11 Awesome Ways to Make Your Printer Inkjet Cartridge Last Longer

Printer ink is not cheap. Therefore, it makes sense to look for ways to save printer ink and get the most out of an inkjet cartridge. Here in this post, we will shed light on the top eleven ways to make your printer inkjet cartridge last long:

1. Tweak Your Printer Settings

Most inkjet printers are factory-set to consume more ink but you can alter your printer’s default settings. In the Windows Operating System, you can access these settings in the ‘Devices & Printers’ section of the Control Panel. In ‘printer preferences’ dialogue-box, make the following changes:

• Change the print quality or print mode to ‘economy’ or ‘draft’
• Set the color to ‘print in grayscale’ if you want to conserve color ink cartridges
• Set the ‘document options’ to print more than one page per sheet (without compromising on readability, of course).

You can print in draft or economy mode for less critical work. The output quality will drop but so will the amount of ink used in printing.

2. Use High-Yield Inkjet Cartridges

Not all inkjet cartridges with a matching cartridge number for a printer model are the same. Most printers are shipped with standard-capacity ink cartridges that hold less amount of ink; these low-yield ink cartridges do not last long even when you print smartly. In fact, if you print photographs or graphics, a standard cartridge may run out of ink within a few days.

When you notice the signs that you need to buy a new ink cartridge, buy a high-yield ink cartridge. These cartridges do not just hold more ink (and last longer) but also help you save up to 20% on printing costs. Just make sure you avoid common printer cartridge purchase mistakes.

3. Use Low Print Resolution for Images or Graphics

Most printers today support a high print-resolution; it is measured in dots per inch (DPI) and refers to the actual number of dots printed in an image. The print resolution is directly proportional to the level of detail in a printed image.

Prints with ‘more number of dots’ or a high resolution look great; however, your inkjet cartridge is likely to run out of ink too soon if you print too many photos or graphics-rich documents at a high resolution.

Except when you are printing documents for professional or academic purposes and need high-quality finish, make it a habit to print at a lower resolution.

Most printers will, by default, print at a high resolution (200-300 DPI). For everyday home and office printing, a print resolution of 72 DPI is sufficient.

You can reduce the print resolution by accessing the ‘Print Settings’ to conserve your inkjet cartridge. You can always change back the settings when you need high-quality prints for a sales pitch, client presentation, academic submission or portfolio update.

There are ways to save money on printer cartridges but you also need to print smartly especially if you print a few hundred pages each month.

4. Remove Unnecessary Elements When You Print Web Pages

Do you print web pages on a regular basis for reference?

If you need just the text, why print all other, unnecessary elements? You may be spending two or three times more printer-ink.

Remove unnecessary advertisement banners, graphics, thick margins, bold text, headers, footers, etc. when you print web pages and your inkjet cartridge will last much longer.

You can also use a web browser extension to quickly generate a printer-friendly version of a web page.

5. Do not turn off the Printer Too Often

If you print frequently, do not turn off the printer each time you finish a print job. Inkjet printers go through ink-consuming maintenance and cleaning cycle each time they are switched on.

According to the tests conducted by Consumer Reports, printer maintenance and cleaning cycles can consume up to 50% of printer ink! Therefore, it is advisable to leave the printer on. You need not worry about power usage; inkjet printers go into a sleep mode and use very little power when they are not printing.

You can turn off the printer on weekends or at the beginning of a holiday season. Remember to turn off the printer by using the power button on the device. Do not cut the power supply directly. This way, the printhead returns to the position where it’s better guarded against drying up.

6. Use Ink-Saving Fonts

Not all fonts use the same amount of ink; thick fonts require more ink to print.

For instance, Arial font consumes up to 30% more ink than ink-saving fonts such as Ryman Eco, Ecofont Sans, Garamond, Century Gothic, Brush Script, Courier, and Baskerville Old Face.

7. Before You Hit the Print Button, Double Check the Documents

Whether you use a printer at home or office, a large number of printouts have to be binned due to formatting errors or typos. It wastes both printer ink and paper. Have a quick look for typos and other mistakes before you print documents to curb wastage.

8. Always Use the Print Preview Option

Print Preview documents before you print them to avoid reprinting.

Check if all elements of a document such as headings, text-blocks, images, charts, tables, etc. appear as you want them to be. Use Print Preview for adjusting the layout and segregating the pages.

Using this option is especially important when you print multi-page documents, spreadsheets, and PowerPoint slides.

9. You Do Not Have to Print Everything

You need not print every email, invoice or text document. Many people waste a lot of printer ink on producing redundant printouts.

Unless you need a hard copy of a document, you can always store a digital copy for future reference.

10. Do Not Take Low-Ink or Cartridge-Empty Warnings Too Seriously

Many printers may display ‘low ink’ or ‘cartridge-empty’ alerts even when the cartridge has 30-50% ink still left in it.
Keep printing until you notice signs such as banded text or light prints.

11. Print At Least Once Every Week

If you print rarely, make it a point to print at least one page every week to keep the ink flowing.

Inkjet cartridges store ink in liquid form. When inkjet cartridges are left unused for an extended duration, they may get clogged up. For this very reason, it is also important to store your back-up inkjet cartridges in a dark area, at room temperature.

Final Words

Most inkjet printers are designed to be ink-guzzlers. You cannot expect printer manufacturing companies to help you make an inkjet cartridge last long; they want you to keep buying expensive replacement ink cartridges; it’s their business model. Therefore, it is up to you to follow the recommended tips to make your printer inkjet cartridge last long.

Sooner or later, your ink cartridges will run out of ink. At that point in time, you will have to figure out how to get the best replacement ink cartridges for your printer.

Do not throw away used inkjet cartridges. You can recycle used printer ink cartridges and get a discount on your next purchase.

Besides following the standard tips for extending the useful life of an inkjet cartridge, you should also consider buying compatible printer ink cartridges over expensive OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) inks.

Here at InkjetsClub, we provide high-quality compatible inkjet cartridges for printers manufactured by Epson, Brother, Canon, HP, and various other brands. You can save up to 20% in annual printing costs (we offer price match guarantee) by choosing compatible inks manufactured in our ISO-certified facilities over OEM inks.