Printers are one of the most basic office supplies for a business to have. Depending on the frequency of printing, you may have to buy printer cartridges quite often, the cost of which can run up to a considerable amount for an entire year. Taking care while buying an appropriate cartridge and optimizing the use of ink can help you avoid wasted expenditure.

Select Compatible Product
To buy printer cartridges online, you need to make sure that they’re compatible with the brand of printers you have in your office. Different printer brands/models only run with specific cartridges. Take the assistance of a service technician at your office while placing an order or speak to someone knowledgeable at the online store to make the right choice. Make sure to keep the original packaging, receipt and warranty card in case the cartridge gives you some trouble.

Single Color or Tri-Color Cartridge?
Many customers get confused between tri-color cartridges and single color cartridges. Both have their drawbacks and advantages – for example, tri-color cartridges are smaller and can be used in smaller printers. But if you run out of one ink in the tri-color cartridge, you will have to replace the entire unit even if you have a good amount of the other inks. This problem is avoided in single color cartridges since each cartridge can be replaced individually without wasting other inks.

Avoid Wasting Ink Wherever Possible
After you buy printer ink cartridges, there are several things you can do to control how you use the ink. Start by only printing what you absolutely need - this will save you ink, paper and money. Double check the documents to avoid reprinting the same thing twice. Consider investing in printer software that is compatible with your printer as this will allow you to better control the printing process.

Hacks to Get Maximum Prints
You don’t necessarily have to replace the cartridge as soon as the printer notifies you’re running low on ink – in most cases, you can get a few more prints till the ink goes completely empty. Remove the cartridge from the printer and give it a good shake so that ink gets redistributed. When utilizing printer ink cartridges to print text, consider opting for grey scale instead of color. If printing quality is not of prime importance, consider taking prints of the lowest possible quality.