Supply cost per page equals the supply price divided by the tested page yield. Add paper and other known per-page costs for a broader estimate. Real output varies with page coverage, colour mix, cleaning, setup pages and the supplies included in the exact printer system.
Estimate cost per printed page
Use your own current supply price and tested page yield. The result excludes paper, electricity, maintenance and wasted setup pages.
Formula and boundaries
Supply cost per page = supply price ÷ tested page yield. Estimated total per page = supply cost per page + paper cost per page + other entered cost per page.
For colour systems, calculate the combined cost of the supplies used for the stated colour yield when that data is available. Do not divide one colour cartridge price by a composite colour yield and call it the full colour-page cost.
Improve the estimate with your own records
- Record the meter count when a new supply is installed and replaced.
- Separate black-only and colour workloads where possible.
- Include drums, maintenance kits or waste containers only when the model uses them separately.
- Treat manufacturer yield as a standardized comparison point, not a guarantee for every document.
- Review the estimate when supply prices or the workload change.
Sources and further reading
Technical statements were reviewed against these references. External pages may change after our review date.
- ISO/IEC 24711:2021 — Method for the determination of ink cartridge yield — International Organization for Standardization
- ISO/IEC 19752:2025 — Method for the determination of monochrome toner cartridge yield — International Organization for Standardization