Printer ink costs, explained

You can’t print without an ink cartridge, but these essential consumables do more than just put a text or image onto paper. The quality, manufacturer and output of a cartridge affect not just the print results, but the lifespan of your machine – which helps to explain why printer cartridges are so expensive.

In this blog, we’ll look at the factors that influence printer ink costs, the effects of non-genuine consumables and how to save on printer ink – keep reading to learn more.

How much does printer ink cost?

The simplest answer to this question is: a lot. Measured by the ounce, printer ink is more expensive than gold – and prices for replacement cartridges are pushed up by a variety of factors, including:

Research and development costs: from improving quality and performance to maximising sustainability, there’s a lot still to be explored in the world of print technology. However, this discovery takes time, effort and resources. Ink development alone requires the work of vast teams of technicians and PhD chemists, and this is often funded by sales.

Compatibility: cartridges are fitted with chips that are read by the printer on installation, which means certain cartridges only work with certain machines. This exclusivity contributes to the increased cost at face value – but using non-genuine ink may cost you more in the long term (more on this later).

Tandem cartridges: many printers only work when all four colours – cyan, yellow, magenta and black – have colour in, so all cartridges have to be replaced at once.

These reasonings go some way to explaining the overall cost of print cartridges. But on top of this, there are additional factors that influence the price of specific cartridges. The type of ink (e.g. dye vs. pigment), page yield (the number of prints you get from a cartridge), environmental features (e.g. recyclability) and size (e.g. standard vs. high capacity) all affect production costs, and in turn, prices.

The cost of compatibility

Briefly mentioned above, compatibility is one of the biggest factors that drives up printer ink costs – so let’s take a look at this in more detail. Each model of printer is designed to work with a specific type of ink cartridge. If you don’t use genuine cartridges, it can produce poor results, damage the printer or not work at all – and this adds up to more expense in the long run.

At Brother, we rigorously test all our printer cartridges to the highest standards. So when you use genuine cartridges, you can be sure your machine is protected – and your prints are of the highest quality. A far more cost-effective option in the long term.

OEM vs. third party cartridges

The genuine cartridges described above are OEM – Original Equipment Manufacturer. They’re produced by the printer manufacturer themselves and specifically designed to work with these machines, with manufacturers devoting time and resources to ensuring the cartridges work at peak performance (like we do at Brother).

On the other hand, third-party cartridges are created by independent companies to be compatible with a variety of different brand machines – and are often cheaper. While this can be a viable budget option, there is a significant risk of poor print quality and maintenance issues (as mentioned above).

How to save on printer ink

As we’ve just discovered, there’s no getting away from the high printer ink costs. However, there are a number of simple steps you can take to save on ink.

• Consider the cost per page, rather than the cost per cartridge.
  Many cartridges come in standard and XL or high-capacity versions that contain more ink. While the XL option does cost more to purchase, they often offer huge cost-per-page savings compared to their smaller counterparts. 

• Consider an ink or toner subscription.
  One of the best ways of bringing down the cost of original cartridges is to put them on an ink or toner subscription or managed print service. Not only do these options provide you with automated supplies delivery before you run out, but there is a cost saving versus buying original supplies yourself each time you need them.

• Change the way you buy.
  Ordering cartridges online or in multipacks can be significantly cheaper than buying in store or ordering cartridges one by one. Multipacks often include black and various different colour inks, but they come individually packaged so you can replace them as and when you need to. A word of warning though: if the online prices sound too good to be true, they probably are. Beware of counterfeit ink.

• Print in draft mode.
  If you’re just printing simple documents and don’t need the highest definition, this is a great option. Draft mode prints faster so uses less ink, making your cartridge go further.

• Position your printer in the right place. 
  Ink performs best when it’s stored in dry places with stable temperatures – so try not to keep your printer in direct sunlight or too close to a radiator. 

• Keep your printer active.
  Aim to use your printer at least once a month, even if it’s just for the odd page. Ink cartridges can dry out if not used, and printers usually run a printhead cleaning cycle when they’re switched on after a long time dormant – which both waste ink.

Trust Brother OEM cartridges

Another way to save on print costs in the long term is by using genuine cartridges – especially if you have a Brother printer. Brother ink is proven to produce 57% more output than its non-genuine equivalents (BLI independent testing, 2018) – giving you more pages for your money. Plus, all our original printer ink and toner cartridges are expertly designed, rigorously tested and developed to deliver the highest standard of safety, so you can be sure they’ll deliver impeccable print quality and protect the lifespan of your printer.

To learn more about all the benefits of our OEM ink and cartridges, just click here.