There are a number of ways in which you can save big money on your printing costs. Some of these include actually getting printer ink for less, for instance from a website. Other ideas are all about your behavior as a printer user. Some ideas are good, some ideas are brilliant, other ideas should only be used as a last resort. Let’s take a look at ways in which you can get printer ink for less. But let’s also look at how you can make sure you simply use less ink, thereby also saving massively on your printing costs. Remember how expensive printer ink is, but these little adjustments can really save you a lot of money. Not just that, they can also help to save the environment. Best of all, these tactics can be used both by domestic and commercial users. Let’s take a look!

Change the Font Type on Your Documents

Most people use Arial, Calibri or Times New Roman as a standard font. But did you know some of the fonts are just as beautiful but are lighter in color? For instance, Century Gothic is a much lighter type and this means you would use much less printer ink. A number of prominent organizations are now changing their corporate fonts to Century Gothic, because it looks just as professional as the standard fonts but it is better for the budget and better for the environment. Changing your default font is very easy, simply go to your format option, click on font, select the font you need and save it as “default”. This means you don’t ever have to think about it again.

Using Smaller Font Sizes

The font we use really has a big impact on our printer usages. If you were to use a smaller font size, say 10 or less, you will also be able to use less printer ink. Naturally, you do have to check that the font is still legible, don’t make it too small in other words. The larger you print, the bigger the amount of ink you use, the more money you will spend on printing.

The Draft Setting

If you have a reasonably advanced operating system on your computer, you can use either the “econo” or “draft” print setting. This is a fantastic way to get printer ink for less, because it means that you use a whole lot less ink. What these settings do is make the print much lighter, but still legible.

Outsource Your Printing

This seems easy, doesn’t it? If you want to be able to get printer ink for less, just don’t buy it yourself. However, you do have to pay the copy center or supply store that will be printing for you. However, if you have a large number of prints, it is often a much cheaper option than printing it yourself. Do look into this and make some calculations to see whether or not you would actually save money with this option.

Refill Printer Ink

If you must buy new printer ink, this is the key to saving money. If you want to get printer ink for less, you need to look into refurbished toners and cartridges. There are a number of bad reports on the market about refurbished cartridges, but none of them are true. This really is the best way to get printer ink for less and still have the same quality you are use to and have come to expect. These refurbished cartridges have all been checked and checked again, so you will know for a fact that you are actually getting a good quality item. There are often very interesting offers on, meaning you could potentially save even more money on your printing, but on average most people save around 40% on their printer ink costs by opting for refurbished cartridges.

DIY Refills

This is the one you should only do if times are particularly desperate. There are a number of kits you can buy to refill your own cartridges. This technology is not available for toner cartridges. Even the ones that are suitable for regular ink jet, however, are not recommended. However, if you are student for instance, and you have to get printer ink for less, this will be your cheapest option. Unfortunately, you shouldn’t expect the best quality print or the largest amount of prints from a refilled cartridge.

Recycle

Last but not least, you must recycle your cartridges. Most will donate their cartridges to charity, allowing them to sell them to remanufacturing companies. However, you can also opt to sell them yourself, using the money to buy new (refurbished) cartridges yourself.

Answer one question: what is so expensive about printers? Your answer is going to be the ink or the cartridges, isn’t it? In fact, with the price of printers becoming so low, some people are resorting to buying a new printer, because it is often cheaper than buying a new cartridge. Or so they think. See, you don’t have to buy a new printer all the time, and pollute the environment with disused pieces of machinery while you’re at it. All you need to do is find a supplier that sells good quality remanufactured and generic cartridges and Bob’s your uncle as they say. Buying these helps you protect the environment, allow you to keep hold of your money and, potentially, help local charities and community nonprofit organizations. All of that for a price that can be up to 40% less than a branded, new item. Interested?

History of Remanufactured Cartridges

The first remanufactured cartridge became available on the market around the turn of the century, some ten or so years ago. In those days, they were often of poor quality and this gave them a very bad name. Quite a number of people purchased low quality cartridges and found their printers were damaged or even broken due to using them. However, since then, the technology has improved and quite literally gone from strength to strength. Nowadays, only very few cartridges are potentially damaging to your printer and you won’t find any of these for sale through reputable dealers. In fact, these remanufactured cartridges now meet or exceed the standards set by the original printer and cartridge manufacturers. This is known as the OEM – Original Equipment Manufacturer – standard. One of the greatest things about remanufactured cartridges these days is that they actually last longer than the original cartridge, giving you even more savings.

The Community Service

What sounds better? Using your ink cartridge and dumping it on the local landfill site or providing schools, charities and non-profit organizations with much needed help, without it costing you a penny? Have a look around the nonprofit organizations you come into contact with and notice how many of them have cartridge recycling bins. You will help them make some money and you will save the environment in the process. After all, simply recycling your cartridges will prevent millions of pounds of aluminum, plastic and rubber from entering the environment by being dumped or burned. Best of all, you really will be providing a community service, because the money the non-profit organizations make from recycling these cartridges go straight back into the community.

How You Know Refurbished Items Are Good

When you buy a refurbished product from a reputable merchant, you will know that they will have been thoroughly inspected before being reused. They are check for cracks and other issues that could potentially cause leaks or other problems. Also, they make sure that they aren’t getting too old, which could lead to other problems. Next, the outside of the cartridge is completely cleaned, so that the labels and dirt come off. They are then disassembled and any of the small parts of components that are broken are replaced with new ones. Then, the inside is washed with a special solution, which takes any ink residue out of the cartridge. Then, the cartridges are filled back up with ink of very high quality and the liquid is sealed inside the cartridge. After this, the cartridges go through a new quality control process where they are checked for functionality. Then, they are wrapped up in boxes and shipped to customers and retailers around the world. So, you will know for a fact that your product is of high quality, because it has been checked and tested at every step of the process.

Other Benefits

We have already discussed the tremendous benefits to the environment and community that is offered by remanufactured cartridges. The other thing to consider is that making a remanufactured cartridge consumes a lot less energy than creating a new one, thereby further helping the environment. There is no need to mold, heat or cool plastic or using any other fossil fuels. A cartridge can be refurbished around four times before it really is time for it to be disposed of, in an environmentally correct way of course. Last but not least, you are sure to receive excellent value for money, having to spend a lot less on these necessary items. All in all, there is really no reason as to why you shouldn’t buy remanufactured cartridges.