How the calculation works
Cost per 100 pages = price ÷ (pages per cartridge × cartridges) × 100
A worked example
A $24.00 cartridge rated at 240 pages costs $10.00 per 100 pages, or 10 cents a page. A twin pack at $40.00 prints 480 pages for $8.33 per 100.
Why the yield matters more than the price
Two cartridges at the same price can print very different numbers of pages. Dividing by the ISO yield — the figure manufacturers measure under ISO/IEC 24711 for ink and 19752 for toner — puts them on equal terms. An XL cartridge is only cheaper per page when its yield grows faster than its price.
Multipacks of different colours
For a set of black and colour cartridges, add up the yields of every cartridge in the pack and enter the total as the pages per cartridge with one cartridge in the pack. Never multiply a black cartridge's yield by the number of cartridges in a mixed set.
Common questions
Where do I find the page yield?
Manufacturers print it on the box and in the product listing, usually as "approx. 240 pages" with a reference to ISO/IEC 24711 (ink) or ISO/IEC 19752 (mono toner). Compatible cartridges state their own figure; treat it as the seller's claim.
Is 5 % coverage realistic?
It is a test convention, roughly a page of plain text. Your own pages may use more or less ink. Because every cartridge is measured the same way, the comparison between two cartridges still holds.
Does this work for ink bottles?
Yes. Enter the bottle's price and the pages the manufacturer quotes for it. Bottles for tank printers usually cost a fraction of a cent per page.
Method: arithmetic from the label values you enter. Reviewed .