That's a good idea Mike. Thanks.

Would it be possible/worth it for the user to be able to enter a $ per unit printed area value in the preferences so that the cost of a job is automatically calculated?

Peter
  

Hi Mike,
I used to put the job log into a spreadsheet to monitor ink usage etc. but that was when it was a single file job log (I think).
It's a bit a fiddle to do that now with multiple files for jobs.
Following on from the suggestion to enter a money value, how about  the ability to export a particular query to a csv file for record keeping purposes and include the query criteria. Commercial users could then more easily produce a costing spread sheet.
Terry

Mike,

The area of paper printed on would also be good.

The will enable monitoring and analysis of both ink and paper use.

Peter

Nice if there is no ink use log available in the driver.

Ink use based on printed area can be quite off on actual ink use though. Not only wasted ink in cleaning cycles etc and carts declared empty that are not empty but there are huge differences in ink coverage per media preset (matte, gloss, plain, driver settings etc) and on image content. Not to mention the use of gloss enhancer in for example the R1900. On the wider format models (from several manufacturers) the driver usually gives ink use in picoliter per print job that is actually measured on droplets squirted.

So be careful in estimations or rather add 100% to what you computed :-)

met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst

New: Spectral plots of +250 inkjet papers:

http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm

True, but the feature is not designed to track ink use by the picoliter.  It tracks media usage which is how most people charge for prints.  I've never ordered a 24x36 print, for example, and had someone say "Let's see, this job used 36 picoliters of magenta, 12 picoliters of yellow, etc. etc.... that comes to  $$$.    I can see how it would be useful to track printable area to know the approximate paper usage but even that has its ups and downs.  If I order a 25x25 print and you have to print it on a 44 inch roll because it won't fit on the 24 incher, do you charge for a 44x25 inch print because you don't feel like trimming the 19 inches and then saving that strip for a smaller job later?  Really... I'm asking because I want to know.  I don't typically print sizes that waste a lot of paper but I can see it happening.

I've seen a few people do this and they generally just charge by the size.  They wouldn't charge more, for example, for a print with more color compared to a print with a very light (almost white) background because they figure the darker one uses more ink.

Mike

Mike,

I see in the thread that people like to bind ink usage or even $ to the printed area reported. So be careful etc was at the end of my message. I have seen all kinds of ink estimations per square foot floating on the web and they varied from 50-300% of what I experienced in practice. With the Epson 9000s we got good estimations by measuring the weight of carts over a year and the number of matte art paper rolls used in that period. Roughly 15 ML a square meter, 1.4 ML a square foot. That number has dropped for the HP Z models I use now (less cleaning waste) but with gloss enhancer used on gloss papers a similar figure is what I count from the ink use log.

Normally I use a price per printed square meter per medium type as quoted on my website. Wasted paper, wasted ink included. Included possible reusable paper waste (wider than 22 cm) set at 50% of normal paper price. A few small size prints per order are expensive and I have no urge to make precise calculations then. Price drops per square meter up to 20 square meter. Usually an order from 10 square meter up gets a more refined cost estimation where nesting of the prints on the roll is more thoroughly checked, image content considered and any post print activities like a lot of cutting is calculated too. Then a proof print can tell something about actual ink use on the production run. Of course that number gets a % on top to keep a safe margin.

So yes, it normally goes per square meter/foot but if you like to have the bigger orders you have to have a more precise calculation for the shop and the customer. I am not in photography, I print for other people so quite often it is a matter of paper and ink I deliver and get a price for. That does not mean I am not interested in print quality but quality usually does not change the ink amount laid down.

The possible feature mentioned on print size related tone/color/contrast adaptions .... any thoughts about it?


met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst

Try: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wide_Inkjet_Printers/

Thanks Mike.
Terry