How to Calculate Your Cost Per Print

Stop guessing your ink expenses. Learn how to accurately calculate the cost per page for your printer using manufacturer yield data and current ink prices.

1. Locate the official page yield. Find the manufacturer-rated page yield for your specific ink cartridge. This is typically printed on the retail packaging or available on the manufacturer's website under printer specifications.
2. Identify your total ink expenditure. Note the current market price for each individual cartridge you are using. If you purchase multi-packs, divide the total pack price by the number of cartridges to determine the unit cost.
3. Compute the cost per single color. Divide the price of the cartridge by its rated page yield. For example, if a black cartridge costs $25 and is rated for 500 pages, your cost per page is $0.05.
4. Sum the cost of all cartridges. Repeat the division for every ink cartridge used by your printer. Add the resulting cost-per-page for the black cartridge and every individual color cartridge to find your total cost per full-color document.
5. Apply the coverage percentage adjustment. Note that manufacturer yields are based on 5% page coverage. If you print high-density graphics or full-page photos, multiply your calculated cost per page by 3 to 5 to reach a more realistic estimate.