Nine Ways to Save Money on Ink Jet Cartridges

If you have an ink jet printer, you know how these convenient little devices can guzzle the ink! Plus, the cartridges are so expensive. Wouldn't it be nice if there were some simple steps you could take to save on ink jet inks? Fortunately, there are. Here's what you need to know to save some serious money on print from you ink jet printer:

1. Be conservative with what you choose to print.

Do you really need to print out the entire ebook you just downloaded or would it best be read right from your desktop? Too many printed papers lying around just create clutter and confusion. Read it from your computer whenever possible.

2. Choose to print only the parts of a document you need.

To do this, click the "print preview" option when you're ready to print a document. The "print dialog" box should become visible which gives you the option of filling in a page range to be printed. Click on the circle in front of "pages" and fill in the pages you need to print. You have the option of listing a single page number or a page range, for example, 1-5.

3. Print in the ink conserving draft mode.

Be aware that printing in the draft mode reduces the quality of your document, but you will save on ink. Use it to print documents where quality isn't going to be an issue. You may need to consult your printer manual to determine how to access the draft mode. Usually, it can be found by clicking "print"., Click "choose preferences" in the dialog box that pops up. Then chose the draft mode.

4. Print in black and white mode whenever possible.

To choose black and white printing, click on "print" to get the print dialog box. Once there, click on "preferences". You should have an option to select black and white printing. If not, consult your printer manual to see how to do this on your particular printer.

5. Use a shopping comparison engine to get the best prices on ink jet cartridges.

There's alot of variability in the cost of ink jet cartridges online. The quickest way to find the lowest cost is through a cost comparison site. Be sure to factor in shipping costs.

6. Buy ink jet cartridges in bulk.

Look for a company that offers bulk and quantity pricing. This can save you a great deal of money in the long run.

7. If you're experienced, consider refilling your own cartridges.

This should be approached with great caution since a cartridge refilled improperly can leak causing considerable damage to your printer. Plus, refilling ink jet cartridges if tricky business. I've tried this approach and have met with little success. Sometimes this is best left to the
professionals. You also have the option of locating an ink seller who refills ink jet cartridges professionally.

8. Consider buying a second laser printer to do your black and white printing.

Toner cartridges for laser printers are less expensive than those for ink jet printers and they last longer.

9. Consider the cost of ink jet cartridges before buying your next printer.

Find out before purchasing your next printer how many pages it's ink jet cartridge should yield as well as the cost of the cartridges. This should tell you about how much each page is going to cost you over time. Sometimes it's worthwhile to spend more on an ink jet printer if you're going to save on the cost of cartridges.

Now that you know how to save money on your ink jet cartridges, you can funnel some of those savings into a new high tech toy!