Maximizing Ink Usage

By: Jeff Colemen


The first thing you need to think about if you want to choose the printer that best fits your needs is what you’re going to use it for. If quality is the key to your purchase, you should seriously think about sticking to the recommended printer ink from your printer manufacturer. Printer ink is not all the same.

Beside the marketing aspect behind recommended printer ink cartridges there are several reasons why the manufacturer will require you to use their ink. There are some printers that will just not function as they should if proper ink is not used. Another important reason why you should consider sticking to the printer suggested by your manufacturer is that your warranty depends on what type of ink you use. If the manufacturer states that the printer will only function properly with a certain type of printer ink, you will often nullify your warranty if you choose to use any other type.

If you really want to save some money you should just look for the cheapest recommended inks available. You should not break your warranty as you could find yourself loosing money instead of saving.

Yes, printing and printer maintenance can get very costly, especially if you print in quantity. You’ll spend money on ink, you’ll spend money on paper, and you’ll spend money on repairs. The best way to save some money is through printer cartridges.

Have you tried refillable printer cartridges? Many people don’t like this alternative as it implies additional work (so they say). But this is wrong and you should know that the effort is far worth the savings.

 Are your printer settings optimized? Printer cartridges go empty more often due to unnecessary printing. Whether you print in too high a quality or print more sheets than you need, you are wasting money on either paper or ink and will need to replenish more often than you should have to. If you find yourself spending way too much on printer cartridges and other printing supplies, ask yourself these questions to evaluate your printing habits and how you can save in the future.

Anyone with a printer knows that color printer ink is far more expensive than black ink. If you want to keep from buying color printer ink more often than you need to, here are a few ways to conserve.

• Print Settings – Most color printers offer you choices for the quality of your prints. The most common are “Normal”, “Best”, and “Econofast”. If you want your color printer ink to last as long as possible and do not need the highest quality prints, choose the econofast setting as your default.
• Don’t Need Color? Don’t Use It! – Most print jobs do not require color printer ink. For most documents, only the black cartridge is necessary. Be sure that when you are printing black and white documents or images that you change your print settings for black and white printing instead of color.
• Better Paper – Believe it or not, the quality of your printer paper can affect your ink usage. With better paper, you can print at a lower quality and not lose as much in terms of the end print. As cheap as paper is when compared to printer ink, this is a viable option in the long run.