Calculating Cost Per Label for Inkjet Label Printers

Understanding Cost Per Label

Cost per label is a crucial metric when purchasing an inkjet label printer, as it indicates the price of each printed label. Calculating this cost accurately involves considering several factors, including the cost of ink cartridges, label rolls, electricity, maintenance, and labor. However, for a simplified approach, focusing primarily on ink cartridge expenses is often sufficient.

Most printer manufacturers derive their profits from selling ink cartridges rather than from the printers themselves. This makes it essential to evaluate the cost of each label before making a purchase by dividing the ink cartridge price by its yield—the number of labels printable with a single cartridge.

The typical cost of a replacement color ink cartridge for inkjet printers ranges from $30 to $100, with the yield varying based on the design complexity. For labels that predominantly use one color, it may be more cost-effective to choose a printer with separate ink cartridges for each color rather than a tri-color cartridge.

Calculating Cost Per Label

Black and White Labels: Cost per black and white labels is calculated by dividing price of the black ink cartridges by the black cartridge’s label yield.

For example, if the price of an inkjet cartridge is $45 and its yield is 1850 Labels, then its cost per label will be $45/1850=$0.024 (2.4 cents per label).

Color Labels: A color label printer typically uses several ink cartridges to print a color label. To estimate cost per color label, you must calculate cost per label of each color cartridges, then combine that number with the black and white cost per label to get the final cost per color label.

For example, if you buy an inkjet printer and the cost of its color ink cartridges (cyan, magenta, and yellow) is $20 each, and can handle up to 2100 labels. Meanwhile the cost of a black ink cartridge is $45 and can print up to 1850 labels. The final cost per color label calculation is equal to 5.2 cents per label (($20/2100) + ($20/2100) + ($20/2100) + ($45/1850) = $0.052).

Examples

When it comes to printing your own labels, you have several choices of label printer such as Epson, Primera and Afinia. The Color label printers are available in all price ranges, but there’s more than purchase price alone. Ink cartridges can be expensive and it’s frustrating to throw away a full ink cartridge because all the cyan ran out. You will find that a entry level line label printer is actually far more expensive to own and operate than one costing much more upfront.

Label costs per printer vary from one label printer to the next. You should multiply the per label cost times the number of labels you will print each month to find out how much it will cost to print your own color labels. Label printers that use a single multi-color cartridge have the highest ink cost. At first you may save some money with the lower priced printers but, the higher ink cost means you will spend lots more money with this printer in the long term.

Print speeds affect how many labels you can print during any given time period, also note the speed for each of the sample labels and label printers. Make sure to factor in speed, because there’s a huge difference between being able to print two and a half labels per minute and 100 labels per minute.