We are looking into the possibility of printing our own stuff (double sided two-color 8.5 x 11 sheets). Our product values often change depending on what we are printing, so it is not cost effective to print large quantities to achieve volume discounts (just like most small presses!).

We are also pricing short digital runs of 25, 50, 75 sheets, etc. I have researched some HP printers online and I'm trying to calculate ink cost per page, paper cost, # of pages per the life of the machine, etc. to determine if we would save money in the long run by handling this in-house. We would also consider leasing a machine.

I would appreciate any recommendations re: the most cost effective way to handle this situation as well as recommended color printer brands and printer vendors. It seems difficult to adequately assess a machine from reading the info online. The printer I was looking at was the Color LaserJet 5550 Printer Series (for 11 x 17 paper).