Enter pages, copies and paper to estimate the cost of handouts, reports and booklets. Compare single-sided and double-sided printing on the spot.
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DetailsPages and Copies
Pages per copy
Copies
Spare copies (misprints, extras)
Color pages per copy
of 20 pagesPrint Sides
Estimated total cost
Breakdown
Cost per copy
$0.81
Reams (500 sheets)
2
Paper saved (double-sided)
$5.50
TIP
Paper and color are balanced for this job. For regular high-volume printing, compare per-page rates across printers and print shops.
Paper Type
Printer Type (Ink/Toner Cost per Page)
How to Calculate Printing Costs for Copies, Booklets and Handouts
Printing cost comes down to six inputs: pages per copy, number of copies, single or double-sided, how many pages are color, paper type and printer type. Two jobs with the same page count can differ several times over in price depending on those choices.
This calculator turns those inputs into sheets, reams, paper cost, ink or toner cost, total cost and cost per copy. It also shows how much paper you save by printing double-sided.
Use it to set a budget before you print, to see what a few color pages add, or to compare your own printer with a print shop.
When to Estimate Your Print Run Cost
Budgeting a handout or report run
Enter the page count and number of copies to see sheets and total cost before you hit print or send the job to a shop.
Deciding between single-sided and double-sided
Select double-sided to see how many sheets and how many dollars of paper you save compared with single-sided.
Pricing a booklet or zine with a few color pages
Set how many pages per copy are color. The calculator prices color and black-and-white pages separately and adds them up.
Comparing home printing with a print shop
Switch between inkjet, laser and print shop rates, or enter your own per-page prices, and compare totals for the same job.
Working out how many reams to buy
The sheet count is also shown in reams of 500, rounded up, so you know how much paper to order.
Estimate Your Print Job in 4 Steps
- Enter the pages per copy and the number of copies.
- Add spare copies for misprints and extras, then set how many pages per copy are color.
- Choose single-sided or double-sided printing.
- Pick a paper type and printer type, or choose Custom to enter your own prices. Sheets, reams and costs update as you go.
Note: Everything is set with buttons and number fields. The calculation runs in your browser, and what you enter is not sent to a server.
What the Estimate Includes and Leaves Out
- The preset prices are rounded placeholder values, not current market prices. Choose Custom and enter your real paper and ink or toner prices for a reliable number.
- The ink or toner rate is applied to each printed page, so double-sided printing reduces sheets but not the per-page rate.
- If a copy has an odd number of pages, the last sheet is printed on one side only and is still counted as a full sheet.
- The Mono laser preset cannot print color. Pages you mark as color are charged at the black-and-white rate.
- Printer purchase, binding, cutting, shipping and sales tax are not included.
- Print shop prices change, so check the shop's current price list before you order.
Default Paper and Per-Page Print Prices
These are the preset values used by the calculator. They are placeholders for comparison, not quotes. Change them with Custom.
| Category | Type | Default price |
|---|---|---|
| Paper | Standard copy paper | $0.01 per sheet |
| Paper | Premium paper | $0.03 per sheet |
| Paper | Matte coated paper | $0.06 per sheet |
| Paper | Cardstock | $0.10 per sheet |
| Paper | Specialty stock | $0.20 per sheet |
| Printing | Home inkjet (B&W / color) | $0.03 / $0.15 per page |
| Printing | Mono laser (B&W only) | $0.02 per page |
| Printing | Color laser (B&W / color) | $0.02 / $0.08 per page |
| Printing | Print shop (B&W / color) | $0.10 / $0.50 per page |
Choose Custom under Paper type or Printer type to replace any of these with your own prices.
What Drives Printing Cost: Sheets, Sides, Color and Paper
A quick look at how the total is built, and where the savings usually are.
Total cost is sheets times paper price, plus pages times ink or toner rate
The first driver is volume: pages per copy times total copies. Three choices then change the price of each page. Single or double-sided changes how many sheets you use. Color or black-and-white changes the ink or toner cost of each page. Paper type changes the price of each sheet. The same document can cost several times more or less depending on those three.
