Did you know that printer ink is often regarded as one of the most expensive liquids in the world? OEM ink prices can range from $2,000 to $12,000 per gallon! Of course, you don't buy ink by the gallon. But if you compare the prices of printer ink on a per-gallon basis to other liquids, they are indeed more expensive. In fact, a gallon of ink is more expensive than a gallon of gas or even a pricey bottle of vintage Dom Perignon champagne!
Why is OEM ink SO expensive, anyway?
Wondering why OEM printer ink often feels like liquid gold in terms of pricing? Let's break it down:
Innovation Costs: Companies pump substantial funds into research and development. The aim? Crafting top-notch inks that resist water, dry in a flash, and yield vibrant, true-to-life colors.
The Art of Making: Crafting an ink cartridge isn't just about the liquid; it's a sophisticated piece with microchips, the ink itself, and plastic parts. Crafting these, especially the premium ones, doesn't come cheap.
Brand Buzz: Selling anything requires making some noise about it. Ink producers allocate a hefty chunk for marketing and advertising, ensuring their products are seen and bought. Guess who bears the brunt of these costs? Yep, the buyer.
The Classic Sales Tactic: Many printer moguls opt for the "give 'em the razor, sell 'em the blades" approach. They lure with affordable printers, only to recoup profits via the ink. This nudges them to maintain a high ink price ceiling.
Moreover, a notable hiccup is the limited rivalry in this space. Numerous printer giants roll out their exclusive ink cartridges, shrinking the pool of alternatives for shoppers.
Yet, hope's not lost for the budget-conscious. There are money-savvy hacks like opting for refillable cartridges or choosing third-party inks. A word of caution, though: these might play spoiler for your printer's warranty and could be a tad compromising on the print quality.
At the end of the ink bottle, the choice is yours to make. Just remember to weigh in on why that OEM ink carries its hefty price tag before diving in.
Gas versus Ink
To illustrate how expensive OEM ink cartridges are, consider the ink versus gas analogy. The average price of a car in the US is $36,718; and the average American consumes around 656 gallons of gas annually. With gas at an average price of $2.60 per gallon, the average American forks over around $1740 each year just to fill up their gas tank!
On the other hand, the average price of a home or office inkjet printer can range from $50 to $100 while annual ink cartridge costs can run up to $120 for black ink and $150 for color ink. In a nutshell, the amount you spend on OEM ink is often 50% to 200% more expensive than the initial cost of the printer itself, especially if you buy a less expensive model.
Printer manufacturers often recommend using only their own branded ink cartridges. If car manufacturers did the same thing with proportionally priced gasoline, you would be paying around $30 per gallon or $300 for a full tank! It sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?
The Inkjets.com solution: high-quality printer ink cartridges for less!
Why pay exorbitant prices for printer ink when there are much more cost-efficient options available? Here at Inkjets.com, we offer high-quality ink and toner cartridges that are priced up to 70% lower than name-brand cartridges without any difference in print quality. In fact, our high-yield and extra high-yield ink and toner cartridges often print more pages per cartridge compared to their branded counterparts. This further drives down the cost per page and gives you excellent value for your money.
Our compatible and remanufactured ink cartridges pass rigorous quality-control tests and will not void your printer's warranty. Our proprietary ink and toner formulas are designed to produce the same results that you expect from OEM cartridges: crisp, vibrant prints. Additionally, Inkjets.com offers an industry-leading one-year money-back guarantee on all of its products, giving buyers the confidence to explore ink options that won't break the bank.
So think of your car's gas light the next time you see the low ink indicator on your printer, and don't let the printer manufacturers put you in the red when you order black (or cyan, magenta, or yellow!)
