Remanufactured High Yield HP 952XL black, cyan, magenta, and yellow ink cartridges

Do you find yourself thinking about how to save money on printer ink? If so, you're not alone. In fact, printer ink is one of the most commonly spent items in office or home budgets. But how to save on printer ink without sacrificing quality or functionality?

In this post, we'll discuss tips on how to save ink when printing and where to find the cheapest ink cartridges. So sit back and relax - you're in for a good read.


How to Save Money on Printer Ink? Top 10 Tips

Saving on printer ink is quick and easy when you know the right ways. We've narrowed it down to 10 useful ink saving tips. Let's start with the first tip on how to use less ink when printing.

Tip #1 - Go for High-yield

How to save money on printer ink cartridges? Buy high-yield variants. This is one of the most crucial things to keep in mind to save the ink. Cartridges typically come in three types:

  1. Standard Cartridges
  2. High-yield Cartridges
  3. Extra High-yield Cartridges

The prices vary, with the standard being the cheapest. Take note that not all types of ink cartridges have variants with higher yields. Those who use less printer ink can go for standard cartridges, but if you print on a regular basis, go for high or extra high yield, depending on your needs. The higher yield may be expensive up front, but its cost per page is lower compared to standard yield cartridges, so you can get more savings if you print regularly.

Check out the Canon 240 and 241 ink cartridges that have standard, high-yield, and extra high-yield variants. Look at the printer ink savings you can have by purchasing the higher yield.

CARTRIDGE PAGE YIELD PRICE COST PER PAGE
OEM CompAndSave (Remanufactured) OEM CompAndSave (Remanufactured)
Standard Canon PG-240 Black Ink Cartridge 180 $19.99 $18.99 12 cents 11 cents
Standard Canon CL-241 Color Ink Cartridg 180 $25.99 $23.99 14.43 cents 13.33 cents
High-yield Canon PG-240XL Black Ink Cartridge 300 $24.99 $19.99 8.33 cents 6.66 cents
High-yield Canon CL-241XL Color Ink Cartridge 400 $33.99 $24.99 8.49 cents 6.25 cents
Extra High-yield Canon PG-240XXL Black Ink Cartridge 600 $40.99 $22.99 6.83 cents 3.83 cents

Tip #2: Buy Ink in Bulk

Buying printer ink cartridges in bulk is another tip on how to save money on ink. This way, you can purchase a set number of inks for a lower price than if you bought them separately.

For instance, buying CompAndSave's combo pack of Remanfuactured High-yield Canon PG-240XL black and CL-241XL color ink cartridges, will help you save $11.00. It's 20% off compared to purchasing it at the retail price. Plus, buying combo packs in a set quantity (over $50) comes with free shipping, making it an even more valuable offer for you to save ink.

Interested in getting printer cartridges at a wholesale price? CompAndSave offers competitive wholesale pricing for resellers. Save on cartridges, especially if you have a printing business or you print at home frequently.

Tip #3: Use Color Ink When Needed

Another ink saving tip is slowing down on colored cartridges. Most of the printer's expenses are eaten up by colored inks. This is because they are expensive, and you need to purchase multiple color cartridges to print out the right colored documents.This is not the case when using black ink, as only one color is used throughout the document. Therefore, we suggest using color print only when it's essential, like for presentation reports. Otherwise, rely on black prints to save on printer ink.

Tip #4: Utilize Grayscale

How to save ink when printing? Stemming from the last point, we suggest that you use grayscale printing when you want to print something in black and white. This is due to the printer's use of various inks to create black color rather than directly using black ink. Reduce your colored ink consumption by doing the steps below:

  1. Open Devices and Printersfrom the control panel or type it in the search bar.
  2. Select the correct printer model and right-click on it.
  3. Choose Printing Preferences.
  4. Click the Color tab.
  5. Click Print in Grayscale, then click Apply.

Tip #5: Empty the Cartridge

The fifth tip on our list to save money on ink, is emptying your cartridge. Your printer will warn you when your ink cartridge is about to run out. Many people just replace the cartridges after the initial few warnings. However, there's still 10-30% ink left inside that can give you a few hundred printouts.

