If you purchase the standard-size (series 31) or high-yield (series 32) ink supplies for the V525W, the per-page color costs are exorbitant. The standard-size series 31 cartridges (a set of which ships with the printer) last for 200 pages apiece and cost $10 for the black and $15 per color. That works out to 5.0 cents per page for black, an average cost, but 7.5 cents per page per color, which is more than twice our current average. A four-color page would cost 27.5 centsway above average. You get no relief with the high-yield series 32 color cartridges (no black): All priced at $25, they each last for 430 pages, or about 5.8 cents per page per color, which is still quite steep. One possible consolation: Our math has shown that .

The only reasonably priced inks are the extra-high-yield series 33 cartridges, which, at $28, are slightly more expensive than the series 32 tanks. The black cartridge lasts for 750 pages, which works out to a very reasonable 3.7 cents per page, while the colors last 700 pages each, translating to 4.0 cents per page. A four-color page would cost a very reasonable 15.7 cents. Regrettably, a full set of extra-high-yield inks for this $130 printer would cost $112a tough psychological and budgetary hurdle.

The Dell V525W offers a lot to like, including good paper handling, nice print quality, and decent speed. However, the color-ink prices are a deal-killer unless you print enough to justify investing in the extra-high-yield inks. Other MFPs in this price range with similar features and cheaper ink include the and .