A Further plus for the industry is that consumers tend to use their photo printers and MFDs more often than their old machines — and they buy more replacement cartridges, which are the real money-makers for the printer companies. Consumers typically replace their inkjet cartridges, priced at $20 to $40, three times a year, estimates Rutledge — and each cartridge costs only a few bucks to make. And folks who buy an HP printer tends To buy HP cartridges.