Calculating Your Printing Costs (Cost/Page)
Understanding your true cost per page helps you make informed decisions about printer purchases, service contracts, and printing strategies.
Why Calculate Cost Per Page?
Cost per page (CPP) is one of the most important metrics for understanding your printing expenses. Whether you're comparing potential printer purchases, evaluating service contracts, or analyzing your current printing costs, knowing your accurate cost per page is essential for making informed business decisions.
There are two primary methods for calculating cost per page: using print management software for accurate device-specific tracking, or performing manual calculations when comparing potential purchases. This guide focuses on the manual calculation method.
Cost Per Page Calculator
Calculate your printing costs using the formulas below
Black & White Cost
Cost Per Page
$0.036
Formula: $79.99 ÷ 2200 pages
Color Cost
Cost Per Page
$0.163
Formula: [($109.99 ÷ 2600) × 3] + $0.036
Preliminary Steps
Identify Your Printer
Determine your printer's manufacturer and exact model number. This information is typically found on the front panel, inside the printer door, or in the device settings menu.
Find Page Yield Figures
Page yield information can be found in several places:
- Manufacturer websites
- Toner cartridge packaging
- Printer manual or documentation
- Computer control panel or printer properties
How Manufacturers Test Page Yields
Understanding how manufacturers arrive at their page yield figures is crucial for accurate cost calculations. The industry uses standardized testing methods, but your actual results may vary based on your printing patterns.
Text Documents
Standard testing prints text documents with approximately 5% page coverage.
This means only 5% of the page is covered with toner, while 95% remains blank.
Graphics Documents
Mixed text and graphics documents average approximately 20% page coverage.
These documents consume significantly more toner than plain text.
Important Note
Your actual page yield will vary based on your specific printing patterns, document types, and toner coverage. If your office regularly prints documents with higher coverage (graphics, photos, filled forms), expect lower actual yields than manufacturer specifications.
Cost Per Page Calculation Formulas
Black & White Calculation
Formula
Example Calculation:
Toner Cartridge Cost: $79.99
Page Yield: 2,200 pages
$79.99 ÷ 2,200 = $0.036 per page
This means each black and white page costs approximately 3.6 cents to print.
Color Calculation
Formula
Example Calculation:
Color Toner Cartridge Cost: $109.99 (per color)
Color Page Yield: 2,600 pages
B&W Cost Per Page: $0.036
[($109.99 ÷ 2,600) × 3] + $0.036
= [$0.0423 × 3] + $0.036
= $0.127 + $0.036
= $0.163 per page
Color printing costs approximately 16.3 cents per page in this example.
Why multiply by 3? Color printers use three color toners (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow) plus black, so you need to account for all three color cartridges.
Factors That Affect Your Actual Costs
Cartridge Type Selection
Standard yield vs. high yield cartridges can significantly impact your cost per page. High yield cartridges typically offer better value.
Document Coverage
Documents with graphics, logos, or filled areas use more toner than plain text, reducing your effective page yield.
Refilled/Remanufactured Cartridges
Third-party or refilled cartridges may have different yields and quality levels compared to OEM cartridges.
Printer Age
Older printers may be less efficient with toner usage, and worn components can increase consumption.
Environmental Conditions
Temperature, humidity, and dust levels can affect toner performance and longevity.
Usage Frequency
Printers used infrequently may waste toner through cleaning cycles and maintenance operations.
Best Practices for Accurate Cost Tracking
Use Print Management Software
For the most accurate tracking, invest in print management or monitoring software. These tools track actual usage on a per-device basis, recording exact page counts, toner consumption, and calculating real-world cost per page based on your specific printing patterns.
Track Actual Cartridge Performance
Record your meter readings when installing new cartridges and when they run out. Over time, this gives you real-world data about your actual page yields. Compare these numbers to manufacturer specifications to understand if you're getting expected performance.
Consider Total Cost of Ownership
Remember that cost per page is just one component of your total printing costs. Also factor in:
- Equipment purchase or lease costs
- Service and maintenance agreements
- Energy consumption
- Paper costs
- Downtime and productivity impact
Bottom Line: While the manual calculation method provides a solid estimate for comparing printers and planning budgets, real-world performance will vary. For ongoing cost management, tracking actual usage over time provides the most accurate picture of your printing expenses.