Measuring Photo Cartridge Yield: Photo Inkjet Printers

Page yield

Photo printing at home is becoming increasingly popular because of its advantages in convenience and control. Consumers consider a broad range of factors when they select digital photo printing systems, typically image quality, ease of use, speed, sizes of prints the printer can produce, compatibility with memory cards and digital cameras, and cost. While photo print cartridge yield is one component of cost, this information is clearly not the only—or most important—decision-making factor. However, yield information can be useful in helping consumers select the right photo printing system for their needs. It can also help them understand what to expect from their photo printing systems.

Many factors affect yield and yield measurement, some unique to photo printing. Because different manufacturers use different yield measurement methodologies, it is difficult to fairly compare photo print cartridge yield across manufacturers' printing systems.

HP strongly supports industry yield standards. HP participated in, supported the development of, and adopted the ISO/IEC 19752 standard for toner cartridge yield for monochrome laser printers. HP is also an active participant in the development of inkjet and colour laser print cartridge yield standards. ISO has also begun work on the development of an inkjet photo yield standard. Until a true standard exists, photo yields comparisons will be difficult.

In the meantime, HP has developed a robust testing methodology for measuring photo print cartridge yield based on its digital photo printing expertise. The testing uses a suite of photo print samples that reflects typical consumer printing (see Figure 1). This article explains HP's photo yield methodology.


Photos in colour test suite	Photos in B&W test suite

Figure 1: Photo Suite --10 individual 10x15 photos

Measuring Photo Print Cartridge Yield

Print quality settings, end-of-life determination, print job size and environmental conditions all affect yield measurements. In addition, photo cartridge yields vary depending on the size of the photos printed, the contents of the images themselves and even the type of paper used. Photo yields also depend on the cartridges used, specifically, whether optional photo cartridges are used to enhance photo quality. (See sidebar titled "Printing photos: Cartridge options for desired image quality" for more information.)

HP's Photo Yield Testing Methodology

HP's photo print cartridge yield testing methodology is based on the following:

Tests are conducted using the default mode for printing on photo paper and HP Premium Plus Photo Paper unless otherwise specified. ¹
Typically, three printers of each model are used for each test.
Typically, nine cartridges per cartridge model are tested for each of the colour, photo, and grey cartridge yield tests.
Test photos represent typical subject matter for amateur photographers.
The print job size is one 10x15 photo printed on an 8.5x11/A4 page.²
Temperature and humidity are controlled to reflect ambient home or office conditions.
Printing during tests is nearly continuous, with normal breaks for changing or adding paper.
Clearly defined criteria are also used for determining when a cartridge reaches its end of life, a critical component for accurately calculating yield. For some printers, an on-screen message indicates "out of ink". For all other printers, a visual inspection is conducted for the discoloration typical when inkjet cartridges are running out of ink. End-of-life determination includes confirmation of the out-of-ink status by weighing each cartridge and comparing the result to the original cartridge weight.

HP photo yield information is available on this website for many recently introduced printers. Where several cartridges are used together to produce a photo (see sidebar), you will find information on the number of photos you can expect to print with each cartridge before it will need to be replaced. Basic photo yield information can also be found by searching for a printer or cartridge in the product information available on hp.com.

Printing photos: Cartridge options for desired image quality

HP incorporates ink, photo paper and printer technologies into a broad range of photo printing systems with the features and capabilities needed to meet a wide range of consumer needs and preferences. Some printing systems offer only one cartridge configuration. Other printers offer the option of several different cartridge configurations, enabling the consumer to select the image quality for a wide variety of needs. Depending on the printing system, consumers can:

Print color photos with the color cartridge (3-ink color photos). This configuration is ideal for obtaining photos for casual use—such as color photos printed from a portable printer at a baby shower.
Print photos using the color cartridge(s) and special photo print cartridge(s) together to enhance the image quality (6-ink color photos). The cyan, magenta and yellow inks in the color print cartridge(s) combine with lighter shades of cyan and magenta and a dye-based black ink specially formulated for photos, in the photo print cartridge(s) to produce photos with smooth gradations and realistic skin tones.
Print photos using the color, special photo and special gray photo print cartridges together blending in additional shades of gray (8-ink color photos). This creates rich texture, deep contrast, and accurate detail in dark areas—ideal for sophisticated photography such as close-ups or nature subjects.
Print black-and-white photos using a singly gray photo print cartridge (3-ink B&;W photos)—ideal for obtaining high-quality black-and-white photos.

Photo yields vary depending on the cartridge used. Yields for all combinations can be found in this website for recently introduced printers. Where more than one cartridge is used together, you will find information on the approximate number of photos you can expect to print with each cartridge before it will need to be replaced.

Photo Cartridge Yield: Only One Factor to Consider

HP recommends that consumers select a photo printing system based on their particular photo printing needs. Yield data can be helpful in selecting the right photo printing system. It can also be useful for planning when cartridges may need to be replaced or for estimating the number of cartridges to have on hand for large projects such as holiday greeting cards. Overall, however, cartridge yield is only one among many factors to consider for the best photo printing experience.

¹ Yields may vary when different types of paper are used.
² For appliance printers that print only 10x15 photos, photos are printed on 10x15 photo paper.

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