INK CARTRIDGES – THINK BEFORE YOU INK
Before you go out and buy a new printer, you may want to first take a look at what goes into them. Do yourself a favour and take a look at the ink cartridges that that model requires BEFORE you decide on the hardware.
The cost structure of printers and cartridges has changed so much in recent times that an ink toners cartridge costs virtually the same as a brand new printer. Some people even think they should be encouraged to buy a new printer by being offered a free one when they purchase a new ink cartridge!. Many manufacturers are actually selling printers at below cost and it’s very easy to be tempted by the amazing affordability of these machines. The real cost – and the major profit to the manufacturers – is in the printer ink cartridges.
Ink cartridges aren’t all the same price. Some brands cost significantly more than others and it will save you a lot of money if you do your research before you make a purchase. Check out the advantages and disadvantages (in terms of cost and performance) of each brand before you decide.
It’s also important to note that not all printer cartridges are made the same For eg, some brands contain only one colour ink in the cartridge whilst others have all the colours in one unit. This means that in some instances, the whole cartridge will have to be replaced when one colour runs out despite the fact that the other colours are still valid.
Of course the manufacturers want to encourage people to purchase more ink cartridges, so they actively discourage people from purchasing refilled or reconditioned cartridges . One of their arguments is that warranties may be invalid if unbranded or refilled ink cartridges are used.
Before you buy a new printer, try and evaluate what your printing needs will be. Because colour printing is so much more expensive – it may be an option to purchase two printers, one for colour and one for everyday black and white. Printers that use a lower resolution (ie have fewer dots per inch) will use up less ink and will therefore be more cost-effective.
And once you’ve purchased your printer, used up a cartridge or two…spare a thought for the environment. With nearly 400 million cartridges thrown away every year, the impact on the environment is huge.
When you buy a new printer or toner cartridge, you’re getting a lot of plastic and other bits, but only a tiny bit of actual ink. Only around eight millitres of ink goes into an average black ink cartridge – but it makes a big dent in your wallet and takes up a big chunk of landfill..
So before you rush out and buy a new printer, think about the ink, say a Western Australian cartridge supplier, Printerfuel. Take time to research all options is what they recommend – find a printer cartridge that suits your needs and your budget, be responsible when it comes to recycling or discarding empty cartridges and find the cartridge before the printer.
What To Do With Old Ink Cartridges
With a trend toward ecological awareness, more people are looking to recycle their household products like glass or plastic, for example. Ink cartridges is a another option for you to look into. Not only can you recyle, at the store or online, but you often will receive reimbursement for your time and green-sensitivity in the form of cash or store credit. Here’s how to do it:
First, you have to remove your empty ink cartridge or toner. Observe the instructions that came with the printer for the proper removal method.
Then, you have to find a company or institution participating in an ink cartridge donation or buyback program. Both the office superstore down the street and comfort of your computer chair and the wonders of the Internet can help you find a place. They range in reward value, but generally you can expect to receive up to around $4 for a printer cartridge and $7 for a toner cartridge.For some, it’s more advantageous to combine many cartridges into one shipment to cut down on costs. If you are an employee at a large office or company, this might be your best bet. Some people will only have one ink cartridge, and therefore need to get it refilled or replaced immediately.
Refilling and reselling is an option, and many office superstores will do just that. You might want to take advantage of the lower cost. Remember, since the cartridge must be opened up to be refilled, the risk of an error of some kind of cartridge failure goes up. Refilled cartridges also sometimes void the warranty on certain models of printers-somethign you should check before you decide to use a re-fill.
Finally, you should remember to replace the missing cartridge with a new one. Go ahead and get it into place, if you’ve already refilled it at your donation location. If you seek to purchase a brand new ink cartridge, a decent option would be an online retailer like 4inkjets.com. They generally have reasonable prices for ink cartridges.
That’s how easy recycling your used ink cartridges can be! Being green-friendly and cost-efficient at the same time are now a possibility!
New Font Can Cut Ink Usage Even More
My last few articles have dealt with the question of how to cut down on ink costs for your printer. I just did an article about how Century Gothic is the most economical font because it has the thinnest characters and uses the least ink. When I was composing that previous article, I wish I had known of this new font concept and consolidated the articles.
The idea, available as a free download online, is called Ecofont. In the interest of full disclosure, I will say that I am in no way affiliated with Ecofont or its developers, i just think everyone should know about it. Plus, Ecofont is totally free, so I wouldn’t have anything to gain from promoting it anyway. This article should be taken as an informational resource for anyone interested in more eco-friendly printing measures.
Ecofont is based on Verdana, the familiar font available in MS Word. Its built-in capabilities, however, allow it to achieve far more green-friendly printing. Ecofont is filled with tiny holes, or bubbles of no ink. Each letter experiences an average 20% reduction in ink usage. Each letter printed with Ecofont, examined closely, looks like a slice of swiss cheese.
This swiss-cheesery is hardly visible though. The font is still readable even at size 18, which is the first point at which the holes become very visible. Reduced to a normal size 12, the only dscernable difference between plain Verdana and Ecofont is a slight blurriness on Ecofont’s part. That, and a 20% reduction on ink costs of course.
This is equal to using 20% less words when you write your sentences or cutting out 20% of your final draft of a report. While neither of those options are very realistic, if the integrity of the writing is to preserved, changing to Ecofont is certainly viable.
So far, Ecofont is virtually alone in the eco-friendly font arena, although it’s likely to stay uncontested (or free) for very long. There’s another software package called Preton Saver that offers pixel-saving measures in graphics, photos and a variety of text, but it’s definitely not free. It does allow a free trial though, so it might be worth checking out to see what kind of savings are possible.
I like inkcartridges.com for all my cheap ink cartridges needs.