13 Reason Why Is Printer Ink So Expensive!!

Among many types of printers, the ink printer is the most expensive one. You might question why is printer ink so expensive. In another hand, this printer is the most popular one in the world. Office, school, and home-office use this type of printer since the result of printing are excellent.

Though the price is not affordable for some people, printer ink is still the champion. It costs a lot of money if you are actively using this printer for daily usage. But what is the reason? Here is the information that you might never know about how expensive printer ink is.

The Reason Why Is Printer Ink So Expensive

• The warning

When you buy printer ink, you will face a warning that will come from the printer. If the level of the ink is below the average, the printer will send a warning or signal that you have a low level of ink. This warning will not go away unless you have refilled the ink.

It is different when you use other types of printers. They might only send the warning when the cartridge, for example, is at its lowest point. Another way to dismiss this warning is resetting the microchip error in the printer. 

For some people, the warning from the printer will save them, especially to not waste the time. So, why is printer ink so expensive no longer such an issue. It helps them when they are working in a busy office. They don’t have to hear the warning anymore and reset the microchip.

Some people will still buy printer ink because it is helpful. People tend to buy more inks rather than face some issues such as cartridges are no longer for usage suddenly. Refilling the ink is easier for a bigger business even though they spend a lot of money on ink. 

• The price of a microchip

A microchip is an important part of printer ink. It is everywhere on many devices that use technology. The supply of microchips is high since it is high demand. However, the latest microchip is always expensive. On other hand, printer ink cannot run the work without it.

Among the parts of the printer ink, the microchip is the most expensive yet vital, and this is why is printer ink so expensive. The center of microchip production is in Asia. Other countries outside Asia will get printer ink more expensive than the region of Asia.

• High-cost production

Producing a printer needs a high cost. The production only has a little profit since the parts of the printer are expensive. The reason why is printer ink so expensive is not other than the companies trying to survive. The printer ink still has a lot of buyers than other types of printers. 

The decision to keep selling printer ink is a good option. Even though the profit after the sale is a little, more people still use this printer. The companies always sell at a high price because they don’t have a choice. The microchip itself has the highest cost among other parts in the printer ink.

• Wasting Ink

The usage of ink is very high when you choose a printer ink. The ink is not only for printing but also maintenance. When you clean the printheads, you need to use a certain amount of ink. Some people might not be aware of this, but it is wasting ink.

Printer ink is way different because there is a maintenance cycle that will occur from time to time. The consumer should be ready because it may be too often if the printer ink is busy printing. The cycle of maintenance is important to keep the performance of the printer itself.

Therefore, another way to save your money or the cost of printing is to seek an efficient brand. It is not only efficient in power but also ink-wasting. You have to put the printer ink in a cool area in the office since a hot environment will trigger the head to have a clogged case. 

• High-cost replacement

Once you find out that there is an issue in the printer and it is the part of the printer, not the ink, you should be ready because the replacement will cost a lot. This is the risk of getting printer ink. In the market, the price of replacement is competitive yet it is still expensive. 

The supplies for the replacement are the reason why is printer ink so expensive. The companies never make it for a lifetime, but you might change another one in a few months. Even though the cost is high, printer ink never makes the customers stop using this type of printer.

The majority of the customers will still rely on this printer because printer ink can use a third-party product. It is practical because they don’t have to look for the same brand for other parts and ink. Sometimes, it saves more money even though the replacement will take some time in a period.

• Company’s research

When a company is trying to create a new model of printer ink, it will have a research and development process before producing. This is why is printer ink so expensive. A brand spends a lot of money on research only to creat one model of printer ink.

Creating printer ink is harder because it needs extensive technology to catch consumers’ attention. They want efficient printers at a low-cost level, yet the research itself needs a lot of money. The printer ink also needs particular formula of ink to work well. 

For this reason, the sale of printer ink will always be expensive. The pricing is quite impossible at a low-cost level. The manufacturers will not get any profit from producing a printer. Usually, a brand spends about a billion dollars per year to create less than five models of printer ink.

• Searching for compatible ink

A new model of printer ink means a new model of ink. Companies understand that looking for compatible ink for a new model will be hard. It needs time for research. After all, ink is complicated especially when it is in the tube already. 

When the ink is exposed to heat, the ink will create bubbles inside the tube. The bubble will ruin the result of printing, sometimes the printer is hard to read the device because of the bubble. This trouble is happening in a busy office where printing is the main activity.

