Why is printer ink so expensive? (2024)

If you own a printer, you know the hard truth:printer ink is expensive (and printer toner is expensive too).

But why?

Why does replacing the cartridges cost more than the printer itself?

The answers to these mysteries and more lie ahead...

Why are ink cartridges so expensive?

Here's a quick and easy answer:Ink cartridges are expensive, so companies can make money.

Most printers are sold at a loss. A producer makes moneyDON'Tby selling consumers an inkjet or laser printer, butby selling the necessary consumables for printing.

The manufacturer controls the technology and prices.

How much does printer ink really cost?

In 2013, Consumer Reports determined the price of ink in ink cartridgesbetween $13 and $75 per ounce!*It's more expensive than the world's best perfumes!

How much does printer ink cost per gallon?

Let's do some quick math.

There are 128 ounces in a US fluid gallon:

128*[$13, $75] = [$1664, $9600]

So the printer ink price per gallon isbetween $1,664 - $9,600.

In20 billion dollarsis consumed every year all over the world!

Not $1 billion...20 billion dollars!

Is printer ink too expensive?

Maybe.

The quick and simple answer is rarely the complete answer. There are many reasons why ink cartridges are not cheaper.

Let's take a look at the top seven reasons why ink is so expensive.

Time to replace your cartridges? Ink is expensive! Get ready to open both your wallet and your printer.

1. Your printer is free...replacement ink is so expensive

This is the fundamental business paradigm under which all printing companies operate.

HP, Brother, Epson, Canon and the other major printer manufacturers make very little money from retail sales. Some even take a loss.

But...prints ink -so expensive!

Companies know they will make up for this with replacement consumables over the life of your printer.

Often sell printersat or below cost, which attracts a consumer with temptingly low prices. These manufacturers know that the vast majority of consumers will stick with genuine OEM rather than opt for less reliable, remanufactured and compatible third party products.

This is also called the “razor blade” business model.

A razor is cheap because the manufacturer makes money by selling replacement razor blades to consumers. Hair continues to grow and razors will always be in demand.

The same goes for printer consumables.

An Original HP cartridge sits next to a non-OEM ink cartridge in an HP Envy printer.

2. Research and development of ink

Research and development is often cited as the main reason for the high cost of inkjet and laser printer supplies.

HP claims it uses$1 billion per year in research and development, and keepsmore than 4,000 patentsonly on consumables, such as toner cartridges for laser printers, and of course ink cartridges.

Extensive technology is used for the production of cartridges. Inks are specially formulated for each brand and type.

Printers and copiers are designed to work best with OEM cartridges. This has a major impact on the price of cartridge replacement.

R&D: Research and development is not easy... or cheap!

3. Ink is complicated

People have been using ink to draw since the 4th century BC, and it has been used to power computer printers since their invention. Lots of inkproductionis a complex process. This also applies to the printing process.

Watch this cool technical production video from The Printing Ink Company to see how printer ink is made:

Some printer manufacturers -Canon,Hewlett Packard, InLexmark-use a thermal process.

A thin filament runs through the chambers in the printer cartridges. As the filament heats up, the ink bubbles and the pressure build-up causes a droplet to be blown from the ink cartridge through the print head onto the paper.

Epson noBrotherprinters use a piezoelectric process in which an electrical charge varies the shape of the piezoelectric material in the cartridge. This caused a pressure pulse that sprayed ink through the print head onto the paper.

(Inkjet problems? Find outhow to clean a clogged printhead!)

Whatever machine you own and process you use, the most important parts (ink cartridges)must be well designed to avoid failures.

Why is printer ink so expensive?

The human thinking that goes into the high-tech design!

4. You pay for the best

Original OEM ink is still the highest quality and safest option for printer owners, but with quality comes qualityhigher prices.

How expensive is printer ink?

For example, a new set of cartridges for your high-end inkjet printer may costjust as much as the printer itself, if not more.

Yes, it's that expensive.

Of course you can buycompatible or remanufactured cartridgesrather than brand name, OEM printer supplies, but there is no guarantee that your printer will perform as promised.

Compatible and remanufactured cartridges can save you money, but they are known for low page yields and poor image quality.

It's like filling the tank of your sports car with junk gas and letting it sputter, backfire and stall until the bad gas flows out of the system.

However, there is a way to balance cost and quality. If you want to use authentic products like those from HP, consider lookingHP couponsThese coupons can provide significant savings on OEM cartridges, making them a more cost-effective option.

Ink is formulated specifically for each type of machine, which printing companies say is one of the reasons it is so expensive.

5. Supply and demand

Almost every office – including your home office – has at least one printer, if not several machines. With the rise of home office use and homeschooling, domestic printers are taking on the majority of the workforce's printing tasks.

The demand for ink isconsistently high with minimal fluctuations. As a result, OEM ink prices will also remain high.

Since the start of the COVID pandemic, ink prices have increased. HP has announced an additional one at the end of 20225% price increaseon their products.

Printer owners need to find the best available prices for genuine replacement inks, which are typically not available at major retailers.

