Page Yield / Cartridge Yield
Page yield is the number of pages that you can print with a printer cartridge. It is also known as cartridge yield. Many cartridge manufacturers use the terms “standard yield” or “high yield” to describe their printer cartridge but each cartridge should have a page yield value. It is the number of pages a cartridge can print under normal condition. Page yield is one of the factors you should consider when purchasing a printer cartridge because it gives you an estimate of the cost per page for a given cartridge.
Page yield is affected by many factors and the result is highly variable depending on the testing methods. In the past, different cartridge manufacturers used different testing standards to measure page yield so the consumers were comparing “apples to oranges” sometimes. A standardized method is thus necessary for a meaningful comparison. In recent years, ISO (International Organization for Standardization) has established reliable and standard methods to test page yield / cartridge yield. These standards allow the consumers to compare “apples to apples” in an objective way.
ISO has established two standard testing methods, ISO/IEC 24711 and ISO/IEC 19752 for measuring the page yield of inkjet cartridges and monochrome toner cartridges respectively. In both methods, the printer cartridges are tested using default setting on plain paper. Standard test documents representing approximately 5% coverage are printed almost continuously with normal breaks for adding paper. The printing job stops when the cartridge reaches its end of life, which is indicated by a signal that the ink or toner has been depleted. To reduce the error due to individual printer variations, a total of 9 cartridges are tested on 3 different printers (i.e. 3 cartridges per printer) and the average yield is measured. The tests are done under controlled environmental conditions with temperature and humidity similar to ambient conditions in homes and offices.
Although an ISO standard has not been established for photo printer cartridges and laser toner cartridges, major printer manufacturers use robust methods similar to ISO standard in their testing. Their goal is to provide reliable page yield / cartridge yield value for the consumers so you can make an informed decision when purchasing a printer or printer cartridge.
As you can see, page yield testing is conducted under strict standard conditions. If you are shopping for printers or discount printer supplies, don’t just look at the price of the printer or the printer cartridge, compare the page yield as well and estimate the cost per page of different types of cartridges. This should give you a better picture if you are getting a real bargain.
And finally, please note that the number of pages you can print with a printer cartridge depends on the content or image you print, printer settings, paper size, paper type, frequency of use, the interval between printing jobs, and environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity. The page yield value should be used as a reference only. If you are going to print a lot of photos or graphic works, or you print in the highest resolution each time, you may print fewer pages than expected.
Kwan H Lo owns an online review site which promotes discount ink / toner cartridges such as Dell printer cartridges and Samsung toner cartridges.
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