This is a well-known joke in my family when we spent more money on ink cartridges than on a real printer, which we received some time ago. The sad truth is that these small boxes cost a lot of money and usually dry out faster than you expect. But over the years, I realized that this should not be. By following these tips on how to use the printer correctly, you can save a lot of ink and money by working wisely with your device. So, then I hasten to share with you my secrets that will help you when using the printer.
Beware of cheap printing devices
Today on the market there are many cheap equipment. And among this abundance, you can find both well-known brands and fakes, which, of course, is even worse. When buying them, it is important to be careful, as companies selling such products can rely on profits from ink cartridges, and not from the printing device itself. When buying a printer, you should always look at the prices of ink cartridges and their overall life.
Use the correct font
A few years ago, a couple of American students shocked the world, proving that if the government makes a thinner font, then it can save about four hundred million dollars a year. Although you won’t be able to save that much money on your own, using a simple and thin font (like Garamond for example) can reduce ink consumption by about twenty percent.
Use low quality settings
If you are not printing photos or any small drawings, there is no need to work at higher printer settings. You can change this criterion in the settings after sending the document to your device. Typically, this feature is usually located in the Print Properties section or something similar. And if you do not need to use color, then normal black and white printing is recommended.
Use recycled cartridges
Today, many stores offer aftermarket ink in recycled packaging, and some even sell refills if you bring your empty ink cartridges. Printer manufacturers claim this could be harmful to your printer, but there is no evidence to support this.
Try using a home refueling kit
Some ink cartridges can be refilled with a simple kit that you can use at home, and they are often very cheap to buy at the store. The big disadvantage of this is the potential mess that it can create, and the work that you will need to do every time you use it. However, if these things do not bother you, then this is a pretty cheap way for you to use.
Just keep printing your documents, ignoring the printer warning
Just as your machine reports that there is no fuel in it even before the tank is empty, your printer will inform you that it does not have ink, even if there is still a bit left. This means that you can continue to print even with a low ink warning. It just means that the text may be slightly lighter, that is, the words will not be bright black, but, say, will have a slightly gray tint. This technique may also help: you just take out the cartridge and insert it back. Such a simple reboot will certainly extend the printer's service.
Save paper
Printing paper can be as expensive as ink, and you can save a lot of money by printing on both sides of each page. Most modern printers have an automatic option, you just need to enable it. Check the printer manual to see how to do this.
Save space when printing presentations
If you print a presentation in PowerPoint, you can place about four slides on a page and still read them easily. This will save you both ink and paper. To do this, just look at the print menu in PowerPoint and change the settings to your liking.
Do not print test pages.
Many printers do test printing when you turn them on for no real reason. See the printer manual for how to turn this off, and use ink and paper just for what you really need. Thus, you should not waste the resources of your printing device.
Print something once a week
If you do not use the printer for a long time, the ink at the bottom of the cartridge may dry out, and then the entire cartridge will become useless. To prevent this, just print one line of text once a week. For this I use the same sheet of paper each time, with each print under one line.
Wait before turning off the printer.
After completing the print job, the cartridge returns to the secure and closed part of the printer. If you make it shut off before it does, you risk letting the ink dry, which is undesirable.
Print only the final version
There is nothing more expensive than printing something, just to detect the error and then print the sheet again. It is important to double-check the spelling and page layout before displaying the document to make sure that you no longer have to do it again. It is worth noting that in fact, many people suffer from this habit, whether they are students, schoolchildren or just office workers. Such inattention leads to the fact that not only paint but also paper is wasted. Getting rid of the tendency to constantly retype everything, you will notice significant savings using any MFP.
Thus, these were the main tips on how to tame your printer and not let it force you to spend time every week and run to the store for another expensive ink. These secrets always help me save money when working with MFPs, so I hope that you too will find them useful for yourself.