When it comes to printing supplies, ink is the most crucial. Without it, you couldn't print, and when the ink starts to run low, the quality of the text or image will undoubtedly be compromised. For these reasons, it's important to conserve printer ink and get as much use as you can out of a cartridge; you'll save money on cartridge replacement costs, too. Below, discover a few tips for preserving and stretching your printer ink.

How to Save Printer Ink

1. Use Grayscale for Black & White Print Jobs

Even when you're printing a black and white document, a printer often uses other ink colors to achieve a certain crispness and clarity. This usually happens when the document is sent to the printer in color mode. But you can get around this by opening the print settings prior to sending the job to the device, then switching it from color mode to grayscale. Grayscale will only utilize the black ink and not engage the color cartridges at all.

2. Adjust Print Quality

Certain jobs don't require high resolutions and razor-sharp texts or graphics. But your printer may be set to photo-quality resolutions when all you need to do is print out an informal email, shopping list, coupon, or some other item that doesn't need to look particularly sharp. Check the resolution or print quality screen on your device and adjust it accordingly with each job.

3. Think Before You Print

Before you hit the print button each time, take a moment to consider if you really need to print this document. Many people are in the habit of printing off materials that can easily be saved as documents or sent electronically as attachments; no printing is required. 

Only print the files that you or others need ready access to. This can save you on ink and other printing supplies and prolong the lifespan of the device itself.

When you need ink or any other printing supplies, visit Laser Line. Since 1989, this Jessup, MD-based printer and copier service has been serving Maryland, D.C., and Northern Virginia. As an HP® partner, they sell a full range of printing supplies and provide managed print services, installations, and networking. Call (410) 636-1700 or visit them online to learn more or to place an order.