One of the most common complaints about printers is the running cost, primarily in the form of ink or toner cartridges. Printer manufacturers have responded by offering tank printers, which offer a much lower cost per page than printers with the traditional cartridge-based design, and which let you buy the ink or toner in bulk. With tank-style inkjets for example, the ink typically comes in bottles, and you pour it into large reservoirs in the printer. Brother is an exception, providing the bulk ink in cartridges, but the same logic applies, with inexpensive ink sold in large quantity. Regardless of the details and actual delivery method, these printers are collectively known as tank printers, for their large ink tanks. (Read more about how to weigh the cost of tank versus cartridge ink.) The catch is that tank printers cost more to buy initially than cartridge-based printers that share similar capability and performance. Whether the lower ink cost will save you money in the long run depends on how much you print. When choosing between tank and cartridge printers, it's worth the effort to compare the total cost of ownership in both cases, to see which will be the less expensive choice. And as another option for lowering running cost, you should factor in the available ink subscription programs, if any, for the printers you're considering. (Check out our feature How to Save the Most Money on Printer Ink for more on bulk ink and ink subscription plans, as well our breakdown of HP's many ink programs.)