4 ways to save on printer ink

1. Get rid of your cartridge printer

Erin Bennett is our expert on printers here at Consumer NZ. She says the best thing you can do if you’re spending a lot on ink is buy a tank model.

“Printers that use ink cartridges are very cheap to buy, but, once you’ve got one, you’re committed to buying cartridges all the time,” Erin says. “If you can, it’s a good idea to change to a tank printer as soon as possible. You still have to buy liquid ink to refill the tanks but nowhere near as often as you have to replace cartridges. It won’t be long before it’s paid for itself.”

If you’re ready to make the switch to tanks, check out the 3 models we recommend in our printer test results.

If you want to stick with cartridges for now though, consider making the following changes.

2. Shop around for cartridges

If you’re in the habit of getting your ink from the same place every time, you might be surprised how much the price can differ.

I used to only go to Warehouse Stationery to buy new cartridges. Then I discovered I could compare cartridge prices on PriceMe and PriceSpy – just like I would for buying an appliance. Instead of paying my usual price of $44.95 for black ink, I went around the corner to Noel Leeming where it was nearly $6 cheaper. And there were loads of other places online that had cartridges even cheaper if I hadn’t left it to the last minute.

3. Change the way you print

A few changes to the way you use your printer can save your ink. An inkjet printer will use extra ink cleaning the heads every time it’s turned on. You’d be surprised how much ink that uses up, depending on the model. If you’ve got a lot of printing to do in a day, leave your printer turned on for the day. It won’t use much power when it’s in standby mode.

Some printers will use a combination of colours to produce a more vibrant black. This makes the printing even more expensive. You can switch your printer’s settings to “greyscale” or “draft quality” to make sure it only uses the black cartridge.

4. Consider third-party inks

Printer manufacturers want you to use their own ink – and some will void your warranty if you use products from other brands. If your printer is out of warranty though, you might want to think about using third-party cartridges (at your own risk). Other consumer organisations have tested some third-party inks and found they’re just as good. Our members have also told us they’ve saved by using them.