Four Tips For Saving on Printer Ink

Nobody has to tell you that printer ink is expensive but there are a few simple things you can do to squeeze more copies from those costly cartridges.

Here are four tips for saving on printer ink.

Use a Smarter Font

Download an "ecofont." These fonts have small holes on the letters, numbers and symbols that won't show up on the printed page but use less ink and that can result in saving up to 25 per cent of your ink, according to the Ecofont website.

The software is available at ecofont.com and can be downloaded in 20 different languages besides English. A lifetime license for home use costs a one-time fee of $24.95 and will run on Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7 and Mac computers.

Photo Finish

You probably don't need to print out all 40 pictures from your Florida vacation. Select three or four for your wallet or to put in frames and keep the rest on your computer. Alternately, if you do want to print twelve or more for an album, it's cheaper to use an online service that will send your pictures directly to you or to your local retailer. Walmart's photo service, for example, lets you upload and edit your pictures online and then notifies you when they're ready for pick-up at the store nearest to you.

You could also select a favorite photo of the week to use as wallpaper on your computer, smartphone or tablet.

Store Your Pictures Online

Walmart's online photo service also has a host of other services, including storage and sharing. They will store your pictures free of charge until you either delete them yourself or until you're no longer an "Active User," which is defined as "anyone who accesses their account at least once every 180 days and makes a purchase from their account at least once every 365 days."

The Walmart service also allows for sharing your pictures with friends and family. It's easy to upload your pictures to Facebook or any other online gallery that allows for sharing, as well and you'll be able to access them from anywhere in the world.

Watch What You Print Online

If you see an article or recipe that you want to print, use "print preview" from the file tab to see what it will look like before you print it. Chances are, there will be pictures, advertising or reams of comments that you just don't need.

To avoid wasting ink on the bits you don't want, look for the "print" button on the web page. It's usually near the top of the article and it will show you the article without all of the extras. If there is no such button, I simply copy the text I want and paste it into Word. Then I delete everything I don't need before I print it.


And don't forget to recycle your empty ink cartridges to keep them out of the landfill. Many of the electronic stores that sell ink cartridges, will also accept them back for recycling.

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Marlene Alexander is a freelance writer and Dollar Store Diva. She writes tips and ideas for finding and using the best the dollar store has to offer.