The profit margin of a particular industry is not just based on the amount of consumable ink that is used, but also on the number of razor blade replacement cartridges that are sold.
Printers now offer us a variety of ink cartridges, third-party ink cartridges, and even recycled ink cartridges. This change has had a big impact on the printing industry, as consumers are now more likely to choose printers that offer these options.
Instant Ink subscriptions have become a popular way to save on printer ink, but each printer maker now offers a bulk ink product that provides some relief to the price of ink itself and increased transparency into what it actually costs to keep your printer churning. ..
The printer manufacturers have different bulk-ink products that are designed to meet the needs of their customers.
Brother is a company that produces investment tanks and Canon is a mega tank printer. Epson is an eco tank printer and HP is an instant ink printer. ..
Different inkjet printers require different types of ink cartridges. Some printers use cartridges that are filled with black ink, some use cartridges that are filled with color ink, and some use both black and color cartridges. EcoTank is the only printer cartridge that uses a special type of ink that is made from plant-based materials. This type of ink does not require any water to be added to it, which makes it environmentally friendly. MegaTank is the largest cartridge available for printers and it can hold up to twice as much ink as other cartridges. However, MegaTank costs more per page than other types of cartridges. If you print a lot of documents in black or dark colors, EcoTank may be a better option because it will save you money on per-page costs. If you print a lot of documents in colors, MegaTank may be a better option because it will save you money on per-page costs and it will also last longer than other types of cartridges. ..
Over an Ink Barrel
Printer ink is one of the most expensive liquids on the planet. You pay more per ounce of printer ink than you do for, say, gasoline, most exclusive wines, the majority of fancy perfumes, and even gold. ..
In recent years, the printer industry has come to realize that it needs to start charging for the use of its printers in a more equitable way. For home-based and small-business office users, the printer industry is currently charging an exorbitant CPP of $2.50 per page. This is an outrageous price that is not only expensive for users, but also puts a significant dent in the budgets of many businesses.
A printer’s running costs can be influenced by a number of factors, including its price, its volume rating, and so on. The difference between one machine’s running costs over another can be as much as 2-to-5 or even 6 cents per monochrome page and even greater than that—often much greater—for color pages.
A 1-cent difference in printing costs can add up over time, costing you an extra $100 every year.
If you print and copy, say, 2,000 color pages per month, a 5-cent difference will cost you $100, or $1,200 per year.
The printer savings are great, but the machine itself is more important.
Today’s inkjet printers print relatively well, so you can worry more about features and running costs. If you use your printer often, one or more of the following bulk-ink products can save you money—sometimes big money. Which bulk-ink product is right for you depends on how much and what you print. ..
Brother’s INKvestment
Tank
The Brother INKvestment Tank is a new, bulk-ink technology that allows users to save money on ink cartridges by using them for longer periods of time. This product was developed in response to the high running costs associated with traditional ink cartridges.
The INKvestment AIO came with big ink takes, and when it came time to buy new ones, the cost per page was low—very low, for that matter, less than 1 cent for monochrome pages and about 4.75 cents per color pages.
The Brother INKvestment Tank Extended Print is a new and innovative printing technology that allows users to invest in their own businesses with the help of a printer. The tank is designed to provide investors with the latest printing technology and resources so they can continue to grow their businesses.
When the tanks are full, you simply swap out the empty ones for new ones, and your printer continues to work as normal. The system is said to be more reliable and environmentally friendly than traditional inkjet printing, since you only need to replace the tanks rather than cartridges every few months. INKvestment Tank is a new type of inkjet printing system that uses onboard reservoirs instead of standard ink cartridges. When you’re low on ink, the tanks offload into your printer’s main reservoir so you can still print normally. When the tanks are full, you just swap them out for new ones and your printer continues to work. The system is said to be more reliable and environmentally friendly than traditional inkjet printing, since you only need to replace the tanks rather than cartridges every few months. ..
The INKvestment Tank sensors keep track of how many pages you have printed and then estimate how many prints are remaining, as shown in the image below.
The HP Instant Ink program allows customers to order replacement cartridges for their printers directly from the machine. INKvestment Tank watches ink levels and warns customers when they are low, so that they can order replacement cartridges without having to go through the hassle of visiting a store. ..
Brother’s Business Smart and Business Smart Plus AIOs come in either standard ink investment tanks or ink investment tanks XL. The main difference between the two is that the latter comes with twice as much ink.
According to Brother, each set of ink tanks holds up to—based on a formula of 300 prints per month, 60 percent black pages and 40 percent color pages—a year’s worth of ink. That’s well below both the maximum monthly duty cycle and/or the recommended monthly print volume for most of Brother’s printers.
Brother’s new INKvestment Tank printers are designed to last up to two years, and offer a per page cost of just 1 cent. Plus, color pages still cost less than 5 cents each.
Canon MegaTank
Canon’s commitment to bulk-ink printers and AIOs has been the most tepid among the big four inkjet printer makers. Like Epson’s original EcoTank products, where onboard reservoirs are filled from bottles, Canon’s MegaTank products are sensible, easy-to-use, and highly cost-effective. ..
