For years, textbook publishers and public school officials have worried about the rising cost of textbooks.

And now they've inadvertently passed on those costs to me—and other parents of school-aged children.

I realized what was happening the other day after watching my son print out page after page of PDF files that his teacher had posted online. They were authorized copies of his history textbook, which our local high school apparently believes is more cost effective online rather than in printed form.

I can't argue with that logic. I suspect the school saves 50 percent or so by buying a license to distribute online copies of the textbook. It's a good deal for the publisher, too. He still gets his profit without risking a loss in sales because the rising costs of ink, paper, and transportation push printed textbooks out of the budget reach of some schools.

Of course, as I watched each page spit out of my home printer, I couldn't help but think of how many $60 ink cartridges I'd have to buy before the school year was over.

And that's when it hit me. Sure, as the textbook publishers correctly argue, online products have many advantages: You can add video that engages students. More content can be added at minimal cost. And the textbooks can be updated on a regular basis.

No wonder more and more publishers are announcing the sales of online versions of their textbooks.

But, any argument these products are cheaper is not entirely accurate. For all the promise of a "paperless society," we all know that people still prefer to study printed pages.

Sure, my son will look up a single fact on the Internet and not print out the information. But if he has to scan a dozen pages to write a classroom assignment, or he must read a chapter in preparation of a test, he's going to print all those pages out and spread them over the dinner table.

And I'm the one who is going to end up paying those printing costs.

I'm not sure if any textbook publisher or school teacher ever considered the ramifications of this move to online products. It didn't occur to me until the other day.

But ouch! Considering the cost of ink cartridges and printer paper these days, it might be cheaper for me to buy the printed textbooks myself—and tell the 21st century to move ahead without me. No one is saving me money.

Del Stover, Senior Editor