# Printer Cartridge Yield



## akhomesteader (Jan 5, 2006)

I know this will vary, depending on many factors, but about how many 8 1/2" x 11" color pages (large photos printed on card stock) can I reasonably expect to get from a color inkjet photo printer cartridge? I'm planning to print about 150 color pages, and would like some idea of how many cartridges I will need. (I'm making calendars for family in the lower 48 using copies of our kids artwork and photos over the last year). Our old printer just died after about 8 years. We're going to buy a new printer, but I don't know what to expect from the newer technology. Our old printer was an ink hog!

Thanks!

Jenny


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## Windy in Kansas (Jun 16, 2002)

I'm listing a site for ink cartridges. You can click on the brand and model of the printer which will give a general idea for your particular unit. 

http://www.inkgrabber.com/

The ink capacity of ink cartridges varies widely as do print numbers with them from various printers. Thus I wouldn't even venture a guess, sorry.


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## akhomesteader (Jan 5, 2006)

Thanks for the link, but we don't have a printer yet. Too many printers listed on that site to find any info. We live in the bush, so when we go to town later this month, I was going to buy a printer and some extra cartridges, and then print everything and make the calendars the night before we fly south,* IF* it's even somewhat economical to do that. If it's going to take too many cartridges, or cost nearly as much to do it myself as it would to have one of the office/copier places make calendars, then we'll dump the calendar idea and do something else. 

So, if anyone has a suggestion for a printer, too, and can tell me about how many color pages I'd get from a cartridge, that would be great. I'm just looking for a general idea so I'll know if making them myself is *significantly* cheaper than paying a copy place to do it.

Thanks again!


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

*No way* would I use an inkjet for that. Cartridge ratings are based on about 20% coverage, and it seems like you might be doing 50% or more. I have an Oki Color Laser and a Brother multifunction black and white laser that uses a super-cheap toner cart for black and white.

For big print jobs, I might hand it off to Winkflash (roughly $15 per pro quality spiral bound calendar with - discounts plus shipping) (Got 400 4" x 6" prints recently for about 10 cents per print delivered) 

Reading between the lines, you have 13 calendars to do - roughly $200.

Consider buying a laser and being done with ink jet. $300 will get you this:
http://www.buy.com/pr/product.aspx?sku=216468863&sellerid=34686737

FWIW, Mine is a C5100-N and has held up well for five years.
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=buy+C5100+oki+color+laser&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=nlU&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&prmd=imvns&biw=1213&bih=659&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=9877664496818614926&sa=X&ei=a43iTquVD8H_ggeX4LT1BQ&ved=0CHkQ8wIwAA


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## Guest (Dec 10, 2011)

I agree with Harry Chickpea. Rather than buy an ink jet and multiple cartridges, you'd be MUCH better off to go ahead and get a color laser printer. You'll spend the same amount in the initial purchase, and then the toner will last much longer for the same amount of money. In other words, $100 worth of toner will last several times longer than $100 worth of ink jet cartridges.


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## Gary in ohio (May 11, 2002)

akhomesteader said:


> I know this will vary, depending on many factors, but about how many 8 1/2" x 11" color pages (large photos printed on card stock) can I reasonably expect to get from a color inkjet photo printer cartridge? I'm planning to print about 150 color pages
> Jenny


Why not try kinko's, fedex or some of the other office places. They run 30 to 50 cents a page. Thats under $75 to print all of those pages. A quick look at some HP toner calls for $43 color and $30 B&W.. Your already in the same price range. Toner cost will vary but a full color print will eat most toner packs. On top of that you need to get quality paper to make it look good.


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## akhomesteader (Jan 5, 2006)

Thanks very much for the suggestions! We bought a b/w laser printer about 4 years ago that has been very economical. At the time, everything I read about the color laser printers was that the quality was horrible unless you went with a super expensive one. Sounds like the quality has improved on the reasonably priced ones now. I'll take another look and go that route. We need a printer anyway, so getting a color laser sounds like the way to go. 

Thanks again!,

Jenny


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## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

Look at both the price of consumables in the color laser you are considering and look for feedback about the particular model printer on the web. Like the inkjets, I think the consumer lasers come with "starter" toner cartridges. Lower capacity than regular cartridges. So lucky you then get to buy replacements sooner than you expect.


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

Before the OKI, I had a Lexmark color laser that I paid big bucks for. The color matching was better on it, but it was something like $2500 refurbed, and it weighed a ton.

Just about all consumer electronics (printers included) do a cycle of development every three or four years. Expect the color lasers today to be good, and like HJ says, do your homework. Epinions usually has fairly good consumer reviews of stuff.

All of this kinda impinges on an area I'm familiar with in business. The gold standard of printing is Pantone color swatch matching, and even the big printing outfits can mess it up big time. What you see on the screen has to be tweaked to get a similar color on the printed page, and THAT has to be customized to the viewing environment. The dyes and media used have a big effect, and the light source you use to view the pictures has another big effect.

One of the funny things to do with printers is to print a color graph or test picture on various printers, then make a viewing area where you can quickly move the printed pictures from sunlight to incandescent to compact florescent to halogen illumination. With ink jet dyes, you will often see wild fluctuations as the spectra of the dye interacts with the spectra of the light. Compact florescent illumination can be hideous and garish. Laser dyes are a little tamer, but you still have to watch out. With my Oki, I've found that if I stick a 30% white screen in front of an image I print, I get a truer rendition. I suspect the newer models don't need that.

FWIW, I chose the OKI primarily because I do flyers and the toners have a gloss and bite that makes them stand out more than other printers. The photo renditions take more work, but that is fine for me, since I know how.


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## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

Big jobs (lots of coverage, ink, or photos) I carry to town... local printer will do an 8x10 for 65c. 

I think most mfgrs. are just covering their shipping/handling costs on inkjet printers... they make their money off of ink.

I've went b/w laser for my bulk printing. 

All in one inkjet, basically because it was cheaper than a standalone fax (for elderly clients who don't do email)...


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