Printer ink is one of the most expensive liquids on the planet by volume — and manufacturers know it. But there are proven, practical strategies that can cut your annual ink spend by 50% or more without compromising the output quality you need.
Third-Party Cartridges
Compatible or remanufactured cartridges from reputable brands like LD Products or CompAndSave can cut ink costs by 50–70% compared to OEM pricing. Quality has improved significantly — modern compatible cartridges rarely cause print quality issues on mainstream printers.
Ink Subscription Services
HP Instant Ink, Epson ReadyPrint, and Canon's Selphy plans offer predictable monthly costs. HP Instant Ink in particular is excellent value — plans starting at $0.99/month include 10 pages; higher tiers drop the per-page cost well below cartridge pricing.
Switch to a Tank Printer
EcoTank, MegaTank, and similar refillable systems eliminate cartridges entirely. Upfront costs are higher but the economics are transformative for anyone printing more than 200 pages per month. Payback periods are typically 6–18 months.
Print in Draft Mode
Switching your default print mode to Draft or Economy reduces ink consumption by 30–50% for everyday documents. Reserve Normal or Best quality for final output only.
Print in Grayscale by Default
Colour ink costs significantly more than black. Setting black-and-white as your default for text documents prevents accidental colour usage and preserves expensive cyan, magenta, and yellow cartridges for when you actually need them.
Use Print Preview
Print preview prevents wasted pages from formatting errors, web page cut-offs, and unwanted blank pages. A simple habit that adds up over time.