5 Ways to Make the Most of Your Printer Ink Cartridges

Most of us know just how expensive printer ink can be. It is often said that while companies that manufacture printers do sell them so cheaply, they more than make up for it with the cost of their printer ink. Thus, it is not really surprising that a lot of people would rather get a new machine or refill ink instead of buying branded ink cartridges.

But why should you resign yourself to the fact that printer ink is costly? There are ways of saving on ink, whether you use branded ink cartridges or refill ink. Here are just a few ways on how to save on ink.

1. Print in draft mode. Before you start printing, you should set up your printer so that it works in draft mode. Printing in draft mode not only makes the machine work faster, but it also uses a lot less ink.

How do you get your printer to work in draft mode? You simply go to the control panel of your computer (if you are using the Windows platform) and open the folder for your printers. Once there, click on your machine's icon and open its settings. Then, select the option "print in draft mode."

If you need to work on an important document that requires high quality printing, all you need to do is open the page setup of the software you are using and select other printing options.

2. Keep your machine turned off. The one mistake that a lot of people commit when it comes to printers is leaving the machine on when it is not being used. The latent heat being built up in the machine causes the printer ink to run and clog on the printer head. Not only does this use up the ink in a wasteful manner but also damages your machine. In this way, you can save up on electricity too.

3. Avoid printing images. Unless it is absolutely necessary to include them, you can leave out the images when printing out your document. Printing images uses up a lot of ink, even in draft mode. Also, if the image is colored and you are using different cartridges for different colors of ink, you save up on your colored ink.

4. Use up all your ink. We all get those warning signs flashing on our computer that tells us when the ink in our printer is running out. Please bear in mind that this is just a warning. You do not have to panic just because the warning message has already begun popping up on your computer screen. Use your printer ink up to the last drop.

5. Look for printer ink deals. Printer inks are definitely expensive, but there are shops both online and offline that sell inks at really reasonable prices. They also offer deals and other ways for their clients to buy quality ink cartridges without busting on their budgets. Learn to look for these deals whenever you can.

Even if we can afford expensive printer ink, using them properly and taking care of your printer can do a lot in making the most out of our ink cartridges. It never hurts to save a little, after all.