So we suggest not throwing out the cartridges on the first few warnings; you can buy and keep replacements in the case when the current cartridges are fully empty. However, keep using them until every single drop is squeezed out to save on ink cartridges.

Useful Tip:Try shaking the used ink cartridges gently, especially if the printer is kept in a humid climate, to break up ink clogs. This can give you a few additional prints.

Tip #6: Keep the Prints Coming

You may think that using your printer less is economical, but in reality, that's not a great way to save ink. Keeping your printer turned off for weeks can result in the ink drying up in the nozzles. Not only does this waste your ink, but it may also require repairs to get the nozzles working again, costing you more money.

Furthermore, the printer uses more ink to get ready to print when it's used after a long gap. So we suggest not turning off your printer completely; use it whenever you can, even if you only print at least 1 page a week. When the nozzles are clogged, learn how to clean the printhead of your cartridges so you can use the remaining contents and save money on printer ink.

Tip #7: Purchase Ink Online

How to save money on ink cartridges? Purchase them online! The upkeep of a physical store is costly. Online sellers can give discounts and special offers since they're able to save costs by not keeping a physical shop.

You can also save time and money by not going to the store. Major brands like HP, Canon, Epson, and Brother sell products online. Aside from their official websites, you can get ink from Amazon and other stores.

CompAndSave has monthly coupons where you can get discounts on your cartridge purchase. Check it monthly to save money on ink cartridges. Plus, you'll get free shipping if your order is over $50. You can make online payments via our secure checkout so you can get your orders right away. Savings plus convenience!

Tip #8: Scan or Share Online

Scanning instead of copying documents is another tip on how to save on printer ink. Copying files manually is not only time-consuming but also wastes ink and paper that could be put to better use. If it's not necessary to have a hard copy, you can send it digitally.

Nowadays, there are various ways to share files online. Some people use their drives or clouds. You can also send a photo, a screenshot, or a PDF file. Be resourceful in finding ways on how to save money on printer ink. Scanning and sharing documents online is one of the simplest tricks.

Tip #9: Choose Fonts Wisely

Fonts make up a lot of your printouts, so it's important to choose them wisely. If there's no required font for your printing jobs, feel free to choose the ink saver styles. Here are a few fonts that we can recommend to save on printer ink:

  • Calibri
  • Ecofont
  • Courier
  • Garamond
  • Ryman Eco
  • Century Gothic
  • Times New Roman
  • Baskerville Old Face

Tip #10: Care for Cartridges

It's important to take care of your cartridges to make them last a long time. If your aim is to learn how to save on printer ink, you should prioritize proper cartridge use and storage. Here are a few useful ink saving tips:

  • Store the cartridge in a zip-lock plastic or airtight bag to prevent the ink from drying.
  • Keep the cartridges in a dry and cool place, away from heat or sunlight. Recommended room temperature: 15 to 35 degrees Celsius (5 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit)
  • Keep the heads of your cartridges down to keep the ink moist and prevent colors from mixing.
  • Do not touch any electronic parts on your cartridge, as this can damage or disrupt its connection with the printer.
  • Even if you only use black ink, you should keep a full set of ink cartridges in your printer if it has more than one color ink slot. This is because an empty area can cause air to flow freely, which can dry out your ink cartridges.
  • To avoid drying out the ink, run a test print once a week or a cleaning cycle if you don't use your printer often.

By now, it's clear that you don't need to be a slave to high-priced ink to print documents. You can also find other ways to keep your printing costs low as long as you know these tips on how to save money on printer ink. Printing doesn't have to be expensive!

If you're just starting out on your printing journey, we've got you covered. Learn about the best ink saving printers and discount ink cartridges you can use. To save ink, know your options before you start purchasing your printing needs.

When it comes to being economical with your printing jobs, CompAndSave is with you. If you have questions about remanufactured cartridges and how you can even have bigger savings by buying bulk, call our toll-free number: 1-833-465-6888. We'll be happy to take your call from Monday to Friday, 6am-4pm PT.