Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesThere is no single cost per inkjet page. For a useful ink-only estimate, divide the current price of the exact compatible ink supply by its published page yield. That gives a standardized comparison figure—not a guarantee of what your household will pay or how many pages you will actually print. Paper, the printer itself, setup ink, maintenance, and the mix of text, color, and photos all affect the real cost.
How to calculate ink cost per page
Start with a particular printer and a particular ink supply that is compatible with it. Find the supply’s current price and its manufacturer-published yield, then divide the price by the yield:
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Estimated ink cost per standardized page = current supply price ÷ published page yield
Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minutePC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11For example, if a supply costs P in your local currency and is rated for Y pages, the estimate is P ÷ Y per page. This is a formula, not a universal price: local prices change, and a yield is meaningful only when it applies to the exact supply and printer being considered. A cartridge’s rated yield should not be treated as the number of pages every owner will get.
#1 Best Overall
- Automatic
- These cartridges work with: HP OfficeJet Pro 8020, 8020e, 8025, 8028, 8030e, 8035
- Cartridge yield (approx.): 825 pages black, 315 pages per color
- Up to 2x more prints with Original HP Ink vs. non-Original HP Ink
- 82% of HP ink cartridges are manufactured with recycled plastic
Keep the calculation’s scope clear. A black cartridge’s price divided by its black-page yield estimates the ink component on that manufacturer’s stated test basis. A color cartridge can be estimated separately on its own yield basis. Do not add those two figures together to make a supposed color-page price unless the printer’s usage pattern and the manufacturer’s yield method make that combination valid. Color pages can draw on several supplies in different amounts, and the published test may not match your documents or photos.
When comparing options, use the same currency, date, and cost definition for each. A per-page figure based on ink alone is not comparable to one that also includes paper or a share of the printer’s purchase price.
What a published page yield does—and does not—tell you
Page yield is a standardized way to compare supplies, not a prediction of a particular person’s results. HP describes ISO/IEC 24711 testing as using a standard suite of five pages printed consecutively until the cartridge reaches end of life. The standard helps provide a common comparison basis, but HP cautions that it should not be used to predict the actual yield from an individual printer and cartridge. HP’s explanation of inkjet page-yield testing identifies content, printing frequency, initial setup ink, and other factors as reasons real output can vary.
Recommended Free Tools
Rank #2
- HP Ink Cartridges are engineered to work with HP printers to provide consistent quality, reliability and value
- Works with these HP Printers: DeskJet 1255, 2710e, 2720e, 2721e, 2722, 2722e, 2723e, 2724, 2725, 2732, 2742e, 2752e, 2755, 2755e, 4110e, 4120e, 4121e, 4122e, 4123e, 4130e, 4132e, 4152e, 4155e, 4158e; DeskJet Plus 4122, 4132, 4155
- Works with these HP Printers: ENVY 6010e, 6020e, 6022e, 6030e, 6032e, 6034e, 6050e, 6052e, 6055, 6055e, 6075, 6075e, 6420e, 6422e, 6430e, 6432e, 6450e, 6452e, 6455e, 6458e, 6475e; ENVY Pro 6455, 6458, 6475
- Cartridge yield (approx.): 120 pages
- Trusted HP Printer Ink Cartridges for every printing need: Perfect for everyday home, office, and small business printing needs — choose HP 67 Ink Cartridges for reliable printing
A page in a yield test is not necessarily equivalent to every page you print. A mostly blank letter, a document with dense graphics, and a full-page photograph place different demands on ink. The result also depends on the exact printer, supply size and type, paper, software, and print mode. Canon makes that qualification explicitly for its MAXIFY GX6020 yield figures: the stated yield may vary with the text or photos printed, application software, print mode, the ink-tank or cartridge size and type, and paper.
Initial setup is another reason a first supply may not match a later one. Canon says filling the printhead nozzles consumes ink, so the first tanks supplied with the MAXIFY GX6020 yield fewer sheets than succeeding tanks. Its published yield basis refers to succeeding tanks. For this reason, a manufacturer’s rated yield is best used to compare like with like, while household budgeting should allow for differences between the test conditions and actual use.
Published yields show why model and page type matter
These manufacturer figures are examples of how yields are reported, not current market benchmarks or a direct comparison of total ownership costs. They apply only to the named models and stated test bases.
