Ink Coverage Calculator
How It Works
Printer manufacturers rate cartridge yields at 5% page coverage, which is roughly equivalent to a page of sparse text. But real-world print jobs often have much higher coverage. A page with images might have 20-40% coverage, while full-page photos approach 80-100%.
This calculator adjusts the manufacturer yield based on your actual coverage percentage. At 10% coverage, your cartridge will yield roughly half the rated pages. At 20%, about one quarter. This helps you budget accurately for projects with graphics, charts, or photos.
To estimate your coverage, consider: plain text documents are about 5-7% coverage, text with small images is 10-15%, marketing materials with graphics are 20-40%, and full-color photos are 60-100%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the standard ink coverage percentage?
The ISO standard for testing cartridge yields is 5% coverage. This represents a typical business letter with text only. Most real-world printing averages 7-15% coverage.
How does coverage affect cartridge life?
Coverage and cartridge life are inversely proportional. Doubling coverage halves the page yield. A cartridge rated for 2,000 pages at 5% will yield about 500 pages at 20% coverage.
How can I reduce ink coverage?
Use draft mode for everyday printing, choose fonts that use less ink (like Century Gothic or Calibri), reduce image sizes, and use grayscale instead of color when possible.
Does color printing use more ink than black and white?
Yes, color printing uses 3-4 cartridges simultaneously (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black), making it 3-5 times more expensive per page than black-and-white printing at the same coverage level.