Your printer maker promises a cartridge will last for so many pages, but that figure assumes only 5% of each page is covered with ink. Your real pages are probably nothing like that, so your cost per page is a guess. APFill Ink Coverage Calculator measures how much ink or toner a page will use before you print it, so you can work out what each page costs.
Quick facts
- Version: 6.4
- Platforms: Windows XP, 2003, Vista, 7, 8, 10 and 11
- Editions and price: STD $49.95, PRO $134.95
- Trial: 30 days, fully functional PRO version
- Interface languages: English, German, Spanish, Russian, Italian, Portuguese, French
Key features
Per-page ink coverage for PDF and PostScript files
APFill measures the colour coverage of every page, or the average for the whole document, in PDF and PS files. You get a figure you can compare directly with the 5% standard that printer makers quote. It needs GPL Ghostscript installed (version 10.04.0, 32-bit or 64-bit).
CMYK separation with up to 8 spot colours (PRO)
If you work in prepress or offset printing, the PRO edition reports separated CMYK coverage plus 8 additional spot colours. This is the total area coverage figure print shops use.
Image files and anything on your screen
You can also measure raster files (TIFF including multipage, JPG and BMP). Another option is to highlight any area of the screen and measure its colour coverage. That is handy for a web page or a document you can't export.
Standard or Pro?
Both editions calculate RGB coverage for PDF and PS files, measure the highlighted screen area, and give the average document coverage. Only PRO adds the separated CMYK and spot colour calculation.
Who it's for
It suits print shops that need to quote jobs accurately. It also suits home and office users who want to know what a colour laser or inkjet really costs them per page. A third group is anyone trimming print costs by adjusting fonts or layouts and checking the result.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Measures coverage before you spend any ink.
- Reads PDF, PostScript, TIFF, JPG and BMP.
- PRO gives CMYK plus 8 spot colours.
- Full-featured 30-day trial.
- Available in seven interface languages.
Cons
- PDF and PostScript measuring needs a separate Ghostscript install.
- CMYK separation is only in the pricier PRO edition.
- The program is Windows-only.
What users say
"...because I mainly need to know the CMYK % coverage. And for years I was looking for such a software like APFill. THANKS A LOT. It is great." — Sergio A. Civile, AVPSoft customer testimonials
FAQs
Why does 5% coverage matter?
Printer makers state cartridge yield as a number of A4 pages at 5% coverage, following the ISO/IEC 19752 test method. Measuring your own pages tells you how far from that figure you really are.
Can I try it first?
Yes. You get a 30-day trial of the fully functional PRO version. After that you need to register to keep using it.
Do I need extra software?
For PDF and PostScript files you need GPL Ghostscript 10.04.0. Screen-area and image-file measuring don't depend on it.
Which Windows versions work?
Windows XP, 2003, Vista, 7, 8, 10 and 11. The installer covers both 32-bit and 64-bit systems.
System requirements
Windows XP, 2003, Vista, 7, 8, 10 or 11. Ghostscript 10.04.0 is needed for PDF and PS analysis.