Rank #3
- HP Ink Cartridges are engineered to work with HP printers to provide consistent quality, reliability and value
- Works with these HP Printers: DeskJet 1255, 2710e, 2720e, 2721e, 2722, 2722e, 2723e, 2724, 2725, 2732, 2742e, 2752e, 2755, 2755e, 4110e, 4120e, 4121e, 4122e, 4123e, 4130e, 4132e, 4152e, 4155e, 4158e; DeskJet Plus 4122, 4132, 4155
- Works with these HP Printers: ENVY 6010e, 6020e, 6022e, 6030e, 6032e, 6034e, 6050e, 6052e, 6055, 6055e, 6075, 6075e, 6420e, 6422e, 6430e, 6432e, 6450e, 6452e, 6455e, 6458e, 6475e; ENVY Pro 6455, 6458, 6475
- Cartridge yield (approx.): 240 pages
- Trusted HP Printer Ink Cartridges for every printing need: Perfect for everyday home, office, and small business printing needs — choose HP 67XL Ink Cartridges for reliable printing
| Printer and supply example | Published yield | Basis and limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Canon MAXIFY GX6020, black ink | 6,000 estimated pages | Mixed text and graphics; the manufacturer describes this as a succeeding-tank yield and notes that results vary by content, software, mode, ink supply, and paper. Canon MAXIFY GX6020 Page Yield |
| Canon MAXIFY GX6020, CMY composite | 14,000 estimated pages | Mixed text and graphics; this is a composite color figure, not a separate 14,000-page yield for each of cyan, magenta, and yellow. The same test and variability caveats apply. Canon MAXIFY GX6020 Page Yield |
| Canon PIXMA MX492, PG-245XL black and CL-246XL color | 300 pages each | Mixed text and graphics, as a legacy, model-specific example. It is not a current-market benchmark or a recommendation. Canon PIXMA MX492 Page Yield |
| Canon PIXMA MX492, standard PG-245 black and CL-246 color | 180 pages each | Mixed text and graphics, for the standard-capacity supplies in that model’s yield document. The document also distinguishes photo yields from mixed-document yields. Canon PIXMA MX492 Page Yield |
The GX6020’s 14,000-page number is a combined CMY estimate for the test basis described by Canon. It should not be read as 14,000 pages from each color tank, nor as a promise for a particular mix of color pages and photos. Similarly, the PIXMA MX492 document reports different yields for mixed documents and photo sets; use the basis that most closely resembles the work you print rather than applying a document yield to photo-heavy use.
To convert any of these examples into an ink-cost estimate, you still need the current price of the matching supply. For instance, the GX6020’s black-supply calculation would be the current price of the compatible black ink divided by 6,000; the color calculation would need the relevant compatible color supply cost and the 14,000-page composite figure interpreted on Canon’s stated basis. The documents do not establish current local prices, so they cannot support a universal dollar-per-page answer.
Estimate the cost of your own printing
1. Identify the supplies your printer actually uses
Check the printer’s model and the exact compatible supply names or capacities. A standard-capacity and a high-capacity cartridge for the same printer can have different prices and yields. An ink-tank printer’s refill bottles are also model-specific. Do not calculate with a price or yield for a supply that will not work in your printer.
Rank #4
- Compatible with TS3520/3522, TR4720/4722, TS3720/3722 inkjet printers.
- Value pack of 2 cartridges: PG-275 Black ink yields up to 100 pages, CL-276 color ink yields up to 100 pages.
- Canon Genuine Inks provide peak performance that is specifically designed for compatible Canon printers. The PG black ink cartridge produces crisp, sharp black text for your documents and the CL color cartridge produces accurate impressive color photos.
- Canon's FINE (Full-photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering) technology utilizes 6,000 or more nozzles inside the print heads to provide greater efficiency, higher print precision and reliable accuracy in your photos and documents.
- Don’t be fooled by imposters - look for the Canon logo on all ink packaging to ensure you’re buying Genuine Canon Ink for outstanding quality and performance you can rely on.
2. Record current prices and the yield basis
Use the price available to you now, in your region, for each compatible supply. Note whether the stated yield is for black text, mixed text and graphics, a composite color set, or photos; record whether it applies to a standard- or high-capacity supply. Manufacturer yield documents are more useful than a generic page-count claim because they identify the model and, often, test conditions. If the documentation does not state a comparable figure for a supply or type of output, do not fill the gap with a guess.
