Over the last few years, changes in the world have led to more people working from home offices. This can have many benefits but may also mean these individuals have had to become responsible for their own computer and printer repair or buying their own ink or toner cartridges. The guide below offers best practices for conserving printing costs. Even if you only use your printer for personal reasons, this advice can help lower your expenses. 

How Can You Save Money When Printing?

1. Avoid Printing When You Can

While it used to be necessary to print documents to bring or keep them with you, there are now modern ways to circumvent these issues. For example, instead of printing off movie or plane tickets, take a picture of the QR code. You can then pull up this image from your gallery for the security officer to scan without the need to use paper or ink. 

2. Utilize the Preview Option

Whether you are printing a new recipe to add to your kitchen binder or driving directions, the chances are that the instructions contain a few erroneous lines of text at the bottom. By checking how the document looks in preview mode, you can determine if you have to print the full five pages or get the same value out of the first four. Alternatively, you can experiment with printing the instructions smaller to determine if you can fit more text onto fewer pieces of paper. 

Lastly, if you are the composer of the document, using the preview setting allows you to read over what you've written one more time and check for typos that might cause you to reprint.

3. Use Draft Mode

For printing early drafts of documents, you don't need crisp quality. Switching to "Draft" mode or going into your color settings and choosing "Grayscale" will allow your printer to use less ink and avoid wasting what's in your colored cartridges, which are usually more expensive to replace. Draft mode also prints documents quicker.

4. Buy Compatible, Higher-Yield Cartridges

You can often buy a high-quality printer for an impressively low cost because the manufacturer then expects you to regularly spend money on their expensive toner cartridge refills. Fortunately, there is a cheaper solution. Remanufactured compatible cartridges use recycled name-brand cartridges and refill them with quality ink so that you get the same benefits out of them. You could also save money by buying higher-yield cartridges that have a greater upfront cost but last for much longer than their counterparts. 

If you need printer assistance or repair, turn to the experts at Alpha Laser Richmond Corp., serving all five boroughs of New York City, as well as central and northern New Jersey. In addition to providing computer and printer support services, they also pay cash for old ink and toner cartridges to help you dispose of them in an environmentally friendly way. Call (718) 317-1263 to ask questions or schedule an appointment.