Printer ink is not cheap. Ink on the lowest end of the cost spectrum is about $13 an ounce, and the most expensive ink can get up to 75$ an ounce. A gallon of printer ink will usually cost about $9,600 per gallon. When printer ink is so expensive, how can you cut costs on cartridges?
Ink and Toner Refills
Ink and toner cartridges can usually be used again, as long as you fill them with new ink. Refilling toner cartridges is usually done one of two ways. Printer owners can send their cartridges away to be refilled by a service, or they can buy kits and refill the cartridges themselves. Refilling toner cartridges is fairly straightforward, but you should always make sure you have the right safety equipment and the right ink. A dustmask and gloves should usually be worn when refilling toner cartridges, and finding the right ink for your printer model is the best way to make sure your printing quality doesn’t suffer.
Remanufactured Ink Cartridges
Remanufactured cartridges are cartridges that have been used at least once then sent away and refilled. The companies that refill them sell them at a significantly lower price than the original manufacturers, and the cartridges usually work just as well. The only things to watch out for when shopping for remanufactured cartridges is the reliability of the seller and the compatibility of the ink with your current printer.
Printer Settings
Fiddling with printer settings can make your ink cartridges last much longer. Putting a small piece of tape over the low-ink sensor can force your printer to use all of the ink in it’s cartridges. You can also print in low-ink settings like draft for black and white printouts, and choose low-ink fonts. If you look online, there are plenty of tips and tricks out there for the tech-savvy printer looking to save some money.
How have you paid less for ink cartridges? Share your tips in the comments!