ComputerHunter.org

 

Printer Cartridge Economics -- Four Ways To Make Your Ink Last Longer


Printer cartridge overheads can be a major expense for any busy office -- and even if you're working at home, it's important to factor in the amount you spend on your printer ink when assessing the cost of running a home-based business. And what you spent on that bargain-priced printer may turn out to be only a fraction of what you pay annually in printer supplies.

A family household may have several printers on the go, each requiring its own specialist cartridges. The kids are doing their homework, researching information online and printing off reference material before drafting and printing homework papers. Digital photography is great, but grandma doesn't have a computer (let alone an e-mail account!), so you're making high quality prints of your son's graduation ceremony to mail to her. And you have to proofread some important work documents by tomorrow -- and you know you can't check text accurately from the computer monitor, so ...

If you're anything like me, you can't imagine working without the support that a personal printer provides. But while the search for reliable but cheap printer ink never ends, there are some strategies you can adopt to economize on ink use and lower your budget for replacement cartridges.

  • Use draft print quality where you can. Go to File -- Print to open the box that lists the settings for your printer. Click 'Properties' to bring up the various options available. You'll probably find different choices under the heading 'Paper/Quality' that allow you to select draft quality printing. Your document will print at a lower resolution but that may not matter for reference material that you will likely discard later.
  • Choose black and white printing over color when possible. Depending on your printer, you may have the option to select grayscale printing using the black ink cartridge only. If you're not doing presentation quality work, chances are you won't need the other colors.
  • If you're dealing with a long document, print two sheets to a page if you can. Your printer may allow you to print two pages side by side in 'landscape' orientation -- and you'll save on paper costs too.
  • Modern personal printers can produce high quality photographs, particularly if you use specialist photo paper. But printing high quality digital shots can use a lot of ink -- so think about outsourcing your photo printing to a local print center. Many services allow you to order your prints online and can mail them to you if you can't collect them yourself. You can often have your photos printed on calendars, mouse mats or greeting cards, if you wish.
  • Reduce your inkjet or toner costs by economizing on ink when you can -- and keep your ink supplies ready for those occasions when high quality presentation counts.

    Nigel Patterson is a business writer and the publisher of Printer-Ink-2u.com.

    His many articles provide useful tips and advice for online purchasers of inkjet cartridges and laser toner, as well as other printer supplies.







    Google News - Top Stories

    Canada.com

    Wall Street tumbles amid global sell-off
    International Herald Tribune - 1 hour ago
    AP NEW YORK: Wall Street suffered through another extraordinary and traumatic session Monday, with the Dow Jones industrials plunging as much as 800 points - their largest one-day point drop - before recovering to close with a loss of 370.
    Video: Wall Street Off More Than 500 on Global Sell-off AssociatedPress
    Wall Street slides amid global rout, recoups some losses Channel News Asia
    NPR - San Diego Union Tribune - Elliott Wave - U.S. News & World Report
    all 2,291 news articles


    CTV.ca

    Campaign gets nastier as Obama, McCain trade barbs
    Los Angeles Times - 59 minutes ago
    Republicans target Obama's association with William Ayers and a controversial pastor. Democrats target McCain's ties with Charles Keating, complete with a 13-minute video.
    Video: Palin On Obama-Ayers Ties CBS
    McCain and Obama campaigns go negative in home stretch Christian Science Monitor
    Washington Post - Voice of America - ABC News - The Weekly Standard
    all 4,419 news articles


    New York Times

    8 Killed in California Bus Accident
    New York Times - 1 hour ago
    Steve Yeater/AP A charter bus flipped over and rolled into a ditch Sunday evening in Williams, Calif. By LIZ ROBBINS Eight people died and dozens more were injured when a charter bus bound for a casino north of Sacramento flipped over and rolled into a ...
    Video: Raw Video: CHP Press Conference About Crash kcratv
    Police: Driver in crash that killed 10 on casino bus was drunk San Jose Mercury News
    The Associated Press - Bloomberg - KVOA.com - News10.net
    all 1,846 news articles


    LAist

    6 Bodies Found in California Gated Community
    FOXNews - 1 hour ago
    LOS ANGELES - All six people found dead in an upscale gated community in the San Fernando Valley were one family and were shot in a murder-suicide, police in Los Angeles said.
    6 in Calif. family die in apparent murder-suicide The Associated Press
    6 die in family murder-suicide in Los Angeles Boston Herald
    USA Today - AFP - LAist - Los Angeles Times
    all 266 news articles


    3 schools still on lockdown after East Austin shooting
    News 8 Austin - 41 minutes ago
    Barbara Jordan and Volma Overton Elementary Schools remain on lockdown, after a shooting sent one teenager to the hospital Monday afternoon.
    Police respond to shooting near schools Austin American-Statesman
    Shooting prompts school lockdowns KXAN-TV
    CBS 42 - KVUE - News 8 Austin
    all 7 news articles

    Google
     

    Copyright © 2006 Computer Hunter - A Division of Arthur´s Job Base