Calculate print times and find the right speed for your needs
Found in printer specs (black & white)
Estimated Print Time
5 minutes
100 pages at 20 PPM effective speed
Recommended PPM
15-25 PPM
For your needs:
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| Printer Type | Typical PPM | Best For | Price Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Inkjet | 8-15 PPM | Home, occasional printing | $50-150 |
| Business Inkjet | 20-25 PPM | Home office, small business | $150-350 |
| EcoTank/Supertank | 10-16 PPM | High volume, low cost priority | $250-600 |
| Mono Laser (Entry) | 25-35 PPM | Office documents, speed priority | $100-250 |
| Mono Laser (Business) | 40-55 PPM | Workgroups, heavy printing | $300-800 |
| Color Laser (Entry) | 18-25 PPM | Small office color needs | $300-500 |
| Color Laser (Business) | 30-45 PPM | Professional color documents | $500-1,500 |
Recommended models based on your PPM needs
Home / Light Use
Home Office / Small Business
Speed once printing starts. Important for multi-page documents. Higher PPM = faster large jobs.
Time to print the first page from sleep. Typically 6-15 seconds. Important for single-page jobs.
Tip: For frequent single-page prints, prioritize low FPOT over high PPM.
PPM stands for Pages Per Minute - the number of pages a printer can print in one minute. It's the standard measure of printer speed. Most home printers range from 10-25 PPM, while office printers can reach 40-70 PPM. Note that PPM ratings are for black & white text; color printing is typically 20-40% slower.
For typical home use (under 100 pages/month), 10-15 PPM is sufficient. For home offices with moderate printing (100-500 pages/month), aim for 15-25 PPM. If you print 500+ pages monthly or need quick document turnaround, consider 25+ PPM.
Not necessarily. Higher PPM printers are faster but often cost more upfront and may have higher running costs. For occasional home printing, a 10-15 PPM printer is more economical. Only invest in high-PPM printers if you regularly print large documents or multiple copies where time savings matter.
Real-world speeds are typically 20-40% slower than rated PPM because: 1) Ratings use simple text documents at draft quality, 2) Color and graphics print slower, 3) First page takes longer (warm-up time), 4) Duplex printing adds time for page flipping, 5) High-quality mode reduces speed.
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