Since this problem is in the category of malfunction, the companies design compatible ink. Later, the device won’t be able to use a third party to maintain the quality of printing. For this reason, no wonder why is printer ink so expensive in the market.

• The more expensive, the better

The price matters. The same case happens for buying printer ink. The more expensive, the quality is better. The company usually sells printers at a higher price as proof that their research had found the best solution to create the best quality printer ink.

The printer ink that only can use particular ink, usually the same brand as the printer, is always expensive as well. The companies guarantee that the printing result is excellent with a particular ink. Though it costs a lot, some people choose this printer for more of better performance and results.

There are some problems that you might find with low-cost printer ink such as spotty images and unclear fonts if the font is smaller than 12. This adjustment takes longer time and more money according to the printer companies. It is the main reason why is printer ink so expensive. 

• Ink supply is easier

Supply and demand are vital roles in the market. The demand for ink and printer ink is very high. The market always supplies them from time to time, so people acknowledge the printer ink more than other types. It is easy to find even though the price is expensive.

With more people using printer ink for school, business, and home office, the supply is getting high to balance the demand. This is why is printer ink so expensive because companies dare to charge more from customers. The customers have no choice but buy the printer ink and ink.

The offline market provides more printer ink and ink. It is different if you choose a cartridge printer because it is easier to buy it online. For practical use, printer ink is the best option to choose from for your busy office though the price is high.

• CMYK Specialization

You might find that the printer ink you buy uses CMYK specialization. CMYK is the code for the inks where C is blue, M is red, Y is yellow, and K is black. Some companies produce the specialization for a particular model. It is the main reason why is printer ink so expensive. 

Ink is a vital printer supply that you can’t ignore. Using a third-party ink for the model that needs specialization will only waste your money. Plus, you will find that in the market, the ink is available in a pack where CMYK is always together, not separated.

The problem is your printer might only run out of K or black ink because you print a lot of black and white pages. You might end up piling up other colors of ink. It is wasted because you have to buy the ink you don’t need. It costs a lot because you have to buy four when actually you only need one.

• Short lifespan

The lifespan of printer ink is not good. Any brand usually has a short lifespan because it is hard to always keep up the cycle of printer ink. For a busy office, a printer will get heated almost every day. It lessens the lifespan. Actually, all electronic devices nowadays have short lifespans and printer ink is no exception.

The companies don’t produce printer ink for last-long usage. They have new models of printer ink from time to time. Though it seems for a business reason, the thing is that technology keeps changing. Improvement is very vital in the industry of technology.

Over time, electronic devices will give or emit potential hazards to the environment and user. So, changing the device is the solution to keep it safe. For a busy office, you have to change your printer at least once in two years. This is why is printer ink so expensive in the market.

• Best Printing Quality

Compared to other types of printers, printer ink gives the best quality. Many industries use printer ink for operations. The business in publishing, government, post office, and even newspaper use printer ink. It gives a lot of comfort to the reader because the result is crisp, clear, and neat.

It is a vital component of the business. Though the customers question why is computer printer ink so expensive, they have no other choice but to keep buying printer ink. It is little chance for a big business to move to other printers because it will lessen the satisfaction of the consumers.

Even if printer companies increase the price from time to time for the reasons such as technology development, the market, and consumers cannot reject these facts. Those who rely on printer ink will keep buying the device even though they question why is printer ink so expensive. 

• The price of ink

It is not only the printer ink but also the ink. The higher the quality of the ink, the price is also higher. For a new model of printer, the cost of ink will be more expensive because they tend to use specialized ink.

A company points out that some printers might have to use original equipment manufacturers. It is the main reason why is printer ink so expensive. However, this reason is also something that consumers can’t reject. There is no alternative to the ink option if the users want the best results.

• Error risk

We can’t deny that a printing result might have some errors. A simple error in a graphic might ruin the interpretation. So, the user usually re-prints the document again. If the graphic is colorful, it is wasting ink. At the same time, we know that the price of ink is expensive.

The error risk is also happening in the tube of inks. If the ink is dry, it’s hard to use it. The user might change the ink storage and buy new ones. It is more expensive than just refilling the ink. This issue is also one of the reasons why are printer ink so expensive.

Buying printer ink is the solution to have the best result printing. However, you might question why is printer ink so expensive. Those reasons above might help you to find the answer. It is not only the printer but also maintenance and replacement.