The Best Ways to Save Money on Printer Ink

by Quick Printer Service Quick Printer Service 1-800-319-5804

Whether you print a lot or a little, it pays to look into the bulk-ink and subscription options offered by Epson, HP, and other printer makers. We'll walk you through each option and compare them side by side.

One of the most frequent problems with printers is that the ink and toner are too expensive. Spending a lot of money to refill cartridges that quickly run out of ink or, in the case of inkjet printers used infrequently, dry out and clog nozzles, resulting in a lot of ink being wasted during cleaning processes, is not a good idea. As the cost of the printer increases, printer ink costs less. Following the traditional marketing strategy of giving away free razors to sell blades, the least expensive printers and all-in-ones frequently have the highest cost per printed page.

One way to save money when buying a printer is to take into account the total cost of ownership, which includes the price of the printer itself as well as the cost of consumables for however many pages you plan to print throughout its lifespan. When determining that estimate, you should look into purchasing supplies in bulk or signing up for an ink or toner subscription plan with a set price that fits your monthly printing needs, such as with an inkjet printer that uses refillable ink bottles rather than cartridges.

Both tactics—subscriptions and buying in large quantities—are becoming more popular. Numerous printer manufacturers have created inkjet and laser printers that only provide one or the other in order to achieve record-low operating costs for both consumers and businesses. For example, the HP Instant Ink program provides several monthly levels of ink and toner supply that might save you a lot of money, especially if you print a lot of color pages. Brother has made a similar program, whereas Canon has a version that is more restricted. Along with Epson, all three companies sell printers that can be purchased in bulk.

A quick reminder about the monthly fees for all the subscription plans described below: They are based on the number of pages printed rather than the number of cartridges used. Whether it's black text, a mix of text and colour graphics, a presentation handout with a solid colour background, or a photo, each page counts the same. So, the more you print in color, especially with heavy ink coverage on a typical page, the more money you'll save. Similarly, a subscription will be most cost-effective if you print close to the maximum allowed for the tier you've paid for without exceeding the limit.

Just a brief reminder regarding the monthly costs for each of the below:

Subscription plans are described as follows: instead of being based on the number of cartridges used, they are based on the number of pages printed.Each page counts equally, whether it has black text, colour graphics mixed in with text, a presentation handout with a solid colour background, or a picture. Therefore, you'll save money by printing in colour more frequently, especially if your typical pages have thick ink coverage. Similar to this, a subscription will be most affordable if you print roughly as much as is permitted for the paid-for tier without going over the limit.

Choosing between several Instant Ink tiers or the conventional model of purchasing ink in brick and mortar stores or online when you run out is integrated into the printer setup process, which walks you through the process of signing up for Instant Ink. Each Instant Ink package includes a certain number of pages each month.

You can get a complimentary six-month Instant Ink subscription at any tier by installing HP Plus printers to take advantage of HP Plus. (For additional details on how the two programmes differ, check our comparison of HP Plus, HP Instant Ink, and HP Smart.) This alone may save you a lot of money, depending on how much you print. Additionally, some printers, like the HP Office Jet Pro 8035e, come with an extra month of free ink, whether or not you sign up for HP Plus.

However, there is a catch to HP Plus's complimentary six months of ink: In order to benefit from it, you must consent to using genuine HP cartridges for the duration of the printer, whether you keep your subscription or buy cartridges somewhere else. If you don't plan to use third-party cartridges, this won't be a problem. The printer will enforce the agreement by looking for HP chips in your cartridges, so it is possible if you intend to use them after your trial period has expired. In that situation, you'll need to compare the two choices to see if getting six months of free ink will result in cost savings over the course of the printer's lifetime.

What is the price of instant ink?

Five program, or tiers, with varying monthly pricing for ink and toner are available to Instant Ink subscribers. Your monthly fee includes ink or toner, shipping, and recycling of spent cartridges, but is subject to change (and has previously changed).

At the time of this writing, the following are the price tiers for inkjet printers:

Up to 15 pages for 99 cents per month
Up to 50 pages for $2.99 per month
Monthly fees for up to 100 pages are only $4.99.
Up to 300 pages for $11.99 per month
Up to 700 pages for $24.99 per month

A 15-page-per-month tier used to be free, and it still is for existing customers, but new subscribers pay 99 cents. The laser tiers are as follows:

Up to 50 pages for $1.99 per month
Up to 100 pages for $3.99 per month
Up to 400 pages for $13.99 per month
Up to 800 pages for $19.99 per month

The monthly fee is $25.99 for up to 1,500 pages.

If you use more pages than what's allotted, you'll be charged $1 for an extra 10 to 15 pages (depending on your plan). You can roll over up to three months' worth of inkjet pages to use if you go over the quantity permitted in future monthly allotments (two months' worth for lasers). If you don't use all of your pages, you will still be paid for each month in accordance with the tier you signed up for. Additionally, despite the fact that HP refers to Instant Ink as a subscription, there is no commitment, and you can change your plan at any moment to one that better meets your needs.

Once more, purchasing cartridges the old-fashioned way may save you money if you print primarily in black and white (and especially if your average monthly output isn't very close to the maximum for the tier you're paying for). This holds true for comparable programmes offered by other manufacturers as well.

HP uses "smart" cartridges that track how many pages you print and how much ink or toner you use, buying and delivering replacement cartridges online when you run out. Your printer must be online for the plan to function, and if it is down for a lengthy period of time, printing may not be possible. Your Instant Ink cartridges will become inactive if you cancel your subscription, and you will have to buy regular cartridges to utilize your printer once more.

Words to Remember

A fantastic alternative to regular HP printer cartridges is HP Instant Ink. They are more expensive than aftermarket and compatible printer cartridges, nonetheless. There is a good reason why more individuals are choosing to buy compatible printer cartridges.

You won't ever have to run to the neighborhood office supply store when your current HP printer cartridge runs out of ink if you keep an extra, high-yield compatible HP printer cartridge on hand.

You don't have to be concerned about going over your monthly quota when printing a range of documents.

There are more effective techniques to keep printing expenditures in check if you're serious about it.