Printer Ink Cartridges: How to Make Them Last Longer

When it comes to purchasing a printer for personal or business purposes, the price represents only a portion of the cost. You must not only consider the price you originally pay for the printer itself, but also the expense of buying ink cartridges every time the printer's ink runs out in the future. If you own a business that requires a lot of printing, ink cartridges can run out pretty often. You might have to replace your ink cartridges several times a year or more. This can add up in a hurry since ink cartridges are far from cheap. Luckily there are some ways you can save money on ink cartridges and make each one last just a little longer.

Only Print when Necessary

If there is information you can back up on disk instead of printing a hard copy, then use CD-ROMs or DVDs to back up your files. Reports should be printed only as you need them, not just for the sake of printing them. Also, store your printed reports where they will be safe from spills, or any activity that could damage your reports. This will prevent the unnecessary re-printing of papers. Avoid printing "just for fun" stuff in the office and let your employees know this isn't allowed without permission.

Opt for Printer-Friendly Pages when Printing from the Web

You'd be surprised at how much ink is wasted by printing direct pages from a website. One Web page can have 10 or more pictures or graphics...not to mention several pages worth of printing for only one long Web page because these are typically much longer than a regular document. Opt for the printer-friendly option if you need to print something from the Web. This eliminates all the unnecessary images, and will save much ink in your ink cartridge as well as save your printing paper.

Keep the Printer Inkjet Cartridge Moving

If you don't print very often, you can stretch the life of your inkjet cartridges or toner by keeping the printer moving. This means to print a page or two at least once a week using both your color and black ink cartridges. You can print something small (even a printer diagnostic test) to prevent the ink from drying up.

Use Print Preview

The print preview function should become your best friend when it comes to printing! This allows you to view documents before you print them. It helps eliminate errors and excessive re-prints by allowing you to proof how the document will look once it has been printed. Print preview allows you to preview the layout of the text and images, as well as proofread your text for any grammar errors. *Hint: If you print with errors, you will have to fix them and print again - wasting ink in your ink cartridge as well as paper.

Avoid Using Color when Possible

If you only need a black/white report with no colors, then opt for black ink only. You can set your color inkjet printer to monochrome to avoid using colors unnecessarily. You might also want to buy a black-ink-only laser printer if you do a whole lot of printing without color. You can also set your printer driver with a draft setting. The draft setting makes the printer operate faster and use less ink.

Buy Remanufactured Printer Ink Cartridges

Buying remanufactured (or refurbished) ink cartridges can greatly reduce your printing expenses. These are refurbished in factories and sold to be compatible with brand name printers. You'll save money and help contribute to the environment because the ink cartridges are recycled instead of throwing them away. You can save big while still using reliable ink cartridges for your business or personal printer.

Another ink-saving tip is to power down your printer the right way after each use. Don't merely switch it off or unplug it, but allow your printer to power down slowly and shut itself down. The print heads need to be in the right position while the printer is turned off to prevent the ink from drying up prematurely.

Use these ink-saving methods along with buying remanufactured ink cartridges online to enjoy savings for your personal or business budget!

To learn more about subjects like ink cartridges please visit the web site at: http://www.telfordink.co.uk

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About the Author

Chris Robertson is a published author of Majon International. All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2009 (Mon Nov 10 2008) Majon International. Majon International is one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing and internet advertising companies on the web. Visit their main business resource web site at: http://majon.com