Hardware article and Tip

Buying a printer is a one time cost
but since printer ink cartridges need to be bought on a regular basis
the cost of operating the printer and maintaining it in proper condition can add up. Each ‘print’ command
however small
makes your printer use ink
but with some easy tips
you can actually save a lot of ink and use a cartridge for a longer period than usual.

1) Print only what is necessary

Let’s begin with economising. Most often
we end up making unnecessary printouts and in the process waste precious ink. For instance
you might need to print only a small portion of a web page instead of the whole page. Instead of simply printing the whole page
complete with its heavy graphics etc
be specific on what you want to have in hard copy and print only that portion.

Text always consumes less ink compared to graphics or images. If textual information is all that you need then you can make sure that you don’t print the graphics and images. If it is a web page you need to save in a printed form
check for its print version. If there is no print version
you can copy and paste the text in a word document and take a printout of that.

Also try to do a bit of planning and double check what you are printing before hitting the print button.

2) Go for a quick print preview

Most branded printers such as HP
Canon
Dell
Epson or any other printer come with a printer driver which has a very useful print preview function. With this function
you can have a prior preview of the copy you want to take a print out of.

This function is especially handy when you are directly taking the print out from the Internet. At times
what you see on a site is totally different as compared to the printed version. A quick preview can help to get the printout of the material that you specifically want.

3) Make sure the power is turned off

Just as you never switch off your computer without properly shutting it down
the same rule applies to your printer too. If you don’t shut down the printer properly
the print heads will remain directly exposed to air causing the ink to dry in the nozzles which
in turn
could affect the quality of printing adversely. Make it a habit to check the position of the print heads before cutting off the power.

4) Use good software

There are various ink saving software options available online. These software applications are designed to reduce the consumption of your printer ink. With these applications
you can get good quality printout copies with less ink consumption even during high resolution printing.

5) Use printer ink cartridges smartly

If you don’t do printing regularly
run a small printing test at least once a week
to avoid the ink cartridges from drying up. This little precaution will help you to increase the life of the cartridge.

6) Never expose your printer to extreme temperatures

Too much variation in room temperature is bad for printer ink cartridges. You must avoid keeping your printer in too hot or too cold a temperature as the cartridges can dry up. For lasting printer performance
make sure the room has a normal and stable temperature.

With these small but important tips
your printer ink cartridges will get a longer life. It is easy to buy good quality printer ink cartridges at excellent prices from online shops.