10 Ways to Save Money on Printer Cartridges

This is a guest post by James Adams. If you want to guest post on this blog, check out the guidelines here.

When the printer seems to be drinking ink instead of efficiently printing documents, there are some steps that can be taken to optimize ink usage. Older printer models use more ink than newer models so consider replacing printers that have been in use for more than three years. New models of printers allow more control over print settings. Spend some time walking through this logical series of steps to evaluate the settings and lower the consumption of ink and toner.

printer-cartridge

1. Reset the automated cleaning function – When the printer performs an automated cleaning of the print heads, ink is wasted instead of used for printing. While the process is necessary for the printer to function correctly, the frequency of these cleanings can be reset to reduce the ink consumption. Refer to the user manual for instructions. The printer that is used daily will only need the print heads cleaned weekly.

2. Use “draft” printing mode – Within the printer properties, set the default printer to print every document in “draft” mode. Documents that are going to reside in a file that is opened only occasionally can be of lesser quality. When the printed document will be presented to a customer, the print quality setting can be changed for the one print job. Since the default is set to “draft” the next document will be printed in draft mode.

3. Print in monochrome – Set the default color setting to “grayscale” or “monochrome” to use only the black ink. Black ink is much less expensive than color ink. Most text documents are entirely black and white. When draft copies are needed for a color document, the black ink can be used until the final copy is printed.

4. Choose a finer font – Some fonts consume a great deal of ink because each line is thicker. Choose a font that has very fine lines and a narrower footprint within the print line. The research to find a better default font may require the use of some ink, but the long-term benefit will be evident.

5. Use cartridge completely – Never change an ink cartridge before it is completely empty. Wait until the print quality has been directly impacted before removing the old cartridge and inserting a new one. While a little bit of ink in one cartridge may not seem like much, over time the habit of removing a cartridge with usable ink remaining will cost money.

6. Send digital pictures to print service – Printing one picture with a reduced resolution consumes an acceptable quantity of ink. When multiple high-resolution photographs are printed, an entire ink cartridge can be consumed. Save money and use the expertise of a photo printing service for printing photographs.

7. Evaluate compatible or remanufactured cartridges – Out of pocket costs may appear to be lower when choosing to use less expensive compatible ink cartridges. While some remanufactured cartridges may deliver comparable quantities of printed pages, most consumers are disappointed with the cheaper versions. Just for proof, purchase one full set of the compatible cartridges and track the number of printed pages. Then decide which printer cartridge is best for use in your printer.

8. Outsource high-volume print jobs – When a very large document is to be printed, contact the local copy shop and inquire about the cost of their services. The cost of paper, ink, and employee time will be more than working a deal with a copy center. Set a certain threshold for the number of pages that can be printed on the office printer and send all larger documents out to be printed.

9. Refill cartridges – Some printer cartridges can be refilled by a service or refilled in house to save substantial funds on ink and replacement cartridges. Toner cartridges must be refilled by a service, but this can save a great deal of money over the course of a year. Find a reputable refill service and ask if they have deals for frequent ink refills. Monitor the number of pages printed from a refilled cartridge and determine which approach is the most cost effective for printer.

10. Recycle spent cartridges – Many retailers have started to offer money-saving coupons in exchange for spend printer cartridges. Those cartridges are sold to a refill service instead of being thrown into the landfill. Use the coupon to purchase the new printer cartridge and save money on your print costs.

Print quality is important for some documents, but most of the printed pages produced are for internal use and do not require excessive use of ink. When looking for ways to save money on the ink cartridges in the printer, know what the printer is currently doing to consume ink. Familiarize yourself with the settings that can be improved. Reset one and then see how the print quality is changed. Reduce the number of automated operations the printer performs that consume ink. Evaluate business practices that consume unnecessary ink. Reward employees that come up with creative ways to reduce the amount of printed material produced each month. Choose the best practices to prevent being penny wise and pound foolish.

Also give the latest HP Photosmart Ink b110 Cartridges a try without fail, and let us know what you think in the comment section.

James works as part of the team of writers at CartridgeSave.co.uk who analyse and review Pitney Bowes supplies and printer accessories. If you would like to read more of his work, you can visit their website.

Web design careers for freelancers: How to get more work than you can handle

This is a guest post by Paul Wallis. If you want to guest post on this blog, check out the guidelines here.

If you’re a freelancer, you’ll have noticed the market for web design comes in a large range of shapes and sizes, particularly on the contract sites like Elance. This is also an evolving market, and if getting business is the natural first priority, staying in touch with what the market wants is the natural development. Things like SEO, in its various ramifications for clients, need to be studied.

This is a business exercise. It’s worth getting yourself well prepared to provide a range of services so you can target your freelance work efficiently. You’ll find that you can generate more business, and more repeat business, with some pretty basic concepts and capabilities.

