Printers are deceptively cheap these days, but the same can't be said for the ink and toner you put in them. Ink is used by inkjet printers and toner, a powder, is used in laser printers. With both, cartridge costs can add up fast.
To avoid paying too much, understand that the business of selling ink and toner has gotten more competitive recently. Printer makers are taking small steps to help you figure out how much ink a printer will use. And a variety of retailers, both online and off, are selling off-brand and recycled cartridges.
Just finding the right replacement cartridges when you need them can be a challenge as well, so you need to know where to look and the best ways to order what you need quickly. These steps will help:
- Don't let your cartridges empty completely. Dry cartridges can cause print heads to overheat and damage your printer.
- Be careful about recycled cartridges. They'll save you money, but low-quality cartridges can ruin your machine.
- Exercise caution with refillable cartridges because they can and do leak.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Establish an account with a dealer you can trust
Buy your cartridges from reputable dealers who guarantee the quality of their products. Large office-supply chains are a good option, but a variety of good specialty Web sites sell ink and toner as well.
I recommend: Staples,
Office Depot and
Office Max are the big three. Also consider sites such as
AAA Toner and
Toner World.
Office Depot offers a helpful guide to ink and toner shopping.
Save money with third-party brands
Just because your printer is an HP or Epson doesn't mean your ink cartridges must carry the manufacturer's name. You can cut costs by 10 to 40 percent or more with store brands. Also, the shelf life of cartridges varies based upon storage conditions and the manufacturer.
I recommend: Find third-party brands and overstocked items at
TigerDirect.
Consider recycled goods
Reused cartridges can save even more money — just make sure they're from a reputable seller.
I recommend: Try recycled cartridges from
Atlantic Inkjet.
Get wise about printer yield
The printer manufacturer's specs will tell how many pages you can expect to print from a cartridge. This yield can help you gauge ink costs.
I recommend: Learn more about yield at
About.com.
Recycle or sell your empties
Most toner cartridges come with pre-paid shipping labels you can use to send back the empties. But if you have a large volume, you can also get a little money for sending them back.
I recommend: Empty Solution pays for empties and will send you prepaid UPS labels to recycle cartridges.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- Use black ink. If you're not printing a marketing brochure, you'll save money.
- Be stingy. Don't print pages you don't need.
- Look for a draft mode on your printer. It'll use less ink on documents that don't need to be perfectly polished.
- Toner costs more than ink, but long-lasting toner cartridges can give you more bang for your buck.
The official source of Ink and Toner is the Printer Ink page at Business.com
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