Why Is Printer Ink More Expensive Than the Printer?

You just paid sixty-five dollars for ink — and the printer itself cost seventy-nine. The machine, with its motors, sensors and Wi-Fi, costs barely more than the little plastic box of liquid that goes inside it. In this video we break down the most overpriced liquid you will ever buy: the razor-and-blades business model, the chips and firmware that lock you in, and why the printer was never the product — the refills were. THE BREAKDOWN: • The ink and plastic in a cartridge cost roughly $5–$10 to manufacture — you pay around $40 • A standard cartridge prints only about 200–300 pages, at roughly 15–20 cents a page • Printers are sold at razor-thin margins, sometimes at a loss — the ink is the business • Cartridge chips and firmware updates can reject cheaper third-party refills • Color ink drains even on "black-and-white" pages, through cleaning and calibration cycles • Tank printers flip the deal: a pricier machine, but ink at a fraction of the cost per page ⏱ CHAPTERS: 0:00 $65 for ink?! 0:29 The real numbers 1:08 What's inside the cartridge 1:41 Razor and blades 2:23 Chips, firmware and lock-in 3:17 The subscription layer 3:40 The hidden slices 4:09 Where the profit is 4:40 Tank, official cartridges, or print shop? New videos every day — we take apart the price of everyday things and show you where every dollar really goes. 👉 Subscribe to The Cost Breakdown so you never overpay blind again. Numbers in this video are illustrative averages for education, not exact quotes for any specific printer brand or retailer. #PrinterInk #Printing #PersonalFinance #CostBreakdown #MoneyExplained #Tech