Forget The Printer, Its The Ink That Matters

By Patricia Connor

If you go shopping for a printer, you will probably be attracted to the great features and affordability of printers available today. Do your best to ignore everything that you see. The true cost in printing is the ink. If you are looking for a good deal, shop based on the ink.

Most people have noticed the drop in the costs on ink jet printers. Although this is a welcome change it is misleading. Now many more people can afford to have their own printer. Unfortunately, when these consumers need to purchase more ink, they are shocked to find out how much the ink costs. In some cases a free printer cost more than $50 to refill.

In order to get the best value, a consumer should look at not only a printer's cost, but also the cost of its ink. The average amount of refills, and the cost of those refills will be a recurring expense for the life of the printer.

Sometimes printer will include features that may help control ink replacement costs. Not all printers are the same. Some come with two cartridges, some can come with as many as six. Depending on what you will be printing, In a two cartridge printer, all color is done on one cartridge. That means when you use up all the yellow the entire cartridge will need to be replaced. Sometimes more cartridges may actually help you.

On screen ink levels can also be handy in changing printing behaviors. Sometimes seeing how much ink is used with each project can help the user manage their usage. If you see that the ink is running low, you are less likely to print that extra picture and more likely to be responsible about your ink usage.

Besides looking at the cost of ink available where you purchase printers, do a little research for available generic ink. Generic ink cartridges and ink refills are easier for some brands than others. If you decide to use them in the future, purchasing a printer that has some is a frugal idea.

Finally, make sure to choose the printer that is best for your needs. If you are going to be printing a lot of photos, buy one designed for photo printing. Photo printers have multiple cartridges for color. They will most likely last longer than an all in one color cartridge for someone who prints a lot of photos. Photo printers may not be the best priced option, but you are more likely to get the best results out of your ink.

Shopping for printers based on ink and not on price will surprisingly save you money. - 31403

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