How to get more business without even trying- The support role
If you’ve been in the business for a while, you will have noticed that you’re supposed to be all things to all people. All glitches, bugs, hopelessly inappropriate software and other invaluable users of time mysteriously turn out to be your babies. This, believe it or not, is a real business asset, if you know how to exploit it. The Mr. Fixit role is actually extremely valuable to clients.

More importantly, you’ll find that good clients will stick with you as a support service. This work may not be glamorous, but it will pay all the bills by itself. You can double your receipts and you’ll also get referrals from customers without asking for them. You may find the entire local Chamber of Commerce is suddenly on your client list.

Targeting your web design work
Targeting uses your skills to their best advantage. Don’t bother going for any work that happens to be there, unless absolutely unavoidable. Target the things you do best, where you can really perform brilliantly.

Ask yourself:

1. What are your strongest design areas? Which facets of web design can you do day in, day out, and do well, almost reflexively? These are areas where your business can go into high production mode with no problems.

2. In what fields of web design do you really excel? This is quality control for business- You don’t even feel like you’re working in these areas. This is your quality zone, where you’re not only better, you’re ultra-competitive, and quite likely to win a battle for contracts.

3. What extra services can you provide? This is a business issue. If you can show added value and services, you’ve got the contract before you even go for it. If you’ve got search engine optimization” as part of your credentials, you’ve just ticked a box on the client’s list.

4. How good are your client relationship skills? If you answered anything other than “Excellent, Dazzling, or Brilliant”, you need to put in some work. All business is as much about relationships as anything else. If you want customers, excel in this area. Take courses if necessary but get it covered.

You’ll never look back, targeting your work on this basis. Keep your relationships strong and healthy, and you’ll literally have more work than you can handle.

About the author: Paul Wallis is an award winning professional freelance writer, specializing in creative writing, SEO and journalism, working in the US, Canada, Australia and Belgium.

10 Tips for Increasing Creativity in the Office

This is a guest post by John Brook. If you want to guest post on this blog, check out the guidelines here.

You are expected to be creative at your workplace. You are supposed to look for new connections and seeking out new horizons while you are working. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to keep the creative energy at full steam ahead. Here are ten ideas to help you get a creative boost.

#1. Chat With Friends
Friends are concerned with your well being. They will be happy to talk about their own passions, allowing your brain to rest from the constant performance pressure. Learn about what they’re doing and listen to them speak about their passions. If you have friends in the field, talk to them about the situation.

#2. Do Something Different
Find something completely different to which you can devote your attention. Actively listen to the music that is playing on the speakers. Talk to different people. Go to any networking events or conventions that are in your area. If you are a writer, everything goes into the catalog of ideas.

#3. Brainstorm
Write down a stream of consciousness list about a subject. Intentionally write a list of bad ideas. Brainstorm a list of the worst breakfast cereals, fictional or not. With brainstorming, there are no truly bad ideas. This exercise is intended to get your brain pumping once more.

#4. Keep a Healthy Attitude
A healthy attitude is quite important to keeping the river of creativity flowing. Know that the current lack of good ideas will not last forever. Your mental batteries just need to be recharged. Keep a smile on your face. If you can’t smile, fake it til you make it.

#5. Look at the Past
Think about the projects that you have done and see if there is anything that you can do to improve upon them. See if there are any openings to expound on your subject matter or polish your words. If you have written a training manual, could your illustrations be more effective?

#6. Mind Maps
Write your subject in the middle of the page. From there, start writing words and phrases which are related to the word in the middle. Start writing the words and ideas that relate to the words and ideas. Allow yourself a limited amount of time, else you will cover the room with related items.

#7. Walk Away
Take an hour to walk around the building or parking lot. Walk through the hallways at your work or walk out to the home garden. Your brain needs to recharge. The break that you give your brain will pay off later in great ideas.

#8. Take a Nap
Take a nap. They give you that necessary time to recharge. You need to recharge, and napping is the perfect opportunity to catch up on some sleep. Don’t allow your nap to go over two hours. When you come back, you should be refreshed and invigorated.

#9. Play the Percentages
Let those bad ideas come out and play. If you have been successful, you have probably had quite a number of bad ideas. You want the ideas to be coming as often as possible because you never know which one is going be the idea that will propel you to superstardom.

#10. Clean Your Desk
The energy within your workspace might be stifling. Take the time to clean off your desk and the floor. Sometimes, ideas will come while you are putting things away. Take a note of those ideas and keep working. As you eliminate clutter, your mind will feel more relaxed.

You will become more creative with the frequency that you use your creativity. When you are slumping, take the time to recharge your creative energies by mind mapping, taking a walk or cleaning your area. While you are doing other things, make sure that you have a pen and paper with you to capture the ideas.

John Brook is a writer who works at Office Kitten, one of the top suppliers of office stationery for businesses in the UK.