The MegaTank is a printer that prints at speeds of up to 50 pages per minute. It has a duplex printing mode, so it can print both left-to-right and right-to-left. The printer also has an automatic feeder that feeds the paper automatically from the tray.
The MegaTank G-series Pixmas printers are all designed for home and family use, but they’re all slow and don’t support Ethernet. They’re perfect for low-volume printing and copying, though.
Canon’s G4210 MegaTank printer comes with thousands of pages of ink in the box, which can be used to print up to 18,000 black pages and 7,000 color pages. This printer is great for those who want to create large quantities of prints quickly and easily.
The printer comes with a black ink cartridge that will print 500 pages per month. In any case, whether you use all the black ink that comes with the printer or not, your cost per page for both black pages and color pages is less than 1 cent each. ..
The MegaTank is a terrific value, and it just doesn’t get much better than this. However, printing 500 pages a month on a MegaTank machine would be pushing one of these little Pixmas to its limit. ..
Epson’s EcoTank
Epson has announced that it will begin selling its EcoTank product line, which includes refilled onboard reservoirs. The company has made a major commitment to its EcoTank line, and this move is likely to help it achieve sustainability goals.
The company’s all-in-one EcoTank printer is a great option for anyone looking for a printer that can handle large prints and high-resolution scans. It’s small enough to fit in any home or office, and its print quality is excellent. The standalone printer also has a number of features that make it perfect for businesses, such as the ability to print on demand and scan documents quickly.
The company has engineered a stable of higher-end hybrid EcoTank WorkForce Pro iterations that get their ink from large aluminum bags, instead of bottles. These are laser alternative machines designed to, well, replace laser printers in the workplace. Two of the company’s monochrome laser alternatives, the WorkForce Pro WF-M5799 and WF-M5299, support XXL bags that hold up to 40,000 pages.
EcoTank models typically cost two to five times more than their non-EcoTank equivalents. Depending on capacity and features, consumer- and small-business-grade desktops run from about $300 to $1,000. They come with thousands of pages worth of ink in the box. ..
Epson claims that each EcoTank model comes with the equivalent of two years’ worth of ink. Typically, though, these formulas are based on relatively small per-month quotas. ..
The MegaTank printer is a great option for those who want to save money on printing costs. It prints both monochrome and color pages at 1 cent per page.
But if you’re looking for a printer that can handle high-volume printing, the EcoTank upgrade is a must-have.
EcoTank printers are great for people who plan to print hundreds or thousands of pages each month. If you plan to do this, they will save you hundreds of dollars over the life of their non-EcoTank siblings and competitors.
HP’s Instant Ink
HP started the bulk-ink trend several years ago, now. Its Instant Ink subscription program offers ink at a by-the-page flat rate, with the cost per page dependent on the monthly subscription level you commit to. The various programs have changed over the years, but as I write this, the company offers six subscription levels. The different levels are: Basic (3 pages per month), Standard (6 pages per month), Plus (12 pages per month), Premium (24 pages per month), and Ultimate (48 pages per month). The cost of each level is based on how many pages you print each month. For example, if you print 12 pages a month, then your Basic subscription costs $0.12 per page; if you print 48 pages a month, then your Ultimate subscription costs $0.48 per page. HP’s Instant Ink program offers six different subscription levels that depend on how many pages you print each month: Basic (3pages/month), Standard (6pages/month), Plus(12pages/month), Premium(24pages/month) and Ultimate(48pages/month). The cost of each level is based on how manypages youprint eachmonth ..
A free printing plan allows you to print 15 pages per month, while a moderate printing plan allows you to print 50 pages per month. A frequent printing plan allows you to print 300 pages per month.
The smallest plan here costs about 6 cents per page, while the largest plan costs about 2.9 cents per page. Each additional print beyond the initial 700 costs 5 cents each. ..
Instant Ink offers a flat rate for black and color pages, regardless of coverage. This is an attractive option for businesses that need to print a lot of pages quickly. ..
Instant Ink is a unique printing solution that can grow or scale back based on how your print and copy needs evolve.
If you print a lot of photos, or full-page graphics, the Instant Ink printer will order new ink cartridges from HP when they start to run low.
A Penny Here, A Penny
There
Printing with a bulk ink product can be a great way to save money on your printing needs, but it depends on the type of printer you have and what types of prints you need to make. Additionally, some bulk ink products are not compatible with specific printers or AIOs. ..
Canon’s MegaTank products are good printers and great values within their somewhat narrow target market, but they’re not suitable for any business application with any volume of printing and copying to speak of. ..
If you print only a few pages a month, most of these products are irrelevant and in some cases, a waste of money. For instance, you wouldn’t want to spend $500 on an EcoTank AIO with thousands of pages worth of ink if you only print 10 pages a month. ..
You now have a wealth of information at your disposal, allowing you to make the best decisions for your specific situation.
