How to Use Your Printer and Save Money on Ink Cartridges and Paper

Increasing your printer' s productivity can be beneficial to your wallet and to the environment. You save money when you use less ink and paper.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Printer
• Printer Paper

1. CHOOSE SETTING:
   
   Most printers will allow the user to select different printer options. Utilize the express/fast setting of your printer instead of the normal or high quality settings. Choosing the fast setting will eliminate your usage of color ink and reduce your black ink consumption.

2. DETERMINE WHAT TO PRINT:
   
   Instead of printing an entire page, use your mouse to highlight the text you would like to print. Doing so prevents excessive and unnecessary use of printer paper . . . Especially when printing from web pages when you may not be aware of how many pages will print.

3. REUSE PRINTER PAPER:
   
   Reuse the blank side of a used sheet of printer paper. Marking the used side with an "X" will indicate to all that the paper is available for additional use. Use the *bonus* side to print information you have a temporary need for such as driving directions, rough drafts of essays, unclassified account data, etc.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider recharging your ink cartridges versus buying new ones.
• Buy new ink cartridges from retailers who will give you a discount for turning in an old cartridge.
• Purchase lower quality printer paper instead of the premium brand. Do you really need heavy weight and ultra-bright printer paper?