The safe way to
buy a used printer.

Buying a used printer: a quick guide

By Umair Mustafa, founder — a Computer Science graduate with 8 years of experience, running the family printer sales and repair shop that has been open since 2001. Updated 12 September 2026.

A good used printer costs far less than a new one. It can last for years. A bad one is money down the drain. Here is what we check, and what you should check too.

Pick the right type

Laser or ink tank?

Most homes, students and offices should buy a laser. A laser prints sharp text fast. Its toner does not dry out, even if you print once a month. An ink tank is better for colour. Each colour page costs less, but the ink can dry up if the printer sits unused for weeks. If you print mostly black text, go laser. If you print colour every week, go ink tank.

Check these five things

1. The page count. It is like the mileage on a car. Lower is better.
2. A test print. Ask for a full page of text and a page of grey.
3. The toner or ink level. An empty cartridge is an extra cost.
4. The warranty. Get it in writing, with a real shop behind it.
5. The seller. Can you visit them if a fault shows up later?

We do all five before a printer goes on sale. The page count is on every listing.

What “Certified 10/10” means

It is our own grade, not a brand label. We inspect each imported printer, clean it inside and out, and print test pages. Only units that pass every check get listed. If a printer fails a step, we fix it or we do not sell it.

Where we deliver

We deliver across Rawalpindi and Islamabad, usually the same or next day. That covers Saddar, Satellite Town, Bahria Town and DHA in Pindi, and the E, F, G and I sectors of Islamabad. You check the printer at your door, then pay. For other cities, message us and we can arrange a courier.

After you buy

Buying is only the start. We sell toner and ink for the models we carry, and we repair printers at our shop on 6th Road. So you are never stuck with a printer that nobody can fix.

Keep it running well

• Use dry, flat paper. Damp or curled paper is the top cause of jams.
• Print a page or two every week, so ink and rollers stay fresh.
• Keep the printer on a steady table, away from dust and direct sun.
• Plug it into a stabiliser or UPS. Voltage swings can kill the power board.
• Change the toner when prints turn faint, not at the first low toner alert.

What a used printer really costs to run

The price on the box is the small part. Toner is the big one. To compare two printers, divide the cartridge price by its page yield. A small 1,000-page compatible cartridge at about Rs 4,000 works out to Rs 4 a page. A high-yield cartridge costs more up front but can land under Rs 1.50 a page. That gap is why a workgroup laser is often cheaper to live with than a small home printer, even when it costs more to buy.

Colour is where costs jump. A colour laser needs four cartridges, and a full set can cost more than a used mono printer. If you print colour once a month, print those pages at a shop. If you print colour every week, an ink tank pays for itself quickly.

Common faults, and what they mean

• Faint or patchy prints. Usually low toner. Rock the cartridge gently side to side.
• Grey streaks down the page. The drum is worn or dirty. It is a cheap part to change.
• Paper jams every few pages. Worn pickup rollers, or damp paper. Both are quick fixes.
• Lines across the page. Often a dirty scanner glass on an all-in-one. Wipe it first.
• Printer offline on Wi-Fi. Give it a fixed IP on your router. Then it stays put.

None of these mean a printer is finished. We see all five on the bench every week, and most take minutes to sort out.

New or used?

Buy new if you need a warranty card for an office audit, or you want the latest wireless features. Buy used if you want more printer for the money. A used office laser often prints faster, holds more paper and costs less per page than a new home model at the same price. Business machines are built for years of daily work, so a tested one has plenty of life left.

Used is greener too

The world made a record 62 million tonnes of e-waste in 2022. Only 22.3% of it was properly recycled, says the World Health Organization. A tested used printer gives a good machine a second life. It also keeps one more printer out of the dump.