Kodak Printer Ink
Filed Under: Gadgets
Now, it might sound a very boring subject to cover, but Kodak have taken the unprecedented step of reducing the price of printer ink.
Mostly, this is due to using new technology to allow the prints to be made using less ink, thereby reducing the cost to the consumer and damage to the environment.
Clearly this is good news for those of us who do any sort of printing at home. The last time I checked, printer ink was one of the most expensive commodities on the planet – more expensive than gold, oil or just about anything else.
When you consider the cost of a printer and then factor in the money spent on ink, they would do as well to give you a free printer because by far the more expensive part is the ink, and in some cases, the paper if you are using photographic quality.
At the end of the day Kodak is doing this as much for their own good as any thing else. The simple fact is, Kodak sells paper. That’s where they have always made most of their money. Paper. They want to sell paper. The prohibitive price of ink has obviously got to the point where people are not printing. Hence – cheaper ink. There is a good guide to the current range of Kodak printers here
PhotoSci | Jan 22, 2008 | Reply
While Kodak would love to have you use their paper (and, unlike the newcomers, their fundamental research into paper technology for imaging extends back for decades), the real reason for their ink pricing is to bring some rationality to the ink jet market. Kodak chooses to price its printers so they can make a fair profit and then price the ink similarly. Since most folks buy the printer once and the ink many times, the total cost of ownership for most consumers is much less than getting a loss-leader printer and paying outrageous prices for the ink. They figured that people are smart enough to figure this out and that this would drive printer sales as they entered the consumer market. Kodak’s pigmented inks are built on their world class color technology and have excellent total image stability (not just light fade), especially when used on their paper.
Mark Knowles | Jan 22, 2008 | Reply
I am not knocking Kodak paper. As far as I am concerned, Kodak photo paper is the best product on the market. But, having worked in the photo finishing industry for many years, I can promise you that Kodak’s ultimate goal is to sell paper. Kodak have no particular interest in anything other than generating sales of consumables - specifically paper.