Save Money on Ink in Six Easy Steps

You can cut down on the amount of ink you use—thereby slashing your ink budget—by adopting a few simple habits.

Print in economy mode. Your computer may be automatically set to print in Normal or a high quality mode. Instead, set your default print settings on Draft or Economy mode.

Don’t print in colour. Colour cartridges are typically smaller than black and white cartridges, which means that you run out of ink and have to buy more cartridges faster than you would if you used only the black and white cartridge.

Take care of your printer. Wipe down the inside of your printer with a soft, lint-free cloth at least once a month. This will help you keep your printer in good shape, and help you prevent wasted ink due to smeared or streaky printouts.

Print sparingly. Whenever you’re about to print something, ask yourself if you really need to print it first—or if there’s another option.

Avoid three-in-one cartridges. All three ink colours are built into one cartridge, and when the first one runs out of ink, you have to replace the whole cartridge—not just the colour that’s empty.

Use third-party cartridges. You can save a bundle on ink and toner by buying from companies that sell recycled cartridges—or cartridges that have been reverse manufactured using the original specifications.

If you feel you’re spending too much money on ink cartridges, you probably are. Combine third-party printer cartridges with changing a few habits to use less ink, and you should be able to get your printer ink budget under control.

About the author

P.Warrior is director of Ink and Media Ltd. For more info on inkjet cartridges, fax cartridges and HP ink cartridges visit http://www.inkandmedialtd.co.uk/acatalog/HP.html