Revealed: Study Uncovers The Return Of The Home Printer

A study by Cartridge People has found that:

• A third of UK printer owners are not using compatible printer cartridges.
• 22% of people believe that third party cartridges will damage their printer and 17% believe they will invalidate their printer warranty.
• HP is currently the popular printer manufacturer in the UK (47% of respondents).
• More than one in five people are printing more now than they were prior to the pandemic.
• Over a quarter of people are using their printer daily and half are printing on weekly basis.
• 28% of people are now using their printer for working from home, 14% now need to print either for their child's or their own education.
• More than one in ten printer owners don't know what type of printer they own.


The coronavirus pandemic is resulting an unprecedented demand for home printers as the UK adapts to working from home and home schooling.

A study has found that a third of UK printer owners are not using ‘own brand’ cartridges and are needlessly missing out on saving money by purchasing genuine consumables. Families are being warned to ignore the misinformation around printer warranties and third party ink cartridges to start cutting the cost of their home printing today.

Cartridge People’s “Home Printer Statistics Study” has highlighted how the printer, once derided as a machine that would disappear in favour of paperless offices, has been needed more than ever. Working from home, education, activities to alleviate lockdown boredom and corresponding with love ones are just some of the reasons people have needed their home printer.

The study found that more than one in five (22%) of us are printing more now than before the pandemic started. According to Cartridge People’s results, 27% of people are printing on a daily basis and 50% are using their printer every week.

The impact of the pandemic can be seen in the 28% of people who now rely on their printer to support their business and/or for working from home. With 14% answering that they use their printer for educational needs, this supports what many are saying around the need to print when home schooling.

Parents have taken to social media to talk about the need to print as a result of their child's school being closed during lockdown and one caller to ITV's This Morning received a free printer from presenter Holly Willoughby.

Nearly one in five are printing in order to stay in touch with others. At a time when social media and video calls seem to be championed as the ways to communicate, many are still sending letters to loved ones in a more traditional way.

Receiving 47% of the vote, HP is the most popular printer manufacturer in the UK according to the findings. Canon came in second place with 20% of the vote and Epson a close third with 17%.

A worry though is that there are many who still aren't sure what type of printer they actually own. More than one in ten (11%) said that they weren't sure whether their printer was an inkjet or laser printer.

Commenting on the findings, Cartridge People Managing Director, John Flanagan said: “Our 'Home Printing Statistics' study highlights what we at Cartridge People have known for some time, that the pandemic has seen an unprecedented demand for home printers and office supplies. We're aware of the various reasons people in the UK choose to print but there are still findings here that took us by surprise such as the 19% of people who still print letters.

“What we're continuing to do is try and do our best to ensure that the extra printing parents and workers are having to do as a result of lockdowns doesn't become a burden financially. That's why we're constantly trying to educate customers about the use of Own Brand products. There has been misinformation for some time now about how they invalidate printer warranties and it's simply not the case. You can buy in confidence and for our Own Brand cartridges there is a Lifetime Printer Guarantee for added peace of mind. There's no reason to not take advantage of the savings on offer, particularly at a time where families, businesses and individuals may already be finding times tough.

“What I would say to all those looking to buy a printer is to make sure they know what they're getting and choose the right printer for their needs. The one in ten from our study is a concern not just because people don't know what machine they have, but because they'll not know what consumables to buy and there are cost differences between ink and toner products.”

Full dataset available on request. For further quotes and information contact editor@cartridgepeople.com