Cartpauj & iComNow

I know this post may seem random, but believe it or not, cartpauj.icomnow.com (Writing Free WordPress Plugins) is not my full-time job . I actually Manage a small Ink and Toner business for a living and write Plugins on the side for hobby. I’m studying MIS at my local university and hope to graduate with a Masters in MIS with an emphasis on web development at which point hopefully developing online software such as WordPress Plugins will be my full-time career. In the meantime however, I thought I’d share something interesting about what I’ve learned about ink-jet cartridges over the years.

Ink can be VERY expensive and can really put a pinch on the budget, especially if you use it a lot or happened to buy a “bad” printer. Here are ten tips to help you get the most life out of your cartridges:

1. Determine your printing purpose
Before you start printing any particular portion of text or graphics, decide its relevance and usefulness so that you do not spend time and money on printing things that may not be used.

2. Avoid extreme temperatures
Large differences in temperature can be detrimental to cartridges and printers. High levels of heat can cause the ink to leak and ruin your printer. Low levels of heat can cause the ink not to dispense properly and can leave dry pockets in your cartridges.

3. Be sparing on your color printing
Photo printing uses a lot of ink and can get expensive very quickly. Color cartridges are generally more expensive to buy and hold less ink per color than black cartridges.

4. Adjust your printer settings correctly
For most home based printing, you can get away with setting your printer to “Draft” mode. “Draft” mode uses far less ink and prints faster too.

5. Don’t let your printer sit for too long
If you do not use your printer for more than 2 weeks to a month the cartridges inside can begin to dry up. This will decrease the life of your cartridges and cost you more money in buying ink. We recommend that you print with black and color once a week.

6. Check Print Preview before printing
Most programs will allow you to preview your documents before actually printing them. Doing so can save time, ink and paper in case there’s something wrong with the way you initially formatted your document.

7. Let the printer do its job
Stopping your printer in the middle of a print job can confuse the printer causing wasted paper and ink. Stopping the printer before it is done can also cause the cartridge to leak.

8. Choose the right software
There are a lot of softwares available online that can help you save ink when printing, even when printing high quality documents.

9. Do not shut off your printer
You know those strange noises your printer makes when turning in on or off? This is the printer running a cleaning on it’s cartridges. These cleanings use ink! Most printers come with energy saving modes that will allow them to use very little power even when left on. Turning your printer on and off every time you use it can waste a lot of ink.

10. Fresh cartridges refill best
If you are one of those people who prefers to refill your cartridges rather than pay the disgusting cost to buy new, then make sure you get your cartridges to us as soon as possible after running out. Empty cartridges can dry up fast and the longer they sit empty the less likely they will be refillable.

I hope you’ve found this information useful. If you have any other ideas, please leave a comment below.

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