Printing is a very costly endeavor. It is surprising to sometimes see ink cartridges costing almost as much printer themselves.
Unfortunately, changing cartridges is an ongoing expense. Whether you are using an inkjet printer or a laser one, both use cartridges or toners that either deplete upon use or dry out over time.
If you are a student or a business owner, it is critically important to get the last drop out of your ink. So how to get more ink out of printer cartridge?
To save some bucks, we have compiled this article that will help you get the most out of your printer’s cartridges.
Preliminary Info: Ink or Toner Cartridges
Let’s face it, ink cartridges are expensive, and toners are even more costly. You can save some of the printing costs by taking care of the following points:
Tips on How to Get More Ink Out of Printer Cartridge
We will recommend these tips that will help you with how to get more ink out of cartridge.
1. Ignore the Printer Warnings
Source: Inkjet411.com
Printer warnings have not proven to be very reliable.
Several tests show how it can give a wrong message while there is still a considerable amount of ink left in cartridges.
So the first rule is not to believe your printer blindly unless you make sure that there is none left.
2. Reset the Cartridge Sensors
Ink cartridges have button that may not work well and can cause a low ink message.
It actually works by measuring the number of pages you have printed, and you may not have used that much ink for printing these pages.
You can reset this sensor when you are sure there is enough ink left in cartridge.
For resetting the ink sensors, you can gently remove the cartridge and look for the embedded chip.
Once found simply auto reset it or replace it with, or you can also stick a small piece of tape on it. It will keep it from working.
3. Shake the Cartridges
It can be frustrating when your printer stops working in the middle of printing something important.
An easy method of squeezing the last drop is to remove the cartridge and gently shake it. Don’t shake it too hard.
Little ink stored in the corners and sides will be released, and you probably can finish your printing by using this simple method.
4. Clean the Printheads
You may think you are running out of ink when prints get streaky, but it can be an indication that your printhead needs some cleaning.
The ink may get dried in the printhead and restrict the flow of ink for smooth printing process.
You can clean the printer’s parts to ensure a steady flow of ink.
Important: Replace Ink Cartridge When it is Empty
Trying to use an empty cartridge may damage your printer by melting the print head. So replace them as soon as you are sure there is no ink left in the cartridge. The bottom line here, don’t over use the ink cartridges beyond their capacity.
How to Make Ink Cartridges Last Longer?
Another way to look at the query “How to Get More Ink Out of Printer Cartridge” is to look into the best practices for conserving as much ink as possible.
Here are different methods for prolonging the life of your ink cartridges and make the most of it.
1. Print Only What is Important
Make sure before printing that you read the preview and look for any passages or parts that you don’t need. Printing only what is important will prevent lavish spending of ink.
2. Clean Your Printer
Make sure you clean different printer’s parts and remove any leftover ink in time. It will get dry with time and will affect your printer’s performance. Any novice will think that ink is running out.
3. Avoid Unnecessary Styling
Choose a simple font for printing. Some fonts and writing styles use more ink than necessary for printing text.
4. Choose the Draft Mode
Don’t keep on printing everything with the same settings. Change the setting to suit your objectives, and thus you can save some ink.
For example, you can choose a draft mode. Some printers come with the ink saving mode, and you can activate that too.
5. Store the Cartridges When Not Using
If you have bought ink cartridges that you are not going to use anytime sooner, store them in their boxes and keep it at a safe place.
You can also wrap the cartridges with newspaper.
6. Use Printer at Least Once a Week
To prevent ink cartridges from drying, you can run the printer at least once a week for a test page. It will save your ink from drying and will keep your printer in good condition.
7. Maintain the Optimal Temperature
Leaving your printer in extreme heat or cold weather conditions can also cause them to dry sooner.
For enhancing the shelf-life of your ink cartridges, you should maintain a moderate temperature of room.
8. Double-Check the Ink Cartridges Before Replacing
Make sure there is no ink left in the cartridge before you replace them. Often printers can send wrong message, and there is plenty of ink left in the cartridge.
For checking remove the cartridges and reinstall them in the printer. Start the printing to see if it still sends a low ink message.
If yes, then change the ink cartridges or refill them with fresh ink.
9. Use Recycled Ink Cartridges
Buying ink from reputable brands can become costly as they are expensive, and most of ink cartridges have a minimum amount of ink in them.
Use remanufactured ink cartridges, but from a reliable source.
These ink cartridges are not only inexpensive, but you will also contribute to make this planet cleaner.
Conclusion
Here we learned about how to get more ink out of a printer cartridge and also ways to save as much ink as possible.
There is not doubt that replacing ink cartridges is costly. But you may not need to spend on a new one too soon.
Most of the time, printers do not give an accurate reading of how much is left. You can make sure before replacing that each drop of ink is squeezed from the cartridge.
At times, all it takes is a slight shakeup and you can resume your printing process. You can also save ink by taking some simple precautions.
Refilling ink cartridges at home, and use of re-manufactured ink cartridges is also a good idea but only if you get one from a reputable vendor.
Andrew White is the founder of TechGearoid, a leading technology review & information website that is designed to help consumers make better decisions when it comes to their IT purchases. As a specialist tech writer (nerd) with over 10 years of experience, he enjoys writing about everything there is to do with modern technology & the newest market innovations. When he isn’t providing value for his readers, he’s usually drinking coffee or at the beach. Andrew lives in Sydney, Australia with his wife and family.