Lifestyle

Plotter Printers: Hidden costs you need to know about

JUL 26, 2021 | By ELLE DECOR India Team

Investing in a plotter printer is a huge decision for any business, and the costs are crucial factors in decision making.

The upfront hardware cost is only the tip of the iceberg out of its total cost of ownership (TCO). Less visible—but more significant—are the plotter printer’s recurring operational and maintenance costs, which rapidly add up over the long term.

Here’s a quick rundown of a plotter printer’s hidden costs.

Printing

Consumer reports have found that ink used in inkjet printers can cost anywhere from USD13 to USD75 an ounce. That’s expensive considering your company is always printing something or other—from drawings and plans to high resolutions photos.
The sad part is most of the ink is used to clean printheads and for maintenance chores, particularly if your machine is starting up from idle or using old technology — think of the amount of ink your company is wasting each time!

Printhead cleaning

Did you know that ink wastage cost from twice-monthly printer nozzle cleaning (ink purging) can rapidly add up to around 11% of TCO for most large format printers?
While maintenance cycles are out of your control (they are set by manufacturers, no matter what model you choose), there are ways to reduce the frequency of flushes so you won’t end up consuming too much ink while avoiding setting off a maintenance cycle.

Waste ink tank replacement cost

Another hidden cost is waste ink tanks that fill up quickly and require regular replacement. But you may not have to bear this if you look at printers that use more state-of-the-art technology that bypasses the need for waste ink tanks in the first place!

Printhead replacement

All printheads will eventually need replacing through wear and tear. But if your printer is ink efficient and uses the latest tech to keep nozzles and printheads clean, you probably would be able to delay replacing your printheads, saving you more money.

Service downtime

Many printers are so complicated to maintain, you have to rely on service experts each time. If you are perpetually waiting for servicing, your bargain-priced plotter printer could cost you way more than what you’re prepared for.

There really is more to a plotter printer than a price tag. A printer that costs less may end up costing you more in the long run because of its high usage expenses and maintenance costs!

Discover the full impact of hidden printer costs and get more practical tips on how to reduce your printing costs by reading the full article here. You’ll also learn how to enjoy up to 80% savings via reduced ink wastage and reduce downtime costs by 300%.