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Like printing your own money
Make your printer more cost-effective.
Printers don’t cost much these days … unless
you plan to use them. Ink and paper—that’s where your expenses add up. On some models,
a single ink cartridge costs as much as the
printer itself. There are steps you can take, though, to save on printer costs.
Lighten up. Most inkjet printers have a draft
mode that uses less ink than the default setting. It may be called EconoFast, InkSaver, Draft Quality, or something similar. When printing a document that doesn’t need superb quality, you can take advantage of this option by clicking the Properties button in your Print dialogue box that pops up after you send the document to print. Or, if the majority of your materials don’t need saturated colors and the sharpest type, you can change your default settings. Choose Start > Printers and Faxes (Windows XP) or Start > Settings > Printers (earlier versions of Windows). You might be surprised at the quality even with the lower settings. And you’ll certainly appreciate the faster printing times.
Lose the color. When you don’t need color, don’t use it. Most color printers offer an option for black-and-white or grayscale printing. Combining grayscale and draft settings can really cut down your ink consumption.
Pick your paper. Paper is paper, right? Better check those prices again. The brighter and thicker and glossier the paper you choose,
the more you’re likely to pay. Keep the cheap stuff in your printer tray, then put in nicer stock when you’re printing high-quality materials.
Double up. Whether you call it double-sided printing or duplex printing, you’re cutting your paper costs in half. Don’t think of two-sided materials only when printing materials for your own use—many documents intended for clients and marketing purposes can be printed on both sides as well.
Take a sneak preview. If you’re not sure how a document will print—say you’re wondering if everything will fit on one page—use the Print Preview setting (on the File menu) first. You can see on your screen how the document will come out before you commit ink to paper.
Coax your toner. For laser printers, when print starts looking light or you get a low-toner message, take the toner cartridge out and rock
it left to right and front to back. This loosens toner that was hanging onto sides and hiding in creases and crevices and may extend the life of your cartridge considerably.
Watch those replacements. Buying a replacement ink cartridge from some source other than the company that made your printer can be a risk. While some replacement cartridges do a pretty good job, others don’t measure up. Before you decide on an off-brand replacement, make sure the company tests the products and offers a guarantee that they will pay for any damage the cartridge does to your printer.
Save up front. Much of the savings you can achieve depends on your initial printer purchase. Find out how much the replacement ink or toner will cost, check that the printer comes with a cable to connect it to your computer (some manufacturers keep purchase prices down by leaving cables out), and check if the initial cartridges that come with the printer are standard size or “starter” cartridges. You can
also research technical data like page yield,
but if that’s a little too in-depth for you, stick with the tips above, and you will still keep a little cash in your pocket that would otherwise come out on a printed page.
Photo © Corbis.
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