bob.RemoveThis@coolgroups.com wrote:
> I was just wondering why printer ink is so expensive.
There was a shift in the marketing model, for printing
devices, some time ago.
The first company to mess around, was a company that made
thermal wax printers. The printers cost thousands of dollars.
The company didn't seem to be moving too many of them.
(An exec at my company owned one of the printers, and we
had to beg his cranky secretary, to run off the odd print
on it.)
They then decided to give the printer away for free. In
exchange, the customer was tied into a contract for minimum
printing requirements, and more expensive expendables. So
it was almost a "printing service" rather than a printer.
The idea has moved into cheaper printing solutions as well.
The fact that "chipped" cartridges exist, is the lock in,
with the idea being, that as long as a customer cannot
refill their own cartridges, the manufacturer has them
"over a barrel".
It means, for a person with a decent printing volume, they
are more than paying for that "cheap" printer they got.
In some cases, people pick up printers that are slightly
discounted, because the ink that comes with the printer,
makes it a cheaper solution than buying cartridges for
their existing printer. In retaliation, some printers
come with "teaser" cartridges, which don't have as
many prints in them, as a regular retail cartridge.
So it all boils down, to how best to "sucker" a customer
into buying a printer. I think it is clear, that most
consumers don't work out their final cost per print,
when buying these things. Because if they knew the price,
they'd be more aware that a "bargain" printer is not a
bargain at all.
To get the best deal, it means a prospective customer has
to evaluate the cartridge system. Are the cartridges for
each color separate ? That way, you're not paying to
replace colors that aren't getting consumed.
Are the cartridges "chipped" ? Has someone figured out how
to refill them ? Does anyone actually have the chemistry of
the replacement ink figured out ? Each ink is specifically
designed for the print head. Print heads have different
size orifices, and surface tension and viscosity play a
part. If the ink doesn't match, the print quality will
suffer. Or the head will be permanently clogged, requiring
replacement for the next experiment.
If you're doing any sort of volume, a laser printer is a
better answer. At least for black and white. For color
laser, the same rules would apply, with respect to whether
colors are separate, or toner cartridges can be refilled.
A laser has a more expensive printer price, but may be
a better deal, in terms of price per page printed.
I've even seen the same approach used in telecom equipment.
Between two competing companies, one sells the frame (the place
to hold all the hardware), at close to cost. Then, each plugin
module is priced up a bit (that is where the profit comes in).
Another company, charges a fortune for the empty frame, maybe
10x the material cost. Then, the plug in modules are priced
with a smaller profit margin. Each solution caters to a customer
that either wants a partially filled piece of equipment, or
a customer who is expected to fill every slot from day one.
So the printing industry has experimented with two models of
pricing as well. But the current pricing model is a gamble,
and relies on the consumer replacing carts, rather than throwing
the printer away after the initial ink is gone.
Paul
>> Stay informed about: printer ink 
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