If you want the best price on replacement printer cartridges, look online. (But do not worry -you don't have to look far!)

6. Specialization

Ink cartridges are not one size fits all. There is a great deal of specialization in printer ink design, which increases R&D and production costs.

When purchasing replacement ink cartridges for your printer, you should be aware of this.

To get started, you need to know the make and model of your printer to purchase the right replacement supplies.

Additionally, almost every cartridge comes in an XL orhigh capacity version. If you print a lot, these high-capacity cartridges can help you reduce your overall volumeprice per page.

Most inkjet printers use four separate color ink cartridges: blue(C), rood(M), gul(J), and black(K).

Try to avoid printers that use all-in-one tri-color cartridges. They waste ink if there is only one color left.

Printers that use discrete color ink cartridges (CMYK) are more cost-effective when it comes to ink and toner prices.

Someadvanced inkjet printersand photo printers use more than the four standard ink cartridges.

Technicians add specialized ink to a modern printing press.

7. Printer cartridges are designed to fail

This also applies to printers. And television. And smartphones.

Most electrical appliances sold today are manufactured with an intended lifespan.

Sure, printer companies can build electronics that last for decades,but where is the profit in that?

We live in an age of disposable electronics.

Unfortunately, these electronics are often filled with potentially hazardous materials.

Make sure yourelectronic wasteto getrecycled properly!

Recycle the empty ink cartridges!

Get a longer lifespan from your ink and toner cartridges

• If you don't use your printer for an extended period of time, your print heads can dry out. Use your printeronce a weekand perform routine maintenance (head adjustment, nozzle check, etc.)once a month.
• Store your ink and toner cartridges properly. Save your essentialsin a cool, dry placeuntil you are ready to use them.
• Certain fontsuse more ink than others. Arial looks clean and simple, but he is a thirsty pig. Use Times New Roman, Courier, or Garamond fonts to save usage. The goal is to buy less and make your supplies do more!
• Consider switching to draft or grayscale mode to save black ink. Only use a higher quality setting for final drafts.
• Check your ink levelsoften! This could save your bacon! You don't want to run out of ink in the middle of a big project! Continue purchasing!

➜ Also checkHow to print without black (Tip: use other colors)

Other ways to combat expensive ink and toner

Consider non-OEM printer inks and toners

It pains us to admit this, but there are some high-quality non-OEM replacement inks and toners on the market.

We will persevereour faithbeeoriginal Equipment produces the best image replacement products. The image quality and page yield will behigher with OEM cartridges.

But if you're on a budget and are willing to make some sacrifices in quality and page yield, you may want to consider one of the more reliable third-party cartridges on the market.

They may use cheaper technology, but it will work in a pinch. You really should do some shopping first.

Third-party generic ink isn't pretty, but it can save you a pretty penny.

Refill ink cartridges

We absolutelyhate this idea! Refilling cartridges is messy and difficult. Syringes and rags...not for us!

Try if you must, but you will find itrefilling inkjet cartridges is more trouble than it's worth. Thumbs down for refilled cartridges!

Consider your printing needs

Don't just run out and buy OEM replacement cartridges if you don't need them. If the majority of your printing volume consists of black text documents, cut back on consumption and save some money.

Change your settings to grayscale. Save the set of expensive OEM cartridges for when you print family photos on glossy paper and use cheap cartridges for everything else.

It's actually much better to think a little ahead about what your future needs might be. Running to a store after replacing cartridges is the last action you want to take.

Plan what you buy in advance and you will save on unexpected costs.

Automated ink refill programs

Most printer manufacturers have auto-refill programs that they would like you to sign up for.

While this may be a convenient and cost-effective solution for some,we have heardhorror storiesabout expensive automated refills and problems with opting out of automatic refill programs.

The world revolves around ink costs...at least our world does!

Why are toners so expensive?

Toner is as expensive as ink for exactly the same reasons:

• Supply and demand
• Research and development
• Specialization
• Pricing strategies for toner brands
• and other reasons we discussed in this article

However, it's also worth noting that as a more advanced technology, printer toner performs betterprinting price per pagecompared to printer ink.

However, the overall prices of toner cartridges are of course still quite high.

Don't like high toner and ink prices? – Buy with Toner Buzz

If you want to payoflowest pricefor original brand ink and toner cartridges(and who wouldn't!) Look no further than Toner Buzz.

Whatever you need to power your printer – inkjet or laser – we have it at the lowest prices.

And we ship to youfree!

Additional Resources

• How do I turn off HP Instant Ink?
• Clean printheads and ink cartridges
• How to clean your laser printer and toner cartridges
• A handy overview of laser printers with the cheapest toner
• Printer toner costs: everything you need to know
• The Cheapest Printer Toner 2023 by Brand (All Under $60!)
• Printing costs: This is how you calculate your printing costs per page exactly
• Grrr! HP printer owners were outraged by updates that blocked non-HP cartridges
• HP toner price list: most popular HP toner cartridges and their prices

* Consumer Reports (www.consumerreports.org/printers/the-high-cost-of-waste-printer-ink/)

• #inkprice
• #tonerpris