How to Save Ink in Epson Printers

Whether you work somewhere with industrial-sized printers or have just a small one in your office, you've learned that the more you print, the faster you go through ink, and that a lot of ink can get pricey. Epson printers, for instance, are generally known for doing a good job, but some models also require several cartridges for colors instead of just one for "Black" and one for "Color." A few strategies will help you stretch the ink supply a little longer instead of shelling out a lot of money every time you begin running low.

Print using the "draft" setting whenever possible. Find this option in your Epson printer preference menu, which you can access when you print your document. This setting uses less ink and also makes printing go faster.

Print using the grayscale setting, commonly called black-and-white, if your document isn’t for a formal presentation or report where color is required. To keep print heads clear, some Epson printers do use a small amount of ink from every cartridge even when printing black or gray, but it is less than the regular color setting.

Avoid printing hard copies whenever possible. For instance, request an online receipt for financial transactions or Web purchases.

Choose only part of a document or Web page to print instead of the entire file. When you get to your print menu, don’t choose "all" but instead adjust the page or range settings to print only the ones with the vital data you want.

Use Epson's print preview option, which you can access after you select "Print," to see exactly what your printed document or image will look like. This helps you check whether something is outside the margins or printable area, which could require additional printing. Make as many adjustments and previews as needed before printing the pages.