Hidden Costs of Inkjet Printing Printer Cleaning and Ink Changing Cycles By David Saffir Copyright 2006-2009 I believe that web pages should be as dynamic as possible, and reflect two-way communications. A respectable portion of this page reflects readers’ questions, observations, and suggestions, which I greatly appreciate. In my view, the hidden costs of ink jet printing can be summed up in one word: waste. In a moderately busy photography studio, this can amount to hundreds of dollars per year. I intend to limit the discussion to large format photo quality ink jet printers, and exclude machines that are used in sign making and similar activities. Later in this summary, I will look at the numbers and add them up. The bottom line: some newer large format ink jet printers can cost hundreds of dollars less per year to operate than their competitors. This waste, for the most part, consists of wasted ink and paper. In the case of paper, losses can be incurred in: Improper handling by the operator that physically damages the paper or finished print A damaged or misadjusted printing machine Use of paper that the machine is not designed to handle, ie, too thick, too thin, and so on. Excessive borders or trim margins, created by the operator or by the hardware and software settings built into the printer by the manufacturer Failure to use properly color managed capture devices, computer displays, and printers, which results in production of unnecessary proof prints or rejects. Some photographers and artists overlook the option of using roll paper, which is significantly less costly than cut sheets. In the case of ink waste: A significant factor in ink waste is inkjet printer or printhead cleaning cycles Another factor is flushing, or purging the inkjet printer system when switching from one ink type to another. Another contributing factor is overinking, or oversaturating a print; sometimes this is caused by an attempt by the operator to use maximum detail settings to improve print quality, when other options are available Failure to use properly color managed capture devices, computer displays, and printers, which results in production of unnecessary proof prints or rejects. I will focus here on what I believe to be the biggest factor in waste in inkjet printer operation: printer cleaning and ink changing cycles. For example, the Epson large format series (9800/7800) use an inkset which allows the user the option of printing on matte (art or rag) paper, or photographic style (glossy, satin, and the like) papers. The biggest issue is changing inks from photo to matte black, and back again. According to published reports and other data*, the ink changeover (other than consuming quite a bit of time) uses about 230 ml of ink in total, purged to the maintenance/waste tank (measured by weight before and after the cycles). If we assume that we change back to photo ink, total cost climbs to 45 cents/ml x 230, plus the cost of an ink maintenance tank, of $40. (The maintenance tank, or ink tank, is a small drawer that is mounted in the printer body. It is filled with an absorbent material, and it is used to soak up ink that is purged, or flushed, from the printer lines during maintenance and ink changeovers.) It is reasonable to assume that a busy studio would do this several times/year: Complete Ink Change Cycle* Total Cost x1 cycle = $148 x 4 cycles = $592/per year x 6 cycles (every two months) = $888/year Based on some email that I received in response to the the first draft of this article, the original estimate of 2 to 3 changeover cycles per year was too low, and that 4 to 6 cycles is more representative. (In the first version of this essay, I also made an error in the text in reporting the total cost of changeovers/year, now corrected.) This issue is nothing new to all of us. But as small business owners and individual photographers, we are forced to choose between eating the cost differential, or offering a product line that is limited in media range, or purchasing a second printer. None of these options is likely to enhance competitiveness. Personally, a few years ago I solved the problem by buying a second printer at a cost of $3,000 plus shipping. Up until a couple of months ago, one printer was used for photo gloss and satin, the other for fine art printing with matte black ink. Another issue with the Epson large format pigment ink printers is the cleaning cycle. If the printer is left unused for a period of time (some say just a few days, in my experience a week or two) it will need to be put through an extensive cleaning cycle. This extensive cleaning cycle uses over 100 ml ink. Each one of these episodes costs about $45. (a more common, routine cleaning cycle uses about 10 ml of ink, for a cost of about $5). Basic Cleaning Cycle $5 X 12 months=$60 Full Cleaning Cycle $45 x 4 quarters=$180 One Maint. Tank=$40 Estimated Total=$280/year Add it up: $280, plus $888 equals $1,168 per year. That is real cash that comes out of profitability. If the numbers are off by 20%, the total is still $934 per year in wasted ink for a reasonably busy studio. That’s not good news. In comparison, new printers like the 24 inch and 44 inch HP Designjet Z3100 do not require the user to purge the system to switch from one media type to another. There is little additional cost in wasted ink. Now, it is true that smaller printers like the Epson 2400 have the ink cartridges nearly sitting on top of the print head, so there is much less waste in an ink changeover. Also, the new Canon iPF5000 does not require system purging to change from photo inks to matte inks. The Z3100 uses very little ink in routine cleaning, as it runs a maintenance cycle automatically. Normal consumption is a few ml a week for these automated routines. They keep the need for intensive cleaning to a minimum. I have had the Z3100 for over one month now, and have never had to perform a either a small or intensive cleaning. No clogs. If we assume one intensive cleaning for the Z3100 per calendar quarter, using 10-45 ml of ink each time, the annual cost is about $81. That is quite a difference. The Z3100 does perform automated print head checks and minor cleanings, but as far as I can tell the usage involved in these is insignificant. Estimated Annual cost, Epson 7800/9800 $800 to $1,000 Estimated Annual Cost HP Designjet Z3100 $100 to $200 I use the Epson 2400, 7600, 7800 printers. I also use the HP B9180, 130nr, and Z3100. I have also received a few responses that one should consider spreading the cost of the ink changeover across the total number of prints made per year. This is a valid point, particularly if you already own a printer that requires a system purging when you change media. However, if I am considering investing in a new printer, or any other new equipment, I am quite interested in the total cost of operation per year. As a final note, the Z3100 has replaceable print heads, six in total. Each print head covers two ink colors. They are rated by HP at 2400 ml throughput of ink, which is quite a bit. There is no data on customer experience with replacing these. However, on my HP Designjet 130, which I have had for over two years, I have never had to replace a print head and I am way over specification on that. So, we shall see. I expect the annual cost for these to be under $100. More information will be coming to you as my experience with the Z3100 printer continues. I do not have quantitative info on Canon printers yet. This review is based on assumptions that may, or may not, apply to individual situations. I encourage you to examine these issues for yourself! David Saffir PS - I also have to ask the question - does any of this matter if image quality is not comparable - and the answer is of course not. Based on my experience with the Z3100, image quality is as good, or even better, than the competition. But that’s a topic for a separate analysis. I suggest a look at Michael Reichmann’s new review of the Designjet Z3100 at his site, Luminous Landscape (www.luminouslandscape.com). * All calculations assume cost per ml of ink of 45 cents. 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