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Step 1
Use draft mode. Draft mode uses less ink but may not give you the quality of cheap color printing that you are looking for. Try it out by going to your control panel and finding your printer. From the Print Quality screen select draft. The grayscale option will ensure that your color ink isn't used at all. Color cartridges sometimes cost more than black ink cartridges.
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Step 2
Only print what you will use. Get cheap color printing by printing less but still getting everything you need. Instead of using the "Print Screen" option print a selection. If your printer messes up just print out the exact page you need instead of reprinting the entire project. Copy and paste text into a word processing programs so you don't print out a website's graphics. If you are printing from the web look for a print version of a form that will use less ink and isolate the image. Send attachments through e-mail instead of printing out files and then faxing them.
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Step 3
Buy refills. Refills can be less expensive then buying new ink cartridges. You can get these ink cartridges in kiosks and auction sites. Using a refill may void your printer's warranty. Buy refills in bulk but make sure they are stored according to the manufacturer's directions so the cartridges will work when you get around to using them.
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Step 4
Recycle ink cartridges. Some stores offer an incentive that will help you get cheap color printing. Many stores will give you a few dollars cash back for bringing in your old ink cartridges and it's good for the environment too.
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Step 5
Take your pictures to a professional printer. Pictures take up a lot of color ink and might not come out the quality that you were expecting. Take your digital pictures to a printer and have your favorites made up. It will save you time, stress and possibly even money.
