How to Save Money When Buying Ink Cartridges

Ink cartridges are parts of the print system that contain the ink. In some cases, depending on how the printer is built, the cartridges also contain the print head. Through the printer’s mechanism and the technology that is in use, the ink inside the cartridges are then placed on to the paper to produce the printed material which typically include text and images.  

Printer cartridges are, as we know, replaced at constant and regular intervals. And this means, constant and regular printer expenses. So it’s important to find ways to save money when buying and using ink cartridges.

One of the ways to save on printer ink costs is to buy your printer ink in bulk. If that would put a strain on your budget, you might at least want to consider the multipacks or the combo packs. These often help you get the ink at discounted prices. 

But don’t just jump at the chance of buying cheap ink cartridges, make sure that they won’t malfunction, leak, dry out too early or just conk out way too early. So when you choose the printer ink vendor – whether it’s a brick and mortar store or an online store – make sure you find a reliable vendor that has a good track record and has been in business for quite some time so you can get high quality ink cartridges.

Don’t hesitate to ask about bulk discounts and other promos, most stores have these and they help you get more discounts or even a chance to win other items.

Check the fine print on those toners, particularly if you are planning to buy in bulk. You need to make sure you know the expiry dates of each of the toners and if you can reasonably use them up in the period within the expiry dates. Otherwise, you will end up wasting ink. You should also be aware of the store’s return policy and the terms of warranty on the printer cartridges.

Original printer toners are called brand name or OEM (original equipment manufacturer) toners. These kinds of toners promise high quality prints that the brand’s proprietary technologies can make possible. OEM toners, however, are more expensive than other kinds of toners like compatible and remanufactured. Compatible toners are made by third party manufacturers. So even if they can actually work with the printer, compatible toners are not of the same brand as the printer. They’re, of course, less expensive than OEM toners. Even less expensive are remanufactured toners which are recycled printer cartridges. If the print outs will mostly be for internal use and you don’t need to wow anyone with vivid colors and texts with dark, bold edges, cheap ink cartridges will do just fine. Just make sure, as mentioned earlier, that you are getting these products from a reliable vendor so you will actually end up saving money. There are also kits that let you refill your old printer cartridges. However, do not be tempted into refilling your old cartridges yourself if you have zero knowledge and experience in doing it. Have your printer cartridges professionally refilled to avoid getting ink all over your work or home office area.