Home office equipment: What you need and which printer is worth it

Finishing a quote, taking part in a training course, designing a presentation: anyone who works or studies at home needs a workspace that suits these tasks. The shopping list usually starts with a desk, a monitor and an internet connection. The printer only comes into view when a contract needs to be signed, a receipt filed or a thick script worked through. Then it becomes clear that its purchase price is only part of the bill.

A good home office setup includes an ergonomic workspace, a monitor, stable internet, good lighting and, if needed, a printer. When it comes to the printer, the choice depends on your printing habits: if you print a lot of text or take long breaks, a laser printer is often cheaper and more reliable; if you regularly print in color or print photos, ink is often the better choice.

For freelancers, creatives and anyone pursuing further education, the same basic rule therefore applies: start from your actual workflows. Someone who holds video calls every day sets different priorities than someone who reviews drafts or prints out scripts. The following checklist helps with the basic setup, and afterwards we look at the question of whether a printer is worthwhile and which one.

What basic equipment does a home office need?

The basic equipment includes a suitable desk and chair, a monitor, lighting, stable internet, a headset if needed, and a tray or shelf for documents. What matters is that these parts work together in everyday use. First check what you do for long periods or especially often: working concentrated at the screen, taking part in video calls, taking handwritten notes or working with paper.

The table shows for each component what you need it for and what to look out for when choosing.

Not every item requires a new purchase. An existing monitor is enough if text is easy to read on it and the connections fit. Anyone who mainly works on a laptop often gains more from a better seating position and an external keyboard than from a larger device. How to coordinate desk, chair and monitor is described in our article on the ergonomic workspace for creatives.

For video calls, a short test at the intended spot is worthwhile: do sound and connection come through reliably there? If you regularly invite people to meetings yourself, the Zoom tutorial on video conferences shows you how to set up and schedule meetings and invite participants.

Storage is also part of the workflow. Decide where incoming documents end up, which documents you edit digitally and what you need printed out. That way no stacks of paper build up, and the same file doesn't lie around in three versions. What a digital filing system for receipts and contracts looks like is explained in the guide to the paperless office. Only this stocktaking shows whether a printer of your own is a sensible addition to your setup.

Do you still need a printer in a home office at all?

A printer of your own is worthwhile if you regularly need paper for contracts, receipts, study materials or for checking drafts. Anyone who does almost everything digitally and only prints occasionally can manage without a device of their own. You recognize the need from concrete tasks, not from the question of whether there is already a printer in the household.

Freelancers deal with signed documents, shipping papers or receipts. In a training course, printouts help when you want to highlight long texts or compare several pages side by side. Creatives use paper to assess a flyer draft or a presentation away from the screen. A normal office printer does not replace a color-accurate proof, however: colors and the look of the paper can differ from the final printed product.

Go through your last few weeks of work in your head. What really had to be available on paper? Which printouts could have been avoided by a digital signature, a well-organized file system or comments on screen? If only individual pages are left over rarely, a print service is often enough for planned jobs. If, on the other hand, you need documents in hand at short notice or want to print confidential documents in your own workspace, there is a lot to be said for a device of your own.

On top of that comes the question of space. A printer needs an accessible spot to stand, power, and a connection to your computers. A multifunction device also needs room for placing and removing originals. Sort out these simple requirements before you compare features that you may never use in everyday life.

Laser or ink: which is cheaper to maintain?

For lots of text, a black-and-white laser printer can offer low running costs per page, while an inkjet printer is often a good fit for regular color or photo printing. If you rarely print, a laser printer is often the safer choice, because ink can dry out during long breaks. There is no technology that is always cheaper. Compare your monthly print volume, the type of your printouts, and the cost of consumables for specific devices.