3. Calculate black and color estimates separately where needed
Divide each supply’s price by its applicable yield. Keep the results as separate estimates if your printer uses multiple color supplies or the yield document does not support a combined per-page calculation. If you have a mixed workload, estimate the share of pages that are black text, color documents, and photos; a single average can conceal the higher or lower ink demand of different page types.
4. Add the costs excluded from an ink-only figure
For a broader ownership estimate, choose a page count and a time period, then add paper and a portion of the printer’s purchase price to the supply costs for that period. State how you allocate the printer price—for example, across the number of pages you expect to print during the ownership period. This allocation is an assumption for your budget, not a manufacturer page-yield figure. Include any relevant replacement supplies or maintenance costs only when you have reliable prices for the model and know they apply to your use.
Best Value
- Higher Page Yield: Up to 750 pages for hp ink 63 black, 450 pages for hp 63 ink tri-color (at 5% coverage of A4 paper)
- Package Includes: 1 x 63XL black ink cartridge, 1 x 63XL color ink cartridge, 1 x User Guide
- Compatible for HP OfficeJet 3830, 3831, 3832, 3833, 3834, 3836, 4650, 4652, 4654, 4655, 4656, 4657, 4658, 5255, 5200, 5220, 5222, 5230, 5232, 5252, 5258, 5260, 5264, 5212
- Compatible for HP Envy 4520, 4510, 4511, 4512, 4513, 4516, 4517, 4521, 4522, 4523, 4524, 4525, 4526, 4527, 4528
- Compatible for HP DeskJet 1110, 1111, 1112, 1113, 1114, 2130, 2131, 2132, 2133, 2134, 2136, 2137, 2138, 3630, 3631, 3632, 3633, 3634, 3635, 3636, 3637, 3638, 3639, 3640
A practical worksheet can keep assumptions visible:
- Printer and region: the exact model and where you will buy supplies.
- Supply: compatible name and capacity, with its current price.
- Yield: published page count and the stated print/test basis.
- Use: expected black, color-document, and photo pages over a defined period.
- Other costs: paper, printer purchase price allocation, and any applicable maintenance or replacement items.
Changing a supply price or expected page mix can materially change the result. Recalculate when prices change or when your printing habits shift rather than carrying forward an estimate as though it were fixed.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Ink cartridges and ink tanks: compare total cost, not a single yield number
An ink-tank printer can have large published yields, but that alone does not prove it costs less overall. Compare the upfront printer price, the price of compatible refills or cartridges, their yields, your black/color/photo mix, setup ink, maintenance behavior, paper needs, expected volume, and how long you plan to keep the printer. The Canon MAXIFY GX6020 figures illustrate a manufacturer’s model-specific tank yield; they do not establish an all-in savings claim against a cartridge printer.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Cartridge printers can also offer different capacities for a single model. The PIXMA MX492 example lists 300 mixed-document pages for its XL black and color supplies and 180 for its standard-capacity counterparts. Whether the XL version reduces your cost depends on the current price difference and your actual output; the yield numbers alone cannot answer that. For either type of printer, compare the costs on the same page basis and include the purchase price if you are deciding which printer to buy.
Subscription plans require additional care. HP’s November 2021 data sheet for HP 305 supplies includes a comparison tied to a 300-page Instant Ink plan and assumes all plan pages are used without extra page purchases. That historical comparison does not establish current price, eligibility, terms, or availability in your region. Verify current plan terms for your exact printer and location before comparing a subscription with buying supplies directly.
Common cost-per-page mistakes
- Using a yield without matching the supply: cartridge size and type can change both price and yield. Match the exact compatible supply to the printer.
- Treating a standard test as a household promise: standardized results support comparisons, but coverage, frequency, setup, and printing choices change real output.
- Applying a black yield to color or photos: output type matters. Use an applicable color or photo figure when the manufacturer provides one.
- Multiplying a composite yield by every color: a CMY composite count is not automatically the yield of each individual color tank.
- Calling an ink-only figure the full printing cost: printer purchase price and paper are separate costs, with maintenance potentially relevant too.
- Comparing an old plan example with a current purchase price: dated plan conditions and present regional terms are not interchangeable.
What to conclude from the calculation
Your answer is a range of assumptions made visible: supply price, published yield, page mix, and what costs you include. For a quick ink comparison, the price-divided-by-yield estimate is useful when supplies and test bases match. For a buying decision or household budget, compare the complete set of costs over a realistic ownership period. There is no responsible universal inkjet cost per page without a printer, supply, region, current price, and description of what is being printed.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →
