Why Printers Are A Fraction Of The Cost Of Printer Ink

2010-10-12

A lot of people have done this. They go to a store to buy a new ink cartridge for their printer, find out that the cost of the ink cartridge is more than a printer and end up buying a new printer. What they do not realize is that they are again stuck with a printer that will soon run out of ink. So, why does a printer cost so little, while the printer ink cartridges are extremely expensive?

Printer manufacturers are aware of the fact that once someone has purchased a printer, he or she will need to buy printer ink cartridges at some point. By selling the printer at an extremely low rate, sometimes at a loss, they hand you hardware that will soon be making money for them. Because a printer ink cartridge will only work with a printer from a specific manufacturer, you do not have a choice but to buy ink cartridges made for that manufacturer.

Another reason for low printer cost is that the print head is not part of the printer. Much of the print head is built onto the printer ink cartridge itself. The logic behind this is that, because the print head is likely to wear out quite quickly, whenever you replace the printer ink cartridge, the print head also gets replaced. Of course, this printer cost gets added onto the printer ink cartridge, making it more expensive.

Also, most high-end printer manufacturers spend a lot of money on research and development of high quality printer ink cartridges. Thus, the consumer, in the hunt for high quality printing, ends up paying higher prices for these cartridges.

While there are several reasons why printer ink cartridges cost more than printers, consumers are not always stuck with company-manufactured ink cartridges. They have several other alternatives, such as third party printer ink cartridges, replacement ink refills and ink refilling kits. Third party printer ink cartridges generally cost lesser than the original branded ones. In most cases, they provide the same quality of print. However, it is important that you buy these from a known and reputable source. The same goes for printer ink refills. You also have the option of getting a printer ink refill kit for your printer ink cartridge and refilling the ink yourself. While this option can be a tedious and messy task, it can save you money.

These days, most homes and offices use printers. If you intend to buy a new printer, it might be a good idea to compare the price of printer ink cartridges before making your decision. This will ensure that you save money in the long run.