Why double-sided printing cuts paper cost but not ink cost
Single-sided printing uses one sheet per page. Double-sided printing puts two pages on each sheet, so you need about half as many sheets. Paper cost scales with sheets, so it drops by about half.
Ink and toner are used per printed page, so that part of the bill barely moves. The longer the document and the larger the run, the more double-sided printing saves.
Keep color to the pages that need it
A color page usually costs more to print than a black-and-white page. In the default inkjet preset it is five times as much.
If only charts, photos and the cover need color, set just those pages as color and print the text pages in black and white. Compare the total with every page set to color to see the difference.
Choosing paper and a printing method
For internal drafts and everyday handouts, standard copy paper is usually enough. For proposals, brochures and covers, a heavier or coated stock costs more per sheet but looks and feels better.
For a few copies, your own printer or a print shop is simple. For regular high-volume printing, compare the price and rated page yield of toner and ink cartridges for your own model, since per-page cost tends to be lower when a cartridge covers more pages.
Common Print Budget Mistakes
Ordering a large run single-sided
The budget is built on page count and copies alone, so the paper saving from double-sided printing is missed and the run uses about twice the sheets it needs to.
💡 See the solution▼
Setting every page to color
Text-only pages are printed in color by default, which adds color cost to pages that look the same in black and white.
💡 See the solution▼
Printing exactly the number of copies you need
A misprint, a damaged copy or a late request leaves you short and means a second print run.
💡 See the solution▼
Assuming the cheapest paper price
The budget uses standard copy paper, but the job ends up on premium or heavy stock, and paper cost is several times higher.
💡 See the solution▼
Buying a printer for a small job
Buying a printer or toner for a handful of copies can cost more than having the job printed at a shop.
💡 See the solution▼
Printing Cost FAQ
Q.How is the printing cost calculated?
A. The estimate adds two parts. Paper cost is the number of sheets times the price per sheet. Ink or toner cost is the number of black-and-white pages times the B&W rate, plus the number of color pages times the color rate. Total copies are the copies you need plus your spares, and cost per copy is the total divided by the copies you need.
Q.How much does double-sided printing save?
A. It cuts the number of sheets to about half, so paper cost drops by about half. Example: a 20-page document in 55 total copies takes 1,100 sheets single-sided and 550 double-sided. At $0.01 per sheet, that saves $5.50. The ink or toner rate is charged per printed page, so it stays the same. The calculator shows your paper savings when double-sided is selected.
Q.What is the cost difference between color and black-and-white pages?
A. It depends on your printer. With the default home inkjet preset, a color page is set at $0.15 and a black-and-white page at $0.03, five times as much. To find your own rates, divide the price of a cartridge by its rated page yield, then enter them under Custom. Printing only charts and photos in color is the quickest way to bring the total down.
Q.How many spare copies should I print?
A. Spares cover misprints, damaged copies and last-minute requests. Many people add about 5% to 10% of the copies they plan to hand out, so 100 copies becomes 105 to 110. Spares are included in the total cost, but not in the cost-per-copy figure.
Q.How many reams of paper do I need?
A. A ream is 500 sheets. The calculator divides your total sheet count by 500 and rounds up. For example, 550 sheets means 2 reams. If you plan to reprint or keep stock on hand, round up further.
Q.Is it cheaper to print at home or at a print shop?
A. It depends on your printer and your volume. Enter your own per-page rates under Custom, then switch between the Home inkjet, Laser and Print shop presets to compare totals for the same job. The estimate does not include the price of buying a printer, so factor that in for small jobs.
Q.Are the default prices current market prices?
A. No. The presets are rounded placeholder values, so you can see how the totals change between options. Prices vary by brand, store, region and quantity. For a reliable estimate, choose Custom for paper and printer and enter the prices from your receipt, cartridge or print shop quote.
Q.Is the information I enter sent anywhere?
A. No. The calculation runs in your browser, and the numbers you enter are not sent to a server. Closing or refreshing the page clears them.
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