Digital BW, The Print

Hello All,

I just got an email from someone asking my opinion about K3 printers.
Ink costs with these printers are a big concern for many and it so
happened I just finished my end-of-year bookkeeping and was able to
look up some hard figures on costs.

This is part hobby, part business for me.  I sell prints from my web
site and through my church gift shop (I'm self employed, run a legal
home business, collect and pay sales tax, keep accurate records, etc).
I make lots of prints and give away more than I sell - gifts to
friends, projects for church, etc.  Most are 8x10-ish or less with
occasional 11x14s.

In 2007 I spent $412.68 on ink and paper (plus another $40 or so for
mat board, hinge tape and other incidentals).  About $236 of that was
for ink (I've had a 2400 for 28 months and ink cost has averaged
$19.65/month).  I took in $932.00 in print sales, so my business/hobby
is paying for itself.  

Suppose by using 3p inks and refilling carts I could reduce ink costs
by 75%.  My costs would be reduced by about $15/month, or $180/year.
Thinking about the advantages that K3 printing represents for me,
no clogs, fiddling with bad chips, leaky carts, cleaning syringes...is
that convenience, time savings and peace of mind worth $15 a month? 
Absolutely.  The 2400 has been a great investment.  I'm happy to pay
Epson for their inks for those advantages.  It's worth every penny. 

I know everyone's situation is different, but I can't help but think
that if I can make a profit even after giving away much of my work,
then for anyone who is selling even some prints prints the materials
costs should be covered, or at least greatly reduced.  I hope people
will apply some realistic thinking and do some number crunching and
estimating when considering this issue.  


Regards,
Clayton


Info on black and white digital printing at    
http://www.cjcom.net/digiprnarts.htm