Hong Life CalculatorsUnderstanding the printer cost per page calculator — concept and principle
The cost per page tells you what one printed sheet really costs once ink or toner and paper are both counted. It is the number to compare when choosing between printers, deciding between standard and high-yield cartridges, or checking whether a cheap printer with expensive cartridges is a false economy.
How it is calculated
- Cost per page = cartridge price ÷ page yield + paper price per sheet.
- Monthly cost = cost per page × pages per month.
Prices are in your currency; yield is in pages. For a colour printer, add the cost per page of each cartridge.
The principle
A cartridge is a fixed amount of consumable spread over the pages it can print, so its cost is shared equally across those pages, which is why ISO yields make brands comparable. Paper is a separate per-sheet cost that stays the same whatever printer you use. The yield figure printed on the box is normally measured under ISO/IEC standards: ISO/IEC 24711 for inkjet cartridges and ISO/IEC 19752 (monochrome) or ISO/IEC 19798 (colour) for toner.
Worked example
- Inputs: cartridge $35, yield 400 pages, paper $0.01 per sheet, 200 pages a month.
- Ink cost per page: 35 ÷ 400 = $0.0875.
- Add paper: 0.0875 + 0.01 = $0.0975 per page (small amounts are shown to 3 significant digits).
- Monthly cost: 0.0975 × 200 = $19.50.
| Page yield (ISO) | Cost per page |
|---|---|
| 100 | $0.36 |
| 200 | $0.19 |
| 300 | $0.13 |
| 400 | $0.0975 |
| 500 | $0.08 |
| 600 | $0.0683 |
| 800 | $0.0538 |
How to read the result
For a home inkjet with standard cartridges, several cents to well over ten cents per page is common; high-yield cartridges, refillable ink-tank printers and mono laser printers are usually much cheaper per page. Small differences matter at volume: a gap of 5 cents per page is $10 a month at 200 pages and $120 a year. Compare total cost of ownership over the years you expect to keep the printer: purchase price plus pages × cost per page.
Common mistakes
- Using the number of pages "it feels like" instead of the ISO yield, or comparing an ISO yield with a non-standard figure.
- Forgetting that colour printers draw on several cartridges at once.
- Ignoring paper, which is a meaningful share of the cost on cheap-to-run printers.
Frequently asked questions
Is a high-yield (XL) cartridge always cheaper?
Usually per page, but not always. Divide each cartridge's price by its own ISO yield and compare; occasionally a discounted standard cartridge wins.
Why does my printer use ink when I barely print?
Inkjets run maintenance and nozzle-cleaning cycles, especially after being idle or switched off at the wall, so low-volume users often get fewer pages than the stated yield.
How do I include the printer's purchase price?
Divide the price by the total pages you expect to print over its life and add that to the cost per page.
Sources: ISO/IEC 24711 — Method for the determination of ink cartridge yield for colour inkjet printers · ISO/IEC 19752 — Method for the determination of toner cartridge yield for monochromatic electrophotographic printers · ISO/IEC 19798 — Method for the determination of toner cartridge yield for colour printers