A laser printer works with toner. If you print many pages of text, pay attention to the yield of the toner cartridge and to other consumable parts that, depending on the model, are replaced separately. With an inkjet printer, besides the price of the cartridges, the frequency of printing and the color demand also matter. After longer breaks, the device often cleans its nozzles, and in doing so it uses ink itself. For photos or colored designs, output quality also matters, and a cheap text printout says nothing about that.

As a first orientation, you can compare your average month with possible printing breaks:

The classification is deliberately not a rigid limit based on page count. An ink tank printer can be interesting for regular color needs, but it likewise requires a look at purchase and usage. A color laser, in turn, solves different tasks than a simple black-and-white device. Therefore, compare two or three devices that truly fulfill your functions, and calculate their usage.

How do you calculate printing costs per page?

Divide the price of a cartridge by its stated page yield, and you have the calculated amount per page. With this simple formula, offers become comparable, as long as you look at the same page type and the matching cartridges. For the total costs, the device price and, where applicable, other consumable and wear parts are added.

The basic formula is: price of the cartridge divided by the stated page yield gives the calculated cost of consumables per page. For each device under consideration, note the exact model designation and the matching cartridges, and calculate separately. If a device has several color cartridges, the price of the black cartridge is not enough for a color page. A set price also only tells you something once you know the associated yields and your actual color consumption.

Standardized test methods exist for yield figures: ISO/IEC 19752 applies to black-and-white toner, ISO/IEC 24711 to ink cartridges. A defined sequence of test pages is printed in the process. Such figures create a common basis for comparison, but they do not promise that you will reach exactly the same page count at home. A nearly fully printed worksheet uses more than a page with a few lines, and print settings and cleaning cycles also influence the result.

For an economic comparison, you calculate a typical period: How many pages do you print per month, and how many of them in color? Add the consumables you will probably need to the purchase price and check whether other parts have to be replaced on the model. This shows why a low device price is not automatically the cheaper overall package with regular printing.

How do you reduce printing costs in the home office?

Printing costs fall above all when you avoid unnecessary printouts, use suitable print settings, and compare consumables by page yield. Check the exact printer model before every order: toner and ink for the home office must match the device, otherwise every price comparison leads nowhere. The model name is on the device or in its settings.

Start with the files. In the print preview you can see whether blank pages, cut-off tables, or unnecessary attachments would be printed along with the rest. For long documents, select only the pages you need. For internal working copies, draft or eco mode is often enough. For contracts, easily readable study materials, or templates where color matters, check the result before you print a larger quantity.

Double-sided printing halves your paper needs if the document and printer are suited to it. It is especially worthwhile for long scripts and materials that you read in one go. Choose black and white when color adds nothing, and remove large areas of color from your own working copies. Depending on the template, this saves material without you having to make the same compromise in presentation for every task.

When buying, it is worth comparing the calculated cost per page of different cartridges. Depending on the product, compatible toners and cartridges can offer comparable print quality and page yield, but results differ from product to product. Pay attention to the exact device assignment, verifiable page yield information, and clear details on returns. For printouts where color or detail matters especially, do a test print first.

Multipacks and volume discounts only help if you actually use up the material. If you rarely print, don't build up a large stock just because the unit price is lower. If you regularly print the same documents, compare suitable pack sizes specifically. The most savings come from the combination of well-thought-out print jobs and consumables that fit your print profile.

What does a sensible home office setup cost overall?

The total cost depends on what you already have, which tasks you handle, and which devices consume material on an ongoing basis. A flat sum is of little help: a workspace for video meetings has different requirements than one for lots of printouts. Therefore, divide your planning into one-off purchases and recurring expenses.

For a rough, comprehensible range, you form two sums from current offers for devices that meet your requirements. The lower limit includes only what is missing and what you need immediately. The upper limit additionally includes everything you want to buy new, such as a monitor or a printer. If your desk, chair, and computer are already suitable, the range starts with a single addition. For a complete new setup, it extends to the sum for desk, chair, monitor, lighting, audio, and possibly a printer. Note the amounts next to your list instead of applying a general market price to your workspace.

