After we buy a printer, do you treat your printer special? Normally we just put a side, print when we need, but we did not treat our printer special. Without a special treatment, your printer might cost you a lot, more then your expectation. Problem occur will take you more then a days to troubleshoot, wasting time and money.

I will share few tips on how to lower your printer cost.

1 Printing in “draft” mode
If you just print the document for your self, of any informal printing just for reference, you can consider to change printer mode to draft mode. This kind of printing might result in slightly lighter, less precise print, but indirectly reduces your ink usage.

To change the printer mode to draft mode, simply go into printer option under the control panel, select the printer and properties,and choose draft mode under printing quality.

For example, I am using canon bubble jet printer, properties my bjc-1000p, and go into printing preferences.

Select paper/quality tab, and choose on draft mode.

2. Take care on the print nozzles & cartridge cradles clean
Now a days, most of the deskjet’s driver come with a toolbox function which provide you to clean the print nozzles on the printer. Clear any debris or clogs which may cause the printer from printing normally. This step should be done once a week depend on your printing quantity.

Keep the insider of the printer clean, especially the cartridge cradle, if you saw any ink or debris in the cradle, you shall use a can of compressed air or an alcohol wipe to clean those area.

3. Choose Web Base Printing Option
There are some software out there to let you minimize needless printing and reduce the waste of ink, you can use this software to select, store, and organize the content from a lot web pates and print only the content you need, same time, ink and paper.

For example, HP Smart Web Printing software.

4. Keep your cartridge in the correct place
Cartridge must seal and keep in the original packing, turn it in upright position so that the ink can’t evaporate through the nozzles, and always keep in the room temperature.

When you remove the cartridge from the packing, always place it in the printer “home” position, this is to keep the ink from drying out the nozzles, and reduce the risk of contamination with airborne dusk particles.

5. Power off the with the correct method
Do not simply shutdown the printer with the main power switch, you require to turn off the printer with the power button on the printer. This is to let the printer run the showdown process, and park the printer head properly, avoid dries out the print head too

6. Use high quality paper
Most people intent to save cost, buying lower quality paper, or use recycle paper may cause paper jams, which can turn the mechanicl problem on the printer.