In March, Kodak will introduce three printers, priced at $149.99, $199.99 and $299.99, that use much cheaper ink - the move is expected to put pressure on the company"s rivals. Unveiled in New York, the three All-in-One EasyShare printers boast low-priced black ($9.99) and color ink ($14.99) cartridges, as opposed to the typical $30 price tag. "After today, the inkjet market will never be the same," Kodak CEO Antonio Perez said. The company believes the high cost of ink limited more printing.
Market-leading printer companies, including Hewlett-Packard, Epson and Canon, have enjoyed up to a 70% profit selling ink. That revenue is under thread by lower-cost, after-market ink which, according to Lyra Research, comprises from 30-40% of the market. In China, 90% of the ink is sold by non-brand-name suppliers. The ink prices will allow consumers to produce 10-cent prints. Printing digital pictures at home, which now costs around 25 cents per photo, will equal that of online printing services, said Lyra Research President, Charles LeCompte.