Why printer ink costs more than petrol

Nobody checks the price per litre of printer ink. If they did, the numbers would be hard to ignore.

Do the sum yourself

Take the price of a cartridge and divide it by the amount of ink inside. That gives you the price per millilitre. Multiply by 1,000 and you have the price per litre.

As an illustration only: a cartridge that costs £30 and holds 10 ml works out at £3 per millilitre, or £3,000 per litre. Compare that with what you pay for a litre of petrol and the gap is striking. Your own cartridges will differ, but the sum is worth doing once.

Where the money goes

Printers are often sold cheaply, and the cost is recovered through consumables. Research, brand, chips, packaging and distribution all play a part, but so does a simple fact: once you own the printer, you are a captive customer.

Some printers can report a cartridge as empty while some ink remains, or run cleaning cycles that use ink without printing a page. The details vary by model, but they add to the real cost.

Why cartridge size misleads

Starter cartridges that ship with a new printer are often only partly filled. Cartridges that look alike on the shelf can hold very different amounts. And a lower sticker price can hide a lower yield.

That is why the only fair comparison is cost per page, measured over real use.

How to cut the bill without cutting quality

1. Work out your current cost per page from your last few orders.
2. Ask suppliers for a guaranteed page yield, not just an estimate.
3. Check that cartridges are matched to your exact printer model.
4. Look for a guarantee that covers quality, function and shelf life, not just delivery.

Where Commercial Toner fits in

We give you brand-quality printing without the brand-name price, a 3-year guarantee and a specialist on the phone who knows which cartridge fits. Call us and we will help you work out what you really pay today.

Prices in this article are illustrative and do not refer to a specific product.