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12 techniques to stretch printer ink

17.05.10

That $25 printer you bought at a overlook store may seem like a good deal until you go to buy a replacement cartridge. That's when you learn printers are cheap but printer ink is outrageous.</p><p>Small adjustments can greatly cut down on ink costs and forge for a greener printer. Try these 12 techniques to reduce your outlay on printer ink.</p><p>1. Change Fonts</p><p>Times New Roman and Arial lean to be the default fonts. Switch to a lighter font, like Century Gothic, to reduce how much ink is required for each message. Change your default font on Word by going to Format > Font, select a font, and save as "non-payment."</p><p>2. Use Smaller Font Sizes</p><p>Reduce the font size to 10 or less, but don't sacrifice legibility. If you can definitely read the smaller font on your screen, you'll likely be able to read it on paper.</p><p>3. Use Ecofont</p><p>Ecofont (http://www.ecofont.com) reduces your ink form by "shooting holes" into the font your using. There's no loss of legibility or impact on your layout. With a one mouse clicks, you can choose familiar fonts like Arial, Verdana and Calibri or an Eco variant of your own abode-style font (Enterprise Edition).</p><p>4. Draft Setting</p><p>Choose the "draft" or "econo" text setting in the "Advanced" settings of your print screen pop-up. The overall print will be lighter, so you might yearn for to use the standard setting for important documents.</p><p>5. Refilled Cartridges</p><p>Refills cost less than buying new, very if you take advantage of Staples or Walgreen ink refill sales. Cut your costs even further with Walgreens free shipping codes or Staples online coupons.</p><p>6. DIY Refills</p><p>Refilling cartridges is messy occupation until you get the hang of it, but the cost savings may be worth it. Look for refill kits at warehouse clubs or on eBay.</p><p>7. Recycle Cartridges</p><p>Handle empty cartridge to printer stores, on eBay or for credit at office-supply stores that give credit.</p><p>8. Run It 'Til Empty</p><p>Continue printing on close to-empty cartridges until you've drained all the ink. On color printers you can change the print color to one that still has ink in the cartridge.</p><p>9. Print At The Sample Shop</p><p>Take a break from your desk and use an in-house or nearby print shop or copy center for major impress jobs. The price per page is substantially less than printing on most standard printers.</p><p>10. Don't Print</p><p>Use the "Particularize Image Writer" or similar device to create electronic files, rather than printing out a hard emulate. Alternately, you can scan documents or use a program like CutePDF (http://www.cutepdf.com/) to create PDF files.</p><p>11. Run off Only What You Need</p><p>Print only the information you need by using PrintWhatYouLike (http://www.printwhatyoulike.com/) or software programs like GreenPrint or EcoPrint2.</p><p>12. Upgrade Your Printer</p><p>Before you buy, enquiry the cost of replacement cartridges and whether the printer offers economical print settings. You'll often find replacing ink is cheaper on more expensive models. If you estimate the cost savings over a printers projected lifespan you'll likely find the original cash outlay is worth it.</p><p>(For more savings tips, explore out FreeShippping.org's "Go Frugal" blog at http://www.freeshipping.org/blog/)

Source: Kansas City Star