Ink Cartridges For Printers – Why Are They So Expensive?

If you’re a printer owner than one of the biggest complaints you probably have is the high cost of ink and toner. It’s a familiar complaint since the cost has always been very high. In fact the price of ink cartridges for printers has increased over 300% since 1999. Chances are the prices are not going down any time soon so it seems like it’s pointless to complain.

To get an idea why the cost of replacement ink and toner is so expensive all you need to do is look at the business model of the company. The company will offer the equipment (the printer) at a low price, sometimes for less than the printer costs to make, then sell the ink and toner at a huge mark up. If you own a cell phone than chances are this business model sounds more familiar to you than you ever thought.

Sometimes the cheaper the printer the more expensive the upkeep. Some companies are earning three times the amount of profit on ink and toner than they make on PC sales. So if it keeps the investors and the heads of the companies happy then why bother changing the business model? No need to fix what isn’t broken.

So what can you do to keep the upkeep costs down? The first thing I would do is research the cost of ink before buying the printer. Kodak has tried to transform the way people look at printers by offering a cheaper ink cartridges for printers any time you need a replacement. Of course you have to own a Kodak printer and the idea wasn’t a big hit. This new approach forced Kodak to keep the price of the printer itself much higher than their competition. People who were looking for a printer only looked at the price tag without researching the upkeep costs.

Canon is another company that has tried to change the way you purchase ink for the printer. They’ve developed an individual ink tank system that enables the printer owner to purchase an individual ink tank when it runs out. It’s debatable whether this system saves money or if it’s just a clever way to increase the costs of ink even more.

If you already have a printer and you are happy with it or just don’t need to replace it yet you can buy re-manufactured ink and toner from a third party seller. There are several online retailers that sell them at very low prices. The savings vary from retailer to retailer so it’s a good idea to research before you settle on one. You can also buy a refill kit but if you make a mistake filling the cartridge things can get a bit messy.

If you’re looking to save money on ink than you should choose a low cost option that offers some level of convenience as well. That’s why I would go with someone selling a re-manufactured cartridge.

Find out where you can compare prices with different retailers selling these ink cartridges for printers and see which has the best deal. – [ Don't pay Full Price! Get Inkjet Cartridges HALF OFF here! ]