Inkjet printers are cheaper compared to the laserjet printers, but the replacement ink cartridges are not so cheap. Sometimes the printer cost is same as the replacement ink cartridge cost. For example, my Canon PIXMA printer came in about $100, but the color and the black ink cartridges together cost about the same amount. Sometimes I wonder why not buy a new printer instead of cartridges. When the ink is so costly, it is only natural that we want to save the printer ink used per print and make it last longer. Here are a few tips to save your inkjet printer ink:
1. Print using black cartridge only
The black cartridge costs less compared to the color ones. So if you do not really have to print in the color, why not print in the black and white or greyscale. Some of the printers have settings to control which cartridge should be used. Here you can select if you want to use only black, only color or both cartridges.
2. Set PDF documents to be printed in greyscale
As explained before, the black cartridge should be used more as it is much cheaper than the color ones. If your printer does not allow the cartridges to be selected then you can change the settings of your document editor or viewer to print in the greyscale. While it is not always possible for other applications, the PDF document viewers like Adobe PDF Viewer or Foxit PDF Viewer can print using greyscale – thus saving your color ink. The option to print in greyscale is usually shown in the print window (which opens up when you try to print a PDF file).
3. Use ink saving fonts to create documents
Believe it or not, some fonts consume more ink than others. Because of this, they have designed fonts that consume lesser ink. You can download and install these fonts in Windows (or Mac or Linux) and use them whenever possible. The Eco Font is specially designed to save the printer ink. If seen enlarged, you can see that EcoFont typeface has holes in it. But when printed on paper, you would barely notice any holes. The Century Gothic font can also save ink. A document typed in Century Gothic uses half as much ink as the same document created using Arial or Times New Roman fonts.
4. Print to PDF documents
Sometimes when you pay bills online, do online shopping, or fill online forms, you are given option to print the receipt. But if you do not really have to print something, then you can print that document or page into a PDF file instead. There are many PDF printers available for Windows and Mac. What these software do, is install a virtual printer on your PC. If you print using this virtual printer, the document being printed is instead converted and saved into a PDF file. If a hardcopy is needed, then you can open these PDF files and print them on your real paper printer as needed. This way you can save ink by not printing unnecessary documents. There are many free PDF printers available like Bullzip PDF Printer, PrimoPDF printer, doPDF printer etc.
5. Power on printer when you really need it
Some of the people have plugged in their printer to the same power strip that they use for powering their PC. So when they power on the PC, they power on their printers too. When you power on an inkjet printer, it starts a cleaning cycle for the cartridge nozzles in a process to get ready for printing. This cleaning cycle consumes ink every time. So you should not power on the printer until you are ready to print and do not turn it off until you are finished printing. At the same time, it is essential to switch on your printer frequently. Not using your printer for a long time may end up in drying up the nozzles of your cartridges.
I hope you find these ink saving tips useful and helpful in making your ink cartridges last longer. If you have any other tips to save the inkjet printer ink, then you can share them in the comments below.