Today’s post is in response to a story I read in the Kansas City Star last week. The story played that same broken record I’ve been hearing for quite some time . . . Ink cartridge prices are to high. I do agree that prices are high, but not for the same reason that most do. Let’s talk.

Looks like the the cries have been heard by a group that could get the ball rolling and, maybe, elicit some change. The National Conference on Weights and Measures (NCWM) takes place in Nashville, TN this month. The goal of this group is “To advance a healthy business and consumer climate through the development and implementation of uniform and equitable weights and measures standards using a consensus building process.” (Source: ncwm.net) The group is made up of measurement officials from each of the 50 U.S. States.

The NCWM hopes to accomplish a movement towards more regulation for ink cartridges and full disclosure about how much ink is within a cartridge. Manufacturers of ink cartridges say that they are not required to follow the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act. The Act requires that manufacturers put a labels on consumer products that identify the product; state the name and place of business of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor; and disclose the net quantity of the contents. Printer cartridge manufacturers choose instead to tell you, approximately, how many pages their cartridge will yield.

In reading all this I have to ask, is the NCWM going to accomplish anything of use here? I think ink cartridge regulation is useless. I guess I should be more specific. The higher level of disclosure on ink cartridge packaging might be useful, but I am thinking more along the lines of the following.

In the grand scheme, a ink capacity number on the packaging is relatively useless. It tells us how much ink is inside that cartridge, but where does that leave us?

Well, we know how much ink is inside the cartridge. We can then compare that amount to other cartridges and see which cartridge will give us the most amount of ink for our money. So, this would make us better shoppers. Yes, more informed shoppers. No, not better shoppers. Why? Because there are  many other variables that effect how many pages that cartridge will yield. At the end of the day, the information might just make us more irate shoppers.

The actual number of pages you will get from a printer cartridge depends on what I print. The fact that I know there are 30 milliliters of ink in my cartridge, and I paid $50 for the cartridge, is irrelevant. The number of pages I will get from that cartridge depends on what I print, how often I print, my printer set up, and how often I turn my printer on/off.

Huh? Let me explain.

What I print determines how many pages my cartridge will produce. If all I do is print pages of text, be it black or color, my cartridge will always print more pages than the person who only prints photos or graphics. We are printing with the same 30ml cartridge, but my pages require less ink. Think of it like a car. The manufacturer tells us how many miles to the gallon we should get, but if we get that or not, depends on our driving habits.

How often I print determines how many pages my cartridge will produce. Due to cartridge design, the more often you print with your cartridge, the more pages you will be able to print with that cartridge. Why? Because the less you use a cartridge the more time the ink inside has to dry. Dried ink cannot be printed with. The more you print, the faster you use your cartridge. The ink does not have as much time to dry.

How often I turn my printer off determines how many pages my cartridge will product. Each time you turn your printer off you have to turn it back on when you want to use it. Each time you turn your printer on some version of the cartridge cleaning utility runs. The cartridge cleaning utility dispenses ink. Not a lot of ink, but enough to effect the number of pages you will get from that cartridge.

We are now at my favorite part of this post because I get to say one of my favorite things . . . It’s about the cost per page printed! Yes I would like to know how much ink is inside my cartridge. Would it matter to much . . . No. What matters is that I know how much that cartridge costs, what my printing habits are, and what my cost per page printed is.

Yes, I agree cartridge prices are to high . . IF YOU DON’T KNOW YOUR COST PER PAGE PRINTED. If you think you are spending $30 for 15ml of ink, yeah that sounds expensive. If you know you are spending $30 for 400 pages of print and that each page of print will cost you 3 cents things don’t sound all that expensive.

Oh, but I did just think of one benefit of knowing how much ink is in a cartridge. We would get a ton more of those fun stories that tell us what ink is more expensive than (blood, cavier, champaign, gas, etc.).

So, please take a moment and share your thoughts. I’d love to hear what you have to say. Thanks!