Printing in the home or office can be very costly these days, especially since replacement cartridges often cost more than the printer itself. With the struggling economy and high inflation, the opportunity to save money on printing costs is desired by many. While ink and toner is very expensive, the cost of printer paper and other printer components such as replacement print heads and laser drums can also be costly. With all of this in mind, there are a number of tips on how you can easily preserve ink/toner and save money on printing costs. Once you have implemented these cost-saving tips, you may be surprised by how much money you will save in printing costs throughout the year. Each tip is described in detail below in order to provide relief from the unbearable costs associated with printing.

Use Draft Setting

The draft setting, which can be selected from the “print properties” or “print settings” menu, is the lowest quality print setting. By using this draft setting, less ink is used in the printing process.

Use Electronic Media Whenever Possible

Email and transportable electronic devices have significantly reduced the amount of printing in the world. For example, if you are going somewhere and need directions, can they be sent to your phone rather than printed? Or, if you need to show a friend of colleague something from your computer or the internet, can you send a link or file attachment in an email rather than printing it off?

Use Black and White Printing

Because your printer most likely has more black ink than color ink (black cartridges contain more ink than a tri-color cartridge), and because color ink is more expensive, black and white printing is a good choice, unless color printing is absolutely necessary.

Don't Print Graphics

If you are printing something from the internet, those large advertisements and graphics in the sidebar are a waste of ink when printed. Always choose the “Printer Friendly” option when available, or copy and paste the necessary text into a word processing program and print.

Print Double-Sided

Printer paper can also be very costly, so printing on both sides of the paper is a great way to save paper. Your printer may be able to do this automatically, or may be done manually.

Check for Errors

It is not uncommon to print a document and then find errors or discover that the format and alignment is incorrect. This wastes ink and paper because you have to reprint. It is a good idea to proof-read and check all settings before printing. Setting up the print preview option is also a good idea because it allows you to view what your document will look like before printing.

Use Economical Fonts

Surprisingly, the type of font you use in printing will make a difference in the amount of ink that is dispersed during printing. Of course, bold, embellished fonts use more ink to print. Choosing narrow, un-bolded, and basic fonts is an easy way to preserve ink.

Buy Cartridges in Bulk

If you print large print jobs on a frequent basis, buying ink and toner in bulk may be something to consider. Buying in bulk reduces the cost and in the long run, costs less than buying replacements separately each time ink/toner runs out.

Buy Compatible and Remanufactured Cartridges

Compatible and remanufactured cartridges are generic brand cartridges which may or may not have been recycled and refilled. These cartridges are significantly cheaper than OEM cartridges and are still capable of providing high quality prints.

Refill Cartridges

Rather than buying new replacements each time ink/toner runs out, refilling your cartridges with a refill kit, or using a refill service is a fast and convenient option. These services can cost as low as $8 per cartridge, which is extremely affordable when compared with buying replacement cartridges.

Shop Online for Cheap Printer Ink

No matter what printer supplies you are in need of, shopping online is a great way to finding savings. Printer ink and toner cartridges, printer parts/components, and printer paper is much cheaper online than in a local chain store.

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