If It Prints, I'll Let You Know

One of the most popular complaint among printer users is the high costs associated with ink or toner cartridges. Unfortunately, the price of printer cartridges is something we all have little control of — but it doesn’t mean there’s nothing we can do to save on those expensive consumables.

But in addition to buying ink and toner from third-party vendors or using coupons and tweaking your printer settings, what else could you possibly do to reduce printing costs?

Buy a printer with a low cost per page
Cheap printers are tempting but many of them could also mean high ink cost. So before you proceed to checkout make sure to check the printer’s cost per page info — generally provided by the company based on their most economical ink or toner cartridges and other consumables. Better yet, compare various printer models and read consumer reviews before you head in-store or to an online shopping portal. Assess your printing needs, too. If you don’t print a lot go for low-capacity cartridges.

Check your document before you print
Isn’t it annoying to print pages of documents only to realize a few noticeable errors? To avoid re-prints, make sure to review your documents before you hit the print button. Decide the things you need and omit those unnecessary to save on paper and ink.

Do not buy more printer cartridges than you need
Some consumers have the tendency to overstock ink and toner cartridges to take advantage of discounts, but sometimes even this habit could end up wasting the consumables at your disposal. Think about how much cartridges you’re not able to use beyond their “use by” date. That said, it’s always better to consider how much you need and how often you print.