Does anyone know if it's possible to figure out how much ink is used to print 1 image?

I want to figure out the cost of printing and thought if I could figure out how much ink is used in 1 print I could do a little math to come up with some usable figures for future printing. I'm hoping the ink monitor or some such thing might show some actual numbers - like amount of ink left where you could take a reading before printing and then again afterwards. I just got my printer yesterday so I'm not all that familiar with all the bells and whistles that might be there.

I did read Mark's article comparing the 4000 and the 4800 where he states the 4800 uses .65 ML per SP (Standard Print) - it doesn't say anywhere what the dimensions of the standard print are. And that's the 4800 not the 7880 - while the figures might be close, they also might not be.

Suggestions? Ideas? All appreciated.

Thanks,
Roberta

The software that came with the printer should install both 'Show Printer information" and "Show job log" information. Both offer information on expendable usage - Printer Information in % of ink cart use / Job Log - as detailed as 1/100th of a ml of ink per individual color. That, compared to the print area would give you a start re: costs.
The admonition, of course, is that the ink necessary to print different images can very depending on the color range /tonal range /density required. Some 'simple' images can use as little as 2ml (total) of ink / a more complex image of the same size may require 4,5,6 mls of ink. But Job log keeps a pretty accurate record of everything.

e/tb


[quote=uncommondepth,Jun 19 2008, 04:38 PM]
Does anyone know if it's possible to figure out how much ink is used to print 1 image?

In the initial article on the 4000 (http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/4000-cost.shtml) I provided the dimensions of a "standard print" as 6*9 inches, or 54 sq.in. I would expect if the same measurements were done for the 7880 the performance would be similar. This excludes ink used for cleaning. The way the measurements are done is explained in detail in the initial article on the 4000, so you can use that approach.

It may not work for measuring the ink used in cleaning, because since both these articles were published Epson has removed the capability of the Nozzle Check to report on ink usage for cleaning - at least from the 3800 which I am now using. Ink usasge for cleaning is a very important variable in the total ink cost picture. As both the 4000 and the 4800 aged, their consumption of ink for cleaning increased. This is due to the accumulation of residue on the printhead and in the cleaning assembly itself. It was recommended for those machines to power-clean them every three months (using about 90 ml of ink), and if that failed to clear a clogged head, to have the pump and cap assembly taken down and serviced. From what I read, and from my experience so far with the 3800, it would appear that Epson has improved certain aspects of the print engine design which substantially improves on this aspect of performance. But I'll only know for sure with the 3800 after I've used it for another year! I have gotten arund the measurement problem by implementing a total ink inventory approach, which I may write-up one of these days.

Mark

There's an excel spreadsheet available for download from www.inkjetart.com that might prove at least somewhat helpful in this effort.

Nill
~~
www.toulme.net

The 7880 should be better than even the 3800 on how much ink it uses for cleaning.

Use the job logs to calculate ink usage.

You should also take a checkpoint now, after the initial load, of the CM of paper used and the ML of ink. Then, after a few months, calculate the actual ink usage by ML and the actual CM of paper.

Those two measurements should be close, but might vary a bit. They will get you in the ballpark on usage. Let us know what you find!

I have the ink monitiring turned off on all of my printers - using different, refillable carts - so not much actual detail to share. I use 1.2 ml per square foot for a planning number.

It might be useful to report your results in a standard format like that - per square foot, etc. - for standardization. Or per square meter, etc. Per CM is going to be an awkward number, too many decimals.

Best,
Michael

Thanks for all the replies. I've got a bit of reading to do and will start writing down some numbers and report back in about a month or so about my findings. The cleaning cycles do concern me and I imagine that will take more than a month to come up with some reasonable accurate estimates (isn't that an oxymoron?!) for ink usage there.

Cheers,
Roberta

If it's like the 4800, you can disable the automatic cleaning cycles in the onboard menu. I just always print a nozzle check pattern before I print something, and only do a clean if it's necessary.

Nill
~~
www.toulme.net

Here's a quick calculation: I checked the job and printer logs to find out the current ink useage count, then ran off a 7.5x9.5" print on Hahnemulle Bamboo, and rechecked the figures.

The print has medium to high color saturation. The ink used was 1.1 ml and the sq inches of the print was 71.25 so 1.1 / 71.25 = .0154... ml of ink per sq in.

I'm paying (with taxes and shipping) an average of $69.00 CAD per 110 ml cartridge; so 69 / 110 = .6272.... dollars per ml. Which would make my cost per sq in .6272 x .0154= .00966. The print would have cost me 0.69. That sounds inline with the results Mark mentions in his articles (sorry Mark I didn't read the first article on the 4000 and missed the information on SP). Note that my figures aren't including anything for ink that's being wasted on cleaning and nozzle checks. I also haven't given any figures for depreciation on the printer itself. I'll need to factor that in somewhere along the line, but right now I just want to get a good grasp on the cost of ink.

BTW, I printed an image which I'd had printed at a professional art printing company and they are almost identical. The difference lies in the paper not being the same. Very pleased!

Will report back in a month or so......

Cheers,
Roberta

You cannot disable firmware-generated cleaning cycles in an Epson 4800. I've been around that issue with Epson several times already and there is no way of turning them off. You can, however, choose not to select the Auto mode when performing a manually-triggered head cleaning - and this is best practice. In case of a clog, do one manual cleaning cycle, then print the nozzle check. If still clogged, make a print anyhow, then do one more manual cleaning cycle, then check, and if still clogged repeat this routine till you get a clean nozzle check.

Roberta,

A sample of one is not a good indicator, because as your description indicates, this particular image has medium to high saturation, which as your results show - uses quite a bit of ink. Converted to one of my SPs, you are using 0.83, which is well above an expected long-term average for prints of all kinds. You'll need much more than a month of data to get to a reliable average for the prints - and you'll find considerable variation around this average; you'll need a much longer time period to get a handle on typical clogging/cleaning performance.

To keep costs down, depending on your volume you should seriously look into using 220 ml cartridges. The cost per ml is MUCH lower. The ink will last considerably longer than the six months Epson recommends for an installed cartridge.

Mark

[quote=uncommondepth,Jun 19 2008, 09:38 PM]
Does anyone know if it's possible to figure out how much ink is used to print 1 image?

The job log can be exported on the 880 series printers, when you view the job log there is an option to save the file as a CSV file. Give the file a name, I tend to use dates-print log. In MS Excel or any spreadsheet program, these instructions are for Excel, under the Data menu there is an option to import a file, navigate to the saved file and open. Excel will show an import window, you want to select the coma delimited option and import the file. Using the find and replace function I remove the units (ml & mm2) from the data. Now you can manipulate the data set, I total the inks, media and time and use these numbers to calculate my cost-profit. If you want to get semi fancy you can have your costs entered on a separate sheet and use them to keep costs updated. Hope that helps

Mark Prins
www.inandaimages.com

[quote=MarkDS,Jun 20 2008, 08:03 P

To keep costs down, depending on your volume you should seriously look into using 220 ml cartridges. The cost per ml is MUCH lower.[/quote]

That was also my first thought when I saw the 110ml price.

You may want to use store-bought ink for now, but if you buy in volume you can get fresh 220ml carts for $42 US per cart on Ebay.

And .... have fun, but don't sweat the numbers. Or the cleaning cycles.

Best,
Michael