For purchases, desk, chair, and monitor usually come first. Check whether your furniture allows enough space and a comfortable posture before you replace it. After that, depending on your work, come lighting, input devices, and audio. For online courses or conversations, a good microphone can be more important than more screen space; for layout work, it is often the other way around.

With a printer, both the device and its operation belong in the calculation. Paper, toner, or ink are needed again and again depending on use. Therefore, supplement your range with the ongoing costs based on the prices and page yields of the matching consumables and your expected print volume. Even a printer you rarely use takes up space and needs to be kept ready for operation. Before buying, write down which functions you really need: is black-and-white text enough, do you need color, do you scan or copy? Functions you never use don't make the workspace any better.

Frequently asked questions about home office equipment and the printer

Some questions only arise once the basic equipment is in place: can the equipment be deducted from taxes, and what should you do with empty cartridges? The answers help with these practical decisions.

Can you deduct the equipment from your taxes?

Work equipment that you use professionally in the home office can be taken into account for tax purposes: as an employee via income-related expenses (Werbungskosten), as a self-employed person as a business expense. Whether and to what extent this applies to a particular desk, monitor, or printer depends on the professional use and your personal situation. Keep the purchase receipts and, for devices you use both privately and professionally, document in a comprehensible way how you use them. For the exact classification, advice is worthwhile, especially if you are self-employed or use devices for mixed purposes.

Which printer is suitable if you don't print much?

What matters here is what you print and how long the breaks between print jobs are. With long breaks, a laser printer is often more robust, because ink can dry out. If you regularly need color, an inkjet printer may be a good fit; in that case, factor in possible cleaning cycles and the price of the cartridges. If you only occasionally need individual documents, consider a print service. If you are looking for your own device, compare the follow-up costs, not just the purchase price.

Does ink dry out if you rarely print?

During longer printing pauses, the nozzles of an inkjet printer can dry out or clog. You can recognize this by missing lines or streaky printouts. Printing occasionally and using the device's maintenance functions help, although cleaning uses up ink. Don't wait to run the device again after a long pause until an important printout urgently needs to get done. If you regularly take long breaks, factor that into your choice of device.

Are compatible toners safe for your printer?

Compatible toners can work reliably in the right device. What matters is that the product is explicitly intended for the exact model designation and that the information on yield and handling is clear and verifiable. Quality and print results differ between products, so there is no blanket statement for all cartridges. Before inserting one, check that it is assigned to your printer and follow the installation instructions. If a printout doesn't look as expected, the device's error message and the product information help you find the cause.

Is a multifunction device worth it?

A multifunction device is worth it if you regularly scan or copy in addition to printing. This is practical for signed documents, handwritten notes or paper receipts, and saves space compared to several separate devices. Before buying, consider how often you really do these tasks and whether you need an automatic document feeder for multi-page originals. If you work almost entirely digitally, the range of functions should not be the most important reason for buying.

What to do with empty toners and cartridges?

It's best not to put empty toners and cartridges in the general waste, but to hand them in through take-back and collection services, for example at retailers, at the recycling center, or through manufacturers' take-back programs. This way they can be reused or recycled. Which option is available to you depends on what is offered locally. Until you hand them in, store used cartridges so that no residue leaks out, for example in the packaging of the new cartridge, and follow the instructions of the collection point.

What this means for you

Good home office equipment is not a list of devices that is as complete as possible, but a workspace that suits your tasks. We consider taking stock the most important step, because it prevents most bad purchases, with a printer as well as with a monitor.

• Check what you already have, and first fix the bottlenecks that slow you down every day.
• Go through your last few weeks and count what really had to be on paper before you decide on a printer.
• For two or three suitable printers, calculate the cost per page from cartridge price and yield.
• Note your monthly volume and add the consumption to the purchase price.
• Use print preview, double-sided printing and black and white where color adds nothing.