Ink can be costly, and the most common complaints about inkjet label printers pertain to ink usage. Here are a few tips from SameDayLabels to reduce your ink usage, and subsequently your printing costs. These suggestions will give varying results depending on you or your business’ usage of the printer, and other variables specific to the print job.
Tip #1 – Don’t let your ink cartridges expire.
Old or expired cartridges may get clogged due to particulates in the ink separating and bunching up as they move towards the nozzle on the print head. To prevent, do not overstock on ink cartridges. One backup cartridge per color is what we recommend, ensuring the least amount of downtime and keeping your inks fresh.
Tip #2 – Delay replacing your ink cartridges.
Pssst! The printer companies won’t tell you this, but heck we will! Do not immediately replace cartridges when warned. Warnings about certain color cartridges being low will start showing up before the ink level is a real problem. The accuracy of these warnings will vary greatly between printer manufacturers and models. Knowing this now, it is recommended that you continue to print even after the “low ink” warning is shown. You can visually monitor print and color quality during the time the warning is shown. If the quality drops significantly, or you notice a degradation in the “low” color, it may be time to change out the ink cartridge.
Tip #3 – Check your driver settings.
Most, if not all inkjet label printers will have a “quality”, “ink saver”, “color quality” or “resolution” setting that will allow you to change the quality of the selected print job. Sometimes this is the same as “DPI” (dots per inch) or it may be an additional option. If you are printing color labels where a lower resolution is acceptable, try lowering this setting to the lowest possible standard. You may increase the DPI or quality settings accordingly if you require a higher resolution image. Note that you may be able to lower your DPI settings while maintaining a “high” or “fine” print quality and still get a beautiful label. Lastly, check your speed settings. Where print quality is not as important, try a faster print speed. You may be able to triple the speed at which you are currently printing. If presentation-quality output is required, slow the speed down for a higher quality print.
Tip #4 – Check your driver settings…again!
Some label printers will come with an “Auto-Clean” function. This function is usually enabled by the manufacturer to regularly put the printer through a printhead cleaning. These cleanings do not use a large amount of ink, but it does use a significant amount of ink to ensure the printhead nozzles are clear of particulates that cause them to clog. The cleanings are good, however you may want to disable the “Auto-Clean” function, and instead choose a regular interval to do manual cleanings. Regardless, if you experience streaking or “globs” of ink on your labels, you should do a printhead cleaning to see if that solves your quality issue.
Tip #5 – Avoid third-rate third-party inks
Be wary of third-party inks. Using an ink cartridge not manufactured by the manufacturer of your printer may save you money in the short term, but it will most likely cause significant inconveniences down the road. Third-party inks can cause degradation of print quality and the need to perform nozzle cleanings more frequently, which will consequently use more ink! Expensive! If you are still tempted to buy from a third-party ink manufacturer, do some research and read some reviews about what others have said.
Tip #6 – Go grey (on your labels — not your hair!)
Do you really need to print that product description, specification, nutrition or ingredient list in a color complementary to your logo? Do those product instruction photos or illustrations really need to be in color? Taking a few moments to think about whether color will enhance what it is you are printing can be an ink-saver. Many of our customers do find that color helps. But if you take time to think and be more judicious with how you use color, you will adopt a habit that will save you money in ink costs in the long run.