Ways to Save on Printer Ink (Plus, Share Your Tips!)

Hip2Save may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you via trusted partners and affiliate links in this post. Prices and availability are accurate as of time posted. Read our full disclosure policy here.

If you’re looking for ways to save on printer ink (from printing all those coupons 😉 ), here’s a few helpful tips for ya…

Inkjet Versus Laser Printer:

Many of you have stated that the longest lasting, most reliable, and most affordable (in the long run) printers are laser printers! Although laser printers may cost more initially, they tend to be faster, use less ink, and are much cheaper on a month to month basis (i.e. cost of inkjet cartridges versus laser toner cartridges).

Helping You Find the BEST Printer:

* Top 5 Printers
* Guide to Top 10 Printers in 2014

Continuous Flow System:

Already have an inkjet printer? Then you may want to consider a Continuous Flow System. This system will help you save big bucks on printer ink as it eliminates the need for replacement ink cartridges. For more information on this economical system, click here.

Best Places to Purchase Ink:

* 123InkJets.com
* 4inkjets.com
* Amazon.com
* CarrotInk.com
* Clickinks.com
* Databazaar.com
* Ebay.com
* Inkgrabber.com
* ParadiseInk.com
* SuperMediaStore.com

Readers tips on how to Save Money on Ink and Paper:

* I bought a Brother Laser when it was on sale at one of the office stores. I used the black tape trick (YouTube video shows you how) and have had printer for over 2 years and just now replaced the toner it came with. This is with my major coupon printing and my husband printing college work. I also do the Office Max rewards program and get the cases of paper for pennies after rewards every time it is offered. (Head here to see how you can score FREE paper at Staples this week!)

* I set it to “Toner Save Print Mode” right away. Also, I “tricked” my toner after I got a warning message to replace it and got additional months of life. I am unable to “tape” my toners as it doesn’t have a window to cover. Instead, it has a slow rotating gear on the side of the cartridge and this gear can be easily reset by turning it backwards manually. There are tons of videos on youtube, explaining it.

* One tip that I have is that I enable a Print Preview for each document. It makes the printing process longer, but I can tell if a coupon is printing at the top, middle, or bottom of the page. That way I can use half sheets if a coupon is printing from the top.

* For the one-page ads with a single coupon on the page, I cut my paper into 4’ sections. That way the coupon prints at the top and then stops. Of course, sometimes you get a coupon that prints at the bottom. I try to only use the cut paper on coupons that I know will print at the top. If I am printing a coupon and I see that there is an ad below it, once the coupon prints, I hit STOP on my printer.

* The trick to making your ink last longer is to set your printer to print in grayscale, black ink only, and to print in Fast Draft mode. I have my cartridges refilled at Walgreens. Before I take a cartridge to the store, however, I use a little rubbing alcohol on the ports of the cartridge to prevent dry ink from clogging the ports (where the ink is inserted). Works like a charm.

* Use Garamond font in a small size…it takes less ink than other fonts.

* If you decide to refill your cartridges, get the refill done ASAP. If you wait too long, the remaining ink dries out.

* Refill your own cartridges (buy the ink in bulk at a discount!), which saves a LOT of money.

* For anyone out there who has toner cartridges, when the printer states that the toner is low, take the cartridge out and look for a little “window” on the side. Cover it with a piece of black electrical tape, and you’ll get MANY more pages of ink out of it. The window lets light in and tells the owner to buy a new cartridge but, in reality, there is still plenty of toner in the cartridge.

What are some ways you save on printer ink? Please Share!

Keep in mind that if you want to easily access this post in the future, be sure to save it to your Hip List. You can also access it (and other reader tips) by clicking on the orange “Show All Categories” button on the right sidebar and then clicking on “Reader Tips.”

Join The Discussion

Comments 65

  1. Laura

    Perfect timing with all these great printables lately! I was just thinking about this the other day. Thanks Collin- It’s like you read my mind!

  2. zuf coupons

    What is the best printer for coupons to print from your iphone? Any suggestions? thanks

    • Deanna

      Im pretty sure all wireless HP printers work for I phones and I pads. I have one and I didn’t even have to set anything up, my iphone automatically searched and found the printer. Same with my ipad.

    • spi_cy13

      Zuf Coupons,
      I (personally) think that HP printers are best for printing coupons from your iPhone. I have 3 HP printers: Photosmart B210A all-in-one (discontinued), Officejet 6500A Plus all-in-one (discontinued), and my newest one, Photosmart 6520. HP printers also have apps (a coupons.com app) that allows you to print coupons directly from the printer. Enjoy! 🙂

      • Beverly

        Oh boy, did I hate the HP Office Jet 6500A! It was the worst (all in one) printer I ever had. It constantly went offline and there was no way to get it back (to print wirelessly). It used huge amounts of ink because every “fix” required more ink usage. The printer is so poorly designed that with light usage it didn’t even make it through the 1 year warranty without breaking down. The replacement printer that HP sent me didn’t make it through 1 set of ink tanks. The aggravation and time spent with HP tech support was so bad that I gave up on HP and replaced their printer with a Canon PIXMA MG5420 (all in one) and I couldn’t be happier. It sips ink, it has a smaller footprint, it is simply a much better design. And most importantly, it works! It prints without muss or fuss.

        • spi_cy13

          Sorry about your experience with your HP Officejet 6500A. I’ve had mine for many years without any problems. 🙂 It could’ve been a manufacturer’s defect…

    • Hilary

      I just got a HP Envy 5530 and I now print from my iPhone all of the time. I love it!!

      • Scarlett

        How do you get it to print black and white only from your iphone?

    • Stephanie

      Canon is now supported with coupons.com on iphone btw

  3. Erin

    I use the HP Instant Ink – Ink Replacement Service.

    • Hilary

      I just bought a HP Envy printer and signed up for this service! $4.99 a month, for 100 pages, and you never run out of ink. It’s a great deal!!

      • Tina

        Aww only 3 types of printers qualify? I looked on office max.com is there anