Rhys
TPF Noob!
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2008
- Messages
- 975
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Columbia, SC
- Can others edit my Photos
- Photos OK to edit
Is there any value in having a printer any more?
Sure - the office type are handy for general printing but do we really need photo printers any more?
I was looking at the figures.
Mpix (as an example) price works out at $2.49 for a 10x8 and $11.20 for a 10x20 and $20 for a 20x30. OK you might say I can print 20 20x30s and be in with a profit. Not quite so fast - how about ink prices? Once you add ink into the equation, it becomes rapidly less economical. Let's use a typical 10x8 printer as an example...
Paper cost is going to be around $1 per sheet
Ink cost is going to be around $15 per cartridge and you need 4.
Each cartridge will cover about 20 sheets of paper before it's out.
So... we're talking $80 to do 20 prints with an inkjet as opposed to $50 for the same quantity (with zero wastage) from an online print company. That's an excess charge of $30 to print yourself and you also have to buy the wretched printer too.
Seems to me that we're being ripped off royally by the printer companies on ink charges and that they've basically slit their own throats. I know I'm buying all my prints from now on via Apple's online service (which is cheaper and better as it's colour matched).
Sure - the office type are handy for general printing but do we really need photo printers any more?
I was looking at the figures.
Mpix (as an example) price works out at $2.49 for a 10x8 and $11.20 for a 10x20 and $20 for a 20x30. OK you might say I can print 20 20x30s and be in with a profit. Not quite so fast - how about ink prices? Once you add ink into the equation, it becomes rapidly less economical. Let's use a typical 10x8 printer as an example...
Paper cost is going to be around $1 per sheet
Ink cost is going to be around $15 per cartridge and you need 4.
Each cartridge will cover about 20 sheets of paper before it's out.
So... we're talking $80 to do 20 prints with an inkjet as opposed to $50 for the same quantity (with zero wastage) from an online print company. That's an excess charge of $30 to print yourself and you also have to buy the wretched printer too.
Seems to me that we're being ripped off royally by the printer companies on ink charges and that they've basically slit their own throats. I know I'm buying all my prints from now on via Apple's online service (which is cheaper and better as it's colour matched).