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The thought of replacing the whole printer rather than buying new ink seems like a wasteful and expensive idea. Although this option screams impractical and absurd, more and more people are avoiding buying new ink to save a little bit extra. This article will help you decide whether to buy new ink or a new printer as it depends on how often you are printing and what you are printing.
Replacing cartridges
Buying ink cartridges can be tricky if you are not sure what size and type are suited for your printer. Regular ink cartridges are quite expensive compared to larger ones, however, the larger cartridges tend to print fewer pages. If you are certain that you will use your printer regularly, laser printers would best suit your needs. Although they can be almost double in price compared to inkjet printers, laser printers won’t dry out which means you only need to replace the cartridges when there is no ink and toner left.
Buying a new printer
Like buying many things, the cheaper the price usually means the less quality it has. When purchasing a new printer, it is cheaper to buy one in the higher price range as cheaper lower quality printers will need more maintenance and have less impressive printouts. A lot of people also buy new printers believing that they are getting their money’s worth through starter ink cartridges, but it is almost guaranteed that they will not be full.
Printing costs also don’t mean just the cost of the printer. There are four main categories of purchasing a printer that you need to consider. These include the price of the printer, the ink and toner, the electricity that is being used, and the parts of the printer that might need servicing. The main factor when purchasing a printer is to have an estimate of your usage. For example, if you are buying a printer for your home and will only use it a few times a month, then an inkjet printer would be suitable for you. If you have a small business and will use a printer every day at the office, then a more advanced and capable printer is needed.
Replacing only what’s necessary
The price of ink has increased over the last 10 years making it more expensive than the running cost of a printer, which is why more consumers are discarding their empty printers altogether. However, many people are unaware that when the time comes to replace your ink cartridges you don’t need to replace every single colour. The majority of businesses print in black ink only, so if you are mainly using a monochrome palette rather than vibrant bright colours, then buying new ink instead of a new printer is your best option.
There are also a handful of tips and tricks you can use to save on ink when printing. A lot of people don’t realise that there are specific fonts that use less ink and take up less space without changing the size of the font. Using eco-friendly fonts is a great way to save that little bit of extra on ink usage and there is a range of different fonts to suit your document style. Another way to save on ink when printing is adjusting your border and margin size to allow more words to fit on the page, therefore, printing fewer pages altogether.
Environmental impact
Unfortunately when the life cycle of a printer and ink cartridge ends the majority of people throw them away without realising they can be recycled, which results in them going into landfills. Although refilling ink cartridges can lead to many issues, it is important to assess your options before replacing the whole printer.
Although the printing industry still has a long way to go in terms of making printing more ethical and environmentally sound, printing companies such as HP have already started working towards positive printing solutions that can help the environment and the consumer.
New printer or new ink?
You’ve read this article and now are making the decision if you should buy new ink or a new printer. It really comes down to usage, although you might not want to spend more money on an expensive printer, you will be saving money in the long run.
Buying new ink instead of a new printer is extremely helpful for the environment. If you buy a new printer each time without recycling them properly, then the landfill of old discarded technological devices only grows.
Contact Printer Repairs Centre for more information on how to use, repair, and service your printers or other office machines properly.
