Ways To Keep Ink Flowing In An Older Printer Ink Cartridge

2010-09-08

When you've got an older printer ink cartridge, getting as much printer ink as possible out of it can be quite a challenge. If you're able to reduce your printer ink usage significantly, however, you can drastically extend the life of every cartridge, resulting in a lower ink bill. Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of your cartridge's ink reserves.

The first step to take is to adjust your printer settings to make the most of each bit of ink that you have left in your older printer ink cartridge. If you're using a color printer, switch to gray scale, as color is more expensive than black and white (unless, of course, the black ink cartridge is the one that's running out of ink). Use your printer's draft settings for every single print. Draft settings use much less printer ink than other options. Make sure that you set draft and gray scale as the defaults for your printer, not just as the settings for a single print.

You should also look into a few ways to improve your printing habits. This can make your older printer ink cartridge last for quite a while if you're a bit savvy; always preview every print, and only use your printer when it's absolutely necessary. Use smaller fonts and text sizes whenever possible. Avoid printing pictures. If you only need to print a small amount of text, copy it into a word processing program before printing it. Keep an eye on your printer ink levels if your printer has that capability with an ink monitoring program, and always think about the methods and habits that you use to print each page.

Finally, it's a good idea to have a replacement ready for your older printer ink cartridge, as you'll be able to quickly switch the cartridge out without losing productivity. Look online for the best printer ink prices. Be sure to shop around, and explore your options as thoroughly as possible. If you're serious about reducing your printer ink bill, you shouldn't simply run out to your local retail store to buy printer ink, as this strategy can result in wasting a lot of money. Printer ink websites offer far lower prices, as they have fewer costs and more competition than retail stores.

Pay attention to shipping costs, and remember to keep your printer settings and habits the same when you receive the next cartridge unless you've got a reason to do otherwise. Saving printer ink isn't too difficult, and with some dedication you'll save a lot of money off of the cost of your ink in the long run.