CIJ Running Cost Calculator
A non-contact printing technology where a continuous stream of ink droplets is electrically charged and deflected onto a moving product to print batch codes, dates, and variable data. Enter your own volumes and prices below to get the true monthly running cost and cost per print.
Technology & Context
Changes which fields appear below.
Real manufacturers researched for this technology — picking one filters the Model list below. Brand names are trademarks of their respective owners, shown for reference only.
Machine & Line Setup
Multiplied by Number of Printers below to get total investment.
This is the multiplier — it scales machine price and total volume.
Not used in any calculation below — shown for your own planning reference only.
Output of ONE printer per day. Total volume = this × Number of Printers.
Drives make-up/solvent fluid cost below — it evaporates over time, not per print.
Drives every consumable cost below — a longer message uses proportionally more ink/ribbon.
Ink & Consumables (CIJ)
Supplier-rated figure from your ink datasheet.
Time-driven, not print-driven — solvent evaporates whether or not the machine is printing.
Labor & Maintenance
Feeds the Risk Summary and Cost-Saving Opportunities panels — does not change the cost totals directly.
Downtime & Rejection
Whole-operation total (e.g. "the line was down 4 hours this month"), not per printer.
Applied automatically to total volume across all printers.
Consumable Breakdown / Month
- ink₹501
- makeup₹4,550
- cleaning₹300
Risk Summary
- LowNo major cost or reliability red flags detected from the entered data.
CIJ running cost: common questions
How is CIJ running cost calculated?
Ink cost = monthly characters printed ÷ supplier-rated characters per litre × ink price per litre. Make-up (solvent) fluid is time-driven: running hours ÷ hours per bottle × bottle price, because it evaporates whenever the printer runs. Cleaning fluid, maintenance (AMC, spares, preventive), operator, downtime and rejection costs are added, and the monthly total ÷ prints per month gives cost per print.
What consumables does a CIJ printer use?
Continuous Inkjet (CIJ) typically uses: Ink; Solvent/makeup fluid; and Filters.
What hidden costs should I include for CIJ?
Commonly missed for CIJ: Solvent/makeup consumption often exceeds ink cost over time; Nozzle and filter replacement; and Operator skill dependency for troubleshooting. Downtime and rejection from bad codes apply to every technology and are often larger than the consumable bill.
When is CIJ not the right choice?
When solvent-free operation is mandated, or when very high-resolution graphics/large logos are required at low-medium speed — TIJ or Piezo may fit better.