Is home printing cheaper than lab printing?

For small prints (6x4, 7x5), lab printing is almost always cheaper. For A4 and larger, home printing becomes competitive if you print regularly. Fine art papers tip the balance towards home printing because lab fine art printing is very expensive.

What ink coverage should I use?

Average photographic images use 15-25% ink coverage. High-key images (lots of white/light tones) use less (10-15%). Dark, saturated images can use 30-40%. Landscape and portrait work typically averages 20%.

Dye inks are cheaper and produce vivid colours but fade faster (3-10 years). Pigment inks cost more but last 50-200 years and resist water. For selling prints, always use pigment inks. For personal snapshots, dye is fine.

How many waste prints should I expect?

Allow 1-2 waste prints per session for test prints and colour calibration. With a well-calibrated monitor and printer, you may need fewer. Fine art papers are less forgiving, so allow more waste for those.

PhotoCalcs

Print Cost Calculator — Cost Per Print Analysis

Calculate the true cost per print including paper, ink and comparison with lab printing.

Print SizePick a standard size or enter custom width × height in cm

Paper TypeFine-art cotton rag costs most; gloss the least

Ink TypePigment lasts 50–200 years; dye is cheaper but fades

Prints Per Session

How many keeper prints you run in one sitting

How We Calculate This

Paper cost is based on the sheet size and paper type at typical UK retail prices.

Ink cost = print area × ink coverage × 0.0016 ml/cm² × ink price per ml. The 0.0016 ml/cm² deposit rate equals roughly 1 ml of ink for a full-coverage A4 (623.7 cm²) — consistent with the ~0.5–1.2 ml measured per saturated A4 and the ~1.25 ml per square foot rule of thumb for photo printers.

Break-even calculates how many prints you need to make before the cost of a printer (~£300) is offset by savings vs lab printing.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Last updated: March 2026

All calculations are estimates based on standard optical and photographic formulas. Results may vary with specific equipment.