Best Time to Buy a Printer (and Ink) in 2026: Black Friday & Cyber Monday Guide

by Last Updated:

Published October 14, 2026. Written by William Elward, founder of Castle Ink.

Quick answer

The best time to buy a printer in 2026 is Black Friday (November 27) through Cyber Monday (November 30), when retailers run their deepest electronics discounts, followed by post-holiday clearance in December and January on older models. But long-term price tracking shows printer prices don't swing as much as the ads suggest, so if your printer just died, buy now and save your energy for the bigger cost: ink. Ink and toner savings are available any week of the year by switching to remanufactured or compatible cartridges.

When are Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2026?

2026 printer deal calendar: October sales, Black Friday Nov 27, Cyber Monday Nov 30, December clearance

  • Black Friday: Friday, November 27, 2026 (the day after Thanksgiving, November 26).
  • Cyber Monday: Monday, November 30, 2026. Adobe's 2026 holiday forecast expects Cyber Monday to be the biggest online shopping day of the year at about $15.1 billion, with Black Friday close behind at about $12.9 billion and the full season reaching a record $275.1 billion.
  • Already happened: Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days ran October 6–7, alongside Target Circle Deal Days and Walmart's deals event (Valley News Live). If you missed those, the next real window is Thanksgiving week.
  • Best Buy: hadn't announced 2026 dates as of mid-October. In 2025 its Black Friday sale started a week early, on November 20 (Business Wire), so expect early deals again.

How big are printer discounts on Black Friday?

For electronics as a whole, discounts are real. Adobe reported that electronics discounts peaked at 30.9% off list during the 2025 holiday season, up from 30.1% in 2024 (Adobe, January 2026), and it forecasts a similar peak of around 30% for 2026, with Cyber Monday the strongest day for electronics. Adobe's lead analyst Vivek Pandya summed up 2025 this way: "U.S. retailers leaned heavily on discounts this holiday season to drive online demand."

Printers specifically are a different story. Price-tracking site ShopSavvy analyzed nearly 70,000 price observations on 318 printers from 2020 to 2026 and found no month that was meaningfully cheaper than usual; Black Friday week's median price was within about 1% of early-October prices. In plain English: the headline doorbusters are real, but they're concentrated on a few models, and the median printer isn't much cheaper in late November than it is today.

What printers go on sale for Black Friday?

  • Entry-level cartridge inkjets. Expect $40 to $80 doorbusters. Many are HP "e" models eligible for HP+, which HP says requires an HP account, an always-on internet connection and only Original HP ink. Know what you're agreeing to: Your HP printer might require a subscription to work.
  • Last year's ink-tank models. Epson launched the EcoTank ET-1910, ET-2900 and ET-4903 in July 2026 (AndroidGuys), so the models they replace are prime clearance candidates through the holidays.
  • Mono lasers. Brother's compact lasers are frequent holiday deals and are a strong value at any price. See best laser printers for home.
  • Photo printers. Usually discounted less, but bundles with paper are common.

Black Friday printer traps to avoid

  1. The starter-cartridge trap. A $49 printer often ships with low-capacity "setup" cartridges. Budget for a full set of replacements within weeks. See setup cartridges explained.
  2. The free-trial trap. HP's fine print notes that its Instant Ink trial bills automatically after the trial period unless you cancel. If you don't want it, cancel during the trial: how to cancel HP Instant Ink.
  3. The firmware trap. Some printers accept only brand-name cartridges after a firmware update. Check our list of printers that don't lock you into OEM ink before you buy, and learn how to control firmware updates.
  4. The "was" price trap. Compare against the maker's own store and a price tracker, not the retailer's inflated list price.
  5. The tariff bump. HP and Canon raised US prices in 2025 to cover tariffs (The Register), so a "30% off" tag may land close to what the printer cost two years ago. Read how much a printer costs in 2026 for current baselines.

From the founder: The cheapest printer on Black Friday is rarely the cheapest printer to own. Before you click buy, look up what a full set of replacement cartridges costs and how many pages it prints. A $60 printer with $70 cartridges is not a deal; a $150 printer with cartridges that cost a few cents a page is. – William Elward

When is the best time to buy printer ink?

Brand-name ink is rarely discounted much, even on Black Friday, because it's where manufacturers make their margin. HP's former CEO Enrique Lores said it bluntly at Davos in 2024: "We lose money on the hardware, we make money on the supplies" (The Register).

The bigger, permanent saving is switching to remanufactured or compatible cartridges, which typically cost far less than OEM year-round. A few practical tips:

Should I wait for Black Friday or buy a printer now?

  • Buy now if your printer is dead and you need to print this week. The data says you won't save much on a typical model by waiting.
  • Wait if you already have a working printer and you're shopping for a specific upgrade, such as an ink-tank or laser model, where doorbusters can be deep.
  • Wait until December or January if you want last year's ink-tank model at clearance prices.

Not sure which printer you need? Take the 60-second PrinterIQ Finder quiz or see this month's CastleScore rankings.

Frequently asked questions

Are printers cheaper on Black Friday or Cyber Monday?

Adobe expects Cyber Monday to be the strongest day for electronics discounts in 2026, but specific printer doorbusters often appear first on Black Friday and sell out. Track the exact model on both days.

Do printer prices drop in January?

Clearance on outgoing models is common after the holidays, especially for ink-tank lines replaced earlier in the year.

Is Amazon Prime Big Deal Days good for printers?

It can be, but the October 2026 event (October 6–7) is over. Thanksgiving week is the next major window.

Does printer ink go on sale for Black Friday?

Brand-name ink sees modest discounts. Remanufactured and compatible cartridges are already priced well below OEM all year.

What's the best printer to buy on sale?

One with a low cost per page. See printers with the cheapest ink and our models to avoid.

Related guides

Track printer deals: see current printer deals on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, Castle Ink earns from qualifying purchases.

About the author: William Elward is the founder of Castle Ink and has more than 20 years of experience in the printer and imaging supplies industry.

Need replacement printer ink cartridges? Shop printer ink cartridges at Castle Ink. Remanufactured, up to 70% less than OEM, and shipped the same day when you order by 4 PM ET.

Castle Ink Presents
The CastleScore™ — this month’s top-rated printers

An independent 0–100 score for every printer, refreshed monthly from thousands of owner reviews and expert tests — plus what the ink or toner actually costs to run. See this month's Top 10 inkjet and laser rankings, or use the PrinterIQ™ finder.

See the CastleScore rankings →
Written and reviewed by — Founder of Castle Ink, 20+ years in the printer & imaging supplies industry.

Back to Printer Support