Do you want to spend less money on ink? Here are a few ways that you can make your ink cartridges last longer:

1. ADJUST YOUR PRINTER SETTINGS

You can save ink by adjusting your printer settings. For example, you can toggle the print quality level.

Consider using “Fast Normal” or “Draft Mode” if you are printing a document for your own use. The text will be lighter, but it will still be visible.

Another thing that you can do is change the printing preference to “Grayscale.” That will print everything in black and white, which will use less ink.

2. DO NOT WORRY IF YOU GET A LOW INK WARNING

Do not panic if your printer gives you a low ink warning. Chances are, there is still quite a bit left in the cartridge. In fact, some say that there is enough to print a hundred more pages!

When should you replace the ink cartridge? Wait until there are actual signs that the ink is running low (e.g. light or faded text).

Keep in mind, however, that some printers might not let you print anything unless you switch out the cartridge. You can bypass this by covering the chip sensor with some tape!

3. CLEAN YOUR PRINTER NOZZLE

Cleaning the print nozzle can help extend the life of your ink cartridges. You can tell when it is clogged because your documents will start to become faint.

The best way to clean it is by soaking it in warm distilled water. From there, wipe it dry with a cloth before putting it back in your printer.

Consider running a print test to make sure there are no issues afterward.

4. MAKE USE OF THE PRINT PREVIEW FUNCTION

We have all done this before—you print something but it is either the wrong page or in the wrong orientation. In situations like this, all you are doing is wasting ink.

Fortunately, you can prevent this by taking advantage of the “Print Preview” function. Put it simply, it allows you to see what the page will look like before you print it.

You want to make sure that everything looks right before proceeding with the actual printing.

5. CONSIDER THE FONT

Believe it or not but you can actually save ink by changing your font. Here’s a tip—avoid those with thick letters and numbers.

For example, you might want to use Times New Roman, Courier, or Helvetica—they're are all known for using little ink.

Do not forget, you can also set the typeface at a smaller point size as well!

6. TAKE CARE OF YOUR INK CARTRIDGES

Ink cartridges are delicate. They can easily dry out if you leave them out in the open. Not to mention that the ink can also evaporate!

For this reason, you want to protect cartridges that are not in use. This means keeping new cartridges in their packaging until they’re ready to be used.

Do not plan on using your printer for a while? Take the ink cartridge out and seal it in an airtight bag—that will prevent it from drying out.

7. PAY ATTENTION TO IMAGE RESOLUTION

You can extend the life of your cartridges by adjusting the image resolution. More specifically, you want to decrease the DPI—the lower the number, the less ink your printer will use.

Go into printer settings and see what it is pre-programmed to print at. In some cases, it might be between 200 to 300 DPI, which is overkill for most documents.

8. TURN OFF THE PRINTER WHEN IT IS NOT IN USE

Do not leave the printer on if you are not using it—that can cause the printhead to clog over time. There is also a chance that the heat from the machine will dry out the ink in the cartridge.

Instead, you want to turn it on only when you need to print something.

9. SHAKE THE INK CARTRIDGE

Just because your prints look faded, doesn’t mean that your cartridges are empty. Some of the ink might just be clogging the nozzle.

One way to clear the blockage is by gently shaking the cartridge. Once you have done that, insert it back into the printer. With a bit of luck, it will start printing like normal again.

10. PRINT "PRINTER-FRIENDLY" PAGES

Opt for “printer-friendly” pages whenever you are printing from a website. Why? They’re optimized so that you won’t use as much ink per page. Not only that, but you'll save on paper too!

For example, most will eliminate ads, navigation bars, and other unnecessary things from the page.

Currently, you got 10 tips save ink when you are using your printer. Why use more when you can use less, right?