How to Work Out a Printer's Cost per Page and Running Costs

01Key takeaway

Printer cost per page is the price of a supply divided by the number of pages it is expected to print. Work it out separately for black and for color, add any drum or maintenance parts, and multiply by how much you print in a year. Adding the printer’s purchase price gives you a fair total cost of ownership, which is usually more revealing than the price tag alone.

02Terms used in this guide

• Page yield: the manufacturer’s estimate of how many pages a supply prints, measured with a standard test method.
• ISO yield: a yield measured using standards from the International Organization for Standardization, which many manufacturers use so figures are comparable.
• Cost per page: the supply price divided by its page yield.
• High-yield (XL) supply: a larger cartridge or toner that usually costs more but prints more pages, often at a lower cost per page.
• Total cost of ownership: the purchase price plus everything you spend on supplies over the time you own the printer.

03What page yields really mean

Manufacturers publish yields for most cartridges, bottles and toners. Many use standardized test methods, which print a set of test pages repeatedly until the supply runs out. That makes yields useful for comparing supplies, but they won’t match your experience exactly. Pages with photos, heavy color or dense graphics use far more ink or toner than the test pages; short, occasional print jobs and cleaning cycles also use ink on inkjets. Treat the yield as a fair comparison tool, not a promise.

Where do you find yields? On the manufacturer’s product or supplies page, the cartridge packaging, or the manufacturer’s support site. Avoid relying on yields quoted by third parties without a source.

04Calculate cost per page step by step

1. List every supply. For an inkjet: black and each color (or a combined color set). For a laser: toner, and the drum if separate. Add any maintenance box or waste toner container.
2. Note the yield for each. Use the manufacturer’s published figure, and note whether it is a standard or high-yield version.
3. Note the current price for each. Use a price you can actually pay from a retailer you trust today.
4. Divide price by yield. The result is the cost per page for that supply.
5. Add up the parts for each page type. A black page uses black ink or toner, plus a share of the drum or maintenance part if applicable. A color page uses black plus each color.
6. Multiply by your volume. Use your monthly page counts for black and color, then multiply by twelve for a yearly estimate.

You should now have: a cost per black page, a cost per color page and a yearly supply estimate for each printer you are comparing.

A worksheet you can copy

Fill in this layout for each printer. The letters show how the figures combine.

05Compare printers fairly

• Compare like with like. Use standard-yield figures for both printers, or high-yield figures for both, rather than mixing.
• Look over several years. Add the purchase price to two or three years of supplies. A cheaper printer with costly supplies can overtake a dearer one that is cheap to run, or the other way round for very light use.
• Don’t forget paper. Paper costs the same whichever printer you choose, but duplex printing halves the sheets for longer documents.
• Count starter supplies honestly. The ink or toner in the box may yield less than standard replacements, or more on some ink tank models. Check the manufacturer’s description.
• Think about electricity. Energy use is usually a smaller part of running costs, but ENERGY STAR listings help you compare efficiency for printers left on all day.

Comparing a cartridge inkjet with an ink tank model? Our guide to ink tank vs cartridge printers explains why the results often differ so much.

06Ways to lower running costs

• Print drafts in black only and economy or draft quality, where your printer offers it.
• Preview before printing to avoid printing unwanted pages, such as web page footers.
• Use duplex printing for longer documents to save paper.
• Choose high-yield supplies if they lower the cost per page for your printer and you will use them before they age.
• Print regularly on inkjets so fewer cleaning cycles are needed.
• Consider compatible or remanufactured supplies only after reading the trade-offs in our fair comparison of genuine and compatible ink and toner.

07When to get more help

If you can’t find a yield for a supply, ask the manufacturer’s support or sales team; don’t rely on unsourced figures. If your real-world pages seem far below the published yield even for text, check for problems such as frequent cleaning cycles, leaks or incorrect quality settings, and contact the manufacturer if supplies seem faulty. For a business, an accountant or IT supplier can help build running costs into your budget.

08Common questions

Why do I get fewer pages than the stated yield?

Your pages probably contain more ink or toner than the standard test pages, or an inkjet is using ink for cleaning. Printing photos and graphics, or printing only occasionally, both reduce the pages you get.

Are XL cartridges worth it?

Often, because they usually have a lower cost per page. Check by dividing price by yield for both sizes. If you print very little, a large cartridge may sit unused for a long time.

Is cost per page the same as total cost?

No. Cost per page covers supplies only. Total cost of ownership adds the printer’s price and, if you like, paper and electricity.

Do printer manufacturers all measure yield the same way?

Many use standardized ISO test methods for comparable figures, but check the footnotes on the manufacturer’s page to see how each yield was measured.