pages per minute in actual use.

What PPM Do You Need?

Home Use: 8-15 PPM

✓ Occasional documents
✓ School assignments
✓ Photos and crafts
✓ Less than 100 pages/month

Speed matters less than cost-per-page and quality. Focus on ink efficiency.

Best Home Printers →

Small Office: 20-35 PPM

✓ Daily document printing
✓ Reports and contracts
✓ 2-5 users sharing
✓ 500-2000 pages/month

Balance speed with reliability. Consider laser for text-heavy workloads.

Best Office Printers →

High Volume: 40+ PPM

✓ Large print jobs
✓ Multiple departments
✓ Time-sensitive printing
✓ 5000+ pages/month

Speed is critical. Invest in commercial-grade equipment with high duty cycles.

Fastest Printers →

Other Speed Metrics to Know

FPOT (First Page Out Time)

Time from pressing print to first page completion. Includes warm-up time.

Inkjet: 10-30 seconds
Laser: 6-15 seconds
From sleep: 15-60 seconds

IPM (Images Per Minute)

ISO standard measurement, more accurate than PPM. Uses standardized test documents.

ISO/IEC 24734 defines testing methods for comparable speeds across brands.

Monthly Duty Cycle

Maximum pages per month the printer can handle without damage.

Home: 1,000-5,000 pages
Office: 10,000-50,000 pages
Commercial: 100,000+ pages

Recommended Monthly Volume

Optimal print volume for longevity. Usually 10-20% of duty cycle.

Printing at recommended volume extends printer life and reduces maintenance costs.

Test Your Printer Speed

Print our test page and time it to measure your real-world PPM

Print Speed Test Page Compare Printers

Printer PPM Guide