Printing Digital Products Affordably
/In this 2-part series, I'll discuss my process for decision making on digital products as well as share my favorite resources for making printing affordable! You can read the digital discussion HERE and the printing help below.
How can I afford to print all this?
We get that question a lot! Whether they’re referring to a product from The Gentle + Classical Press or a special resources bundle we are participating in, the struggle is the same. These beautiful resources need to be printed to be used, and we want our kids to experience them in person as beautifully as we do on the screen. So, how can we do that affordably? Let’s dig in!
Here are the basic printing options:
Print yourself, with your own printer. (I have this printer and use this cheap ink without issue!)
Print via a service life FedEx or Office Depot.
Print using homeschool-friendly, family-owned companies like The Homeschool Printing Company or Watson Family Press (use our code GENTLE to save 10% with Watson!)
I am a dollar and cents girl and feel like the only way to really compare is with a spreadsheet, which I've prepared below!
Printing at home assumptions: I used ChatGPT to calculate the cost per page for the print at home option on the Epson Ecotank ET-2800. I researched separately to confirm the AI numbers and found them to be accurate. These numbers are utilizing genuine Epson ink. I have successfully used knock-off ink with printers for decades with zero issue. So the actual cost of printing per page will be lower if you use the ink we use.
I also priced the paper cost based on this paper and this cardstock. Lastly, the Ecotank is a $190 up front investment. The average lifespan of an Epson printer with regular use is about 7,500 sheets, though some people go well above 10,000. I’ve added that number ($0.025) into the calculation as well.
As you can see from the chart above, printing at home with our recommended tools is the cheapest option. VERY close to that, are the prices from Watson Family Press (code: GENTLE) and The Homeschool Printing Company.
One note about print companies that service homeschool families specifically: At certain times of year (like the late summer and early fall), orders can take several weeks. So be aware and order in advance of needing your stuff, especially for peak season.
If we go back to the previous post in this series, we can see that YES: If you use $100 worth of materials that you purchase for $25 (in a bundle of some sort) and then pay $10-20 to print at home or via Watson Family Press, you're going to save a huge amount!
Printer/Ink Recommendations: I have created an idea list in my Amazon shop to share the printer, ink, paper, and cardstock that I have used long-term and have been very happy with. You can visit that HERE.
Organization
One question that I've been asked before and that I think we all ask ourselves is- once we have purchased these amazing resources and printed them, will we actually USE THEM?
That's a great question for personal examination. I think we've all felt the pangs of purchased and unused curriculum or tools- even when we were extremely diligent in making our decision.
Sometimes... plans change, life changes, things just don't go as we expect. All that's within your control is to decide, that as far as it depends on you, once you've invested time and money into a product, that you do due diligence in seeking to utilize it.
This includes:
Staying organized! If we can't find it or forget about it, we can't use it. Keep your digital files in ONE folder, preferably on a platform you can access from anywhere like Google Drive or Dropbox. Divide them up by ages and subjects. Do this AS SOON as you make the purchase. Be diligent in maintaining this.
Before you make new purchases look through your digital resources AND your "homeschool closet/shelf/cabinet" to see what's already on hand.
Print as much as you can right away and prep it. Keep printables in sleeves inside a large 3-ring binder. Label everything.
Make it enjoyable. Listen to audiobooks and podcasts or your favorite TV show while you print, cut, laminate, and organize. Do this BIG a few times a year, and you'll always have everything you need, on-hand and ready to go, at the lowest possible price!
I hope this was helpful and informative in helping you feel empowered in making these decisions for your family! Share your favorite resources and thoughts below!
