Pay for Your Printer by Saving Paper and Ink...REALLY!
The average quarter-ounce ink cartridge will put you back about $25. Looking at the cost of printer ink by weight, it is more expensive than imported Russian caviar. While printer prices fall, ink prices remain high and tempt customers to opt for the no-brand substitutes that can actually harm their printer. Does this seem like a no-win situation? It is ... unless you get smart and learn to make your ink last four times longer.
In the overall scheme of things, the cost of ink doesn't seem like a big deal. When you look at the fact that with one ink cartridge you stand to save $75, though, it seems a lot more important. Using a program like InkSaver 2.0, FinePrint, or Greenprint you'll get up to four ink cartridges out of one and never lose print quality.
Without software that saves ink, you can use draft quality settings. It will save you ink, but the printer reduces print quality. What this means is that you'll never get a photo quality print using the draft setting.
So how is InkSaver or FinePrint any different than draft quality settings? Simple: Instead of reducing the quality of prints by making the "dots" larger, it intercepts the print job and makes the printer put out less ink. It doesn't touch the size of the dots or resolution, resulting in really great prints that don't soak your paper with ink. Think of these programs as a Union Rep. They don't interfere with your job, but they make the quality of your job much better by acting as a middle-man that looks out for your bottom line.
If you simply want to save money and ink while keeping your print quality, you'll definitely want to look at going the simple route with InkSaver. This software is simple. You install it, and it starts working. It saves you ink with no frills, bells or whistles; it does what you want it to do seamlessly, in the background, and you never have to worry about it.
Those looking for a more comprehensive solution to their printing needs will want to check out FinePrint. This software definitely saves you ink and money - using it through just two cartridges on average, you'll pay off the cost of an all-in-one printer - but it also features some really great "extras" that make it indispensable including multi-page printing, watermarks and creation of forms and letterhead.
Greenprint takes a different approach by using a font design to minimize ink and paper as well as technology that takes a look at the printing pages and eliminates the elements you do not want like ads, legalise, or last pages that are just a line or two.
Phebe Durand