You Must Have Asked Yourself Many Times Why is Printer and Cartridge Ink so Expensive?

For everyone who owns a printer, at home or in a busy business office, you will know the harsh fact that printer ink and toner are expensive. We all want to buy cheap printer ink.

But Why?

When I went to replace my first printer cartridge, why did it cost more than what I initially paid for the printer?

This article will look to answer some of the mysteries of the printing world.

Why Are the Price of Ink Cartridges So Expensive?

Many people don't understand that most manufacturers sell printers at a loss! Very few manufacturers make money on inkjet or laser printers, but the subsequent supplies are required after purchase is where they make up for it. Here's a quick and straightforward answer: Ink cartridges are priced high for the companies to make a profit. 

The manufacturer and industry control the prices and, of course, the technology. 

So, How much does the printer ink really cost?

Almost a decade ago, a consumer report concluded that inks inside inkjet cartridges cost anywhere between $15-$75 an ounce! That can be considered more expensive than some champagnes and fine perfumes you see in high-end stores. 

So imagine how much it is per gallon. With what has happened with the global pandemic and changing import and export prices along with oil prices, the market can change higher at any point. 

Currently, there is over $30 billion of ink consumed globally per year!

Is it overpriced? Possibly.

The quick and straightforward answer doesn't always work. Numerous factors go into why ink cartridges are not cheap. 

Here we'll start by looking at the  main reasons ink is expensive.

Your Printer Is Dirt Cheap, But the Replacement Ink Is Super Expensive.

Here is a simple paradigm that printer companies function on:

HP, Epson, Canon, Brother, plus all the other names on the market, make almost nothing on retail sales, some of them even operating at a loss. 

So your printer ink is expensive! 

The manufacturers know that over the printer's lifetime, they will make up that loss and turn a profit on replacement supplies. 

So by selling their printers at or below actual cost, it draws the customer in with bargain-basement prices that are too hard to resits. 

They fully understand that most consumers today have access to information on the internet that warns against using anything other than genuine OEM. And third-party products can not be compatible with the machine for the long term and therefore put a clause in their guarantees. 

It can be known as the 'razor blade' business model in the industry.

Both men and women know that a razor is initially cheap and comes with razors, but the replacements are not! And as long as your hair grows, so will your purchase of their replacement blades. 

Printing Supplies Play to the Same Tune.

• Ink R&D

Research and development is a costly affair for manufacturers and can often be considered the main reason for the ever-increasing cost of inkjet and laser printer supplies. 

HP spent nearly $2 billion in 2021 on research and development, and that was far from its most expensive year. With over 4000 patents on consumables alone, their outgoings are enormous. These patents range from toner cartridges to ink cartridges and laser printers. 

New extensive, cutting-edge technology goes into manufacturing inks and cartridges, each specifically formulated for individual brands and types.

A printer and copier are specifically designed and made to provide premium performance with OEM cartridges. So, replacing cartridges plays a significant factor in higher pricing. 

• Ink Is Complex 

Humans have been using ink since the 4th century BC, and it has been instrumental in powering computers since their inception. Ink production and printing is undoubtedly a complex process.

Inside a printer cartridges chamber, you will find a thin filament that runs through it. When that filament gets heated, all the ink bubbles, including the pressure, force the droplets out of the cartridge to the print head and subsequently onto the paper.

Currently, Brother and Epson printers use a piezoelectric process. This process involves an electric charge that then varies the shape of the material within the cartridge. That will cause a pressure pulse that expels the ink through the print head to the paper. So, regardless of the company or printer, you own and what process it uses is incredibly well-designed to work continuously effectively and with heavy workloads. 

The High-Tech Design Includes Much Human Thinking. 

• You Get What you Pay For

Every printer's highest quality and safest ink option is genuine OEM ink. But as with everything else in life, high quality comes with a high price. 

So How Expensive is Printer Ink Really? 

As a rule of thumb, in 2022, a new cartridge for a high-end inkjet printer generally costs the same as the printer, sometimes more! So yes, that's expensive.

If you are not prepared to pay for OEM and are looking for cheaper options, first look at the company guarantee policy on your printer. But to buy from a reliable dealer who's not there to give you a receipt, put the printer in a bag, and say 'goodbye thanks for your business' is a much better idea.

An analogy I would use is you wouldn't put the lowest grade petrol and oil in a brand new Ferrari, would you? Of course not, so you want to ensure your machine stays working efficiently and producing what the manufacturers guarantee. They formulate the ink, especially for the print heads of their printers, so cheap options are not a great idea. 

Supply and Demand

Printers are now everywhere, in homes, offices, schools, universities, in almost every country. But with the vast rise of homeschooling and the large population working from home, domestic printers are on the conveyor belt more than ever.  

The demand for ink is constant, and therefore the price of OEM ink will stay at relatively high prices. So you are left looking for the best prices out there for authentic ink. You'll find the best prices if you look online and one of Australia's best is Hottoner.

SUMMARY

I trust this article has somewhat cleared up the 'myth behind the ink'. Maybe in the future, with us looking to use less paper, technology will come up with new ideas, but until then, ink prices will still stay high. Now that you understand manufacturers can operate at a loss to make a printer, it will make more sense. Use the best, and get the best results for the most extended term. Good luck in 2022!