Printfast vs Staples: which is better for printing in 2026
Last updated: September 2026
Choose Printfast if you are printing for a business in Toronto: it is a dedicated print shop with published quantity pricing, 12pt business cards from $6.93 for 25 and flyers from $4.99, 1-hour and 24-hour products, free pickup in Scarborough and same-day delivery across the GTA. Choose Staples if you want a store on your street for a small document job while you shop for supplies. Printfast wins on price at quantity, stock choice and rush options; Staples wins on the number of locations and on the simplest walk-in jobs.
Printfast vs Staples at a glance
| Feature | Printfast | Staples Canada | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Print shop, 45 years in Toronto | Copy and print counter inside an office supply store | Printfast for print jobs; Staples for errands |
| Published pricing | Every quantity shown on the product page | Counter and online pricing, varies by job | Printfast |
| Business cards | 12pt from $6.93 for 25; 14, 16, 18.5 and 24pt, laminated, soft-touch, NFC | Basic stocks | Printfast |
| Flyers | From $4.99; 18 sizes; 25 to 100,000 | Small quantities on counter stock | Printfast |
| Fastest turnaround | 1-hour products; 24-hour products; same-day pickup | Same day on simple jobs, varies by store | Printfast for a quantity; Staples for a few sheets |
| Standard turnaround | 3 to 5 business days, 1:00 pm EST cut-off | Varies by job and store | Tie |
| Pickup | Free, Scarborough, 6 days a week | In-store, many locations | Staples for proximity |
| Delivery | Same-day GTA; Canada-wide shipping 2 to 3 business days | Store pickup or shipping | Printfast |
| Large format | Roll-up, vinyl, mesh, backdrop banners; coroplast, foam board, aluminum signs | Posters and basic banners | Printfast |
| File check | Free 40-point artwork check on every file | Depends on the counter | Printfast |
Where Printfast wins
Quantity pricing. Printfast is built for runs, not single sheets. Single-sided flyers on 100 lb gloss start at $4.99 and the price per flyer falls at every tier, to roughly $0.28 each at 250. The product page shows the number for every quantity up to 100,000 before you order. A counter service prices small jobs well and larger jobs poorly, because that is what it is set up for.
Stock choice. Business cards alone come in 12pt, 14pt, 16pt, 18.5pt and 24pt, with matte, gloss or velvet soft-touch lamination, spot UV, foil, slim, square, folded and NFC formats. Staples covers the basics and stops there.
Rush that scales. Printfast has dedicated 1-hour products for business cards, flyers, postcards, posters, labels and roll-up banners, and 24-hour products for next-business-day pickup or delivery. Orders placed before 1:00 pm EST Monday to Friday enter the same day's production queue even at standard pricing.
Large format. Roll-up, X-stand, mini table-top, backdrop, 13oz vinyl and mesh banners, plus coroplast, foam board, aluminum and A-frame signs, are standard products with pickup in Toronto, which removes freight on bulky items.
Delivery. Same-day local delivery across the GTA and Canada-wide shipping typically in 2 to 3 business days.
Where Staples wins
Locations. Staples has stores across Toronto and the country, with long hours. Printfast has one shop, in Scarborough just off the 401 East, open Monday to Friday 9 to 6 and Saturday 10 to 4. If you are downtown and need twenty copies in the next hour, the nearest Staples is closer.
Simple document jobs. Copies, a single poster, binding a report or laminating a sign are counter jobs, and a counter does them while you wait without a production queue.
One-stop errands. You can pick up toner and a chair on the same trip. That is not a printing advantage, but it is why many people end up at the counter.
Pricing, honestly
Staples pricing is not compared number for number here because it varies by store and by job and the company's print pages could not be verified for this article. What can be said is structural: a counter service charges more per unit as quantity rises, while a print shop charges less. Printfast's published prices are the ones a customer sees today: 12pt cards from $6.93 for 25, single-sided flyers from $4.99 and about $0.28 each at 250, 24-hour flyers from $55 for 50 and 1-hour flyers from $65 for 50. Large or unusual runs, such as several thousand signs or an addressed mailing, are priced by quote, which is the honest limitation on the Printfast side.
Who should pick which
- Pick Printfast if you are ordering for a business: cards for a team, flyers for a drop, banners for a show, or anything where the per-unit price and the stock matter. Pick it also if you need a quantity today and can get to Scarborough or take same-day GTA delivery.
- Pick Staples if the job is a handful of sheets, one poster or a bound report, and being near a store outweighs everything else.
- Pick neither if you have weeks to spare and price is the only factor; an online-only printer can be cheaper on a plain job you are willing to wait for.
What Printfast offers
The products people most often compare with a Staples counter are all on the site with quantity pricing: 12pt business cards, single-sided flyers, 1-hour business cards, posters, roll-up banners and coroplast signs. Files are checked free before printing and every order is covered by a satisfaction guarantee.
Frequently asked questions
Is Printfast cheaper than Staples for printing?
For any quantity beyond a few sheets, yes in practice: Printfast publishes falling per-unit prices, with flyers from $4.99 and about $0.28 each at 250 and cards from $6.93 for 25. Staples counter pricing varies by store and is set up for small jobs, so compare the live price for your exact job.
Which is faster, Printfast or Staples?
For a quantity, Printfast: its 1-hour products cover cards, flyers, postcards, posters and roll-up banners, and 24-hour products cover next-business-day. For a few photocopies, the nearest Staples counter is faster because there is no production queue.
Does Printfast have a store I can walk into?
Yes, one, in Scarborough, Toronto, just off the 401 East, open Monday to Friday 9 to 6 and Saturday 10 to 4. Pickup is free and same-day delivery is available across the GTA if the trip does not suit.
Can Staples print banners and signs?
Staples counters handle posters and basic banners. For roll-up, vinyl, mesh and backdrop banners, or coroplast, foam board and aluminum signs in quantity, a print shop like Printfast carries them as standard products with local pickup.
Get a quote
Order directly from the product pages, or send quantity, size and your in-hand date through the quote form for larger jobs.
