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How To Save A Bundle On Printer Ink Cartridges

By Karl Schultz

Here are some tips on how to save money on printer ink cartridges.

Printer cartridges can be the number one cost of operating a computer. Printer cartridges can cost you even more than your monthly internet access if you do a lot of printing.

Do you ever feel like the printer companies have got it down to a science just how to cheat your into buying more ink? You're not alone. A couple of years ago there was actually a class action lawsuit against printer cartridge manufacturers who were deliberately designing their cartridges to stop working even when they were 1/3 full. This resulted in millions of printer cartridges ending up in landfills with ink still in them! Who knows how much extra money was spent by consumers.

My spouse is a teacher are she routinely goes through at least two printer ink cartridges per month that we pay for out of pocket since her school only allows each teacher one cartridge every three months.

How can you save money on printer cartridges?

The first thing you can do is change your print settings. For many things fast draft or economy print will be just fine. In the document you are printing go to "print setup" and "quality" and change the setting depending on what you are printing on.

Never use the photo quality setting on regular inkjet paper. Regular inkjet paper sucks in ink like a sponge and if you use the photo setting for high color saturation you can easily burn through one entire ink cartridge on a couple dozen copies.

Use the highest quality paper that you can afford. It is actually cheaper to buy  better quality paper than cartridges. Good quality printer paper uses less ink because it is less porous.

You can get some extra life out of a cartridge and save yourself a trip to the store by heating it with a hair dryer for a few minutes. This is only a temporary fix though and may get you a few more pages in a pinch.

You can try the printer ink refill kits but they are notoriously messy. One secret is to use a woodworking clamp and compress the body of the ink cartridge before filling and then release the clamp when you are done. This prevents overfilling. Some ink jet refill kits come with this clamp and others do not. Refill kits are available for as little as $6 for black printer cartridges at discount ink suppliers such as those reviewed below.

The other way to save on ink jet cartridges is to buy them in bulk at a wholesale store like Costco. This is a little risky because ink does dry up inside the cartridges if not used immediately and your printer may break down and become obsolete before you can use all of the cartridges.

There are also ink refill stores in some cities. These can save you up to fifty percent or more on ink jet cartridges.

Another way to save money on ink jet cartridges is to order online from a discount ink cartridge store. These typically sell at prices of at least fifty percent or more.  Many offer free shipping and sell OEM or name brand cartridges as well as recycled, often for half the price of the same exact OEM cartridge in retail stores.

Important Printer Ink Storage Tip:

Always store printer ink cartridge boxes right side up, in a cool (not cold) place. This prevents ink from draining away from the printer head and leaving residue that will prevent proper ink flow when you open and use it.

Cheers.