5 Tips on How to Reduce Printer Ink Costs

Imagine you are in the middle of printing out your final proposal that is due to your boss by noon today. It is 11:48 A.M. and you are almost to the finish line. Then the unthinkable happens: your hard work starts to fade and you are running out of printer ink!

Nothing infuriates someone more in this technology-driven world than the lack of printer ink when you need it the most. Not only does thehigh price of printer inkdrive people to the edge, but not having backups for when the worse comes to worst is close to the top of the list of annoyances.

There are ways to save on ink, and it begins with what you have purchased. Let’s pretend that it is too late and move on to what we can do to make your ink cartridges last a little longer.

  1. Change the Font

You may want to use fancy fonts to highlight certain text or use WingDings for fun, but in order to keep your ink usage at a minimal you will have to change your font.

There are certain font types that are considered “eco-friendly”, meaning they are more petite than other fonts which will then require less ink and toner when you choose to print.

One of the more popular eco-friendly font software is Ecofont. Ecofont, developed by SPRANQ, is a font software for Word and Outlook that saves up to 50% of your ink and toner compared to standard fonts. Free to use and download is a snap. Works for both Mac and Windows OS.

Another tip is to lower your font size, use less bolded text, and write only what is necessary.

  1. Double-Check Your Work

Not only do you want to send off letters, proposals, essays, etc without mistakes, it can also help in saving printer ink and toner. By double (and sometimes triple) checking your work before hitting the print button, you can help cut down on ink usage because you won’t have to reprint after you catch your mistake.

  1. Select “Printer-Friendly” When Printing Directly From Web

Printing directly from webpages can result in unnecessary and unwanted amounts of pages. Webpages can hold several images as well as advertisements that aren’t useful if printed. Opt for printer-friendly option if you choose to print directly from a webpage. This will omit all unnecessary images and text. Not only will this option save your ink cartridges but also your printer paper.

  1. Turn Your Printer’s ‘On/Off Switch’ to OFF

Like computers and other electronic devices, turning the printer off once the task is completed is something we really don’t think about. One unknowing tip is to ensure your printer’s on/off switch is turned to off. This will park and cap your ink and helps prevent the cartridge from drying out.

  1. Print in Black and White

Have there been times where you printed off directions to a friend’s house or to a restaurant, but ended up with colorful advertisements right along with it? By updating your default settings to black and white, also known as grayscale, it will help save the color cartridges for when you need them the most.

Let us know below if there are any other tips that we may have missed!

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