Homeschooling runs on paper. Math worksheets, handwriting pages, unit study packets, coloring pages from Teachers Pay Teachers. And the printer always seems to run out of ink, jam or clog right before Monday.
If you don’t own a printer, or you’re tired of feeding one, here are your options, with honest numbers.
Option 1: A home printer
If you print hundreds of pages every week, a printer is hard to beat. An ink-tank or laser printer can get the cost of ink down to a cent or two a page. Cartridge inkjets cost more to run: estimates commonly put ink at several cents a page for black and white and well into the teens for color, and heads can dry out or clog if the printer sits unused.
Best for: families who print a lot, every week, and don’t mind the upkeep.
Option 2: The library or an office store
Libraries often charge around 10–25¢ a page, more for color. Office stores are quick if you’re close. The cost is mostly your time: packing up the kids, the drive, and the queue at the kiosk.
Best for: a few pages you need today.
Option 3: Have it printed and mailed to you
Download the PDF, upload it in the Inktoss app on your phone, and the printed pages come to your door.
- $0.29 a page, color or black and white, plus $1.49 shipping
- A 30-page color unit study packet costs $10.19, all in
- Orders ship the next business day, and Standard shipping typically takes 3–5 business days in the mail
- No ink, no printer, no subscription
Best for: families without a printer, color-heavy packets, and anyone who plans a week or two ahead.
Tips for printing curriculum by mail
- Plan a unit ahead. Order next week’s or next month’s pages in one batch so you pay shipping once.
- Pick only the pages you need. Skip answer keys and covers you won’t use.
- Check the license. Most TPT and curriculum purchases allow printing for your own family. Don’t print materials for resale or sharing.
- Color costs the same. Since color and black and white are the same price, you don’t need to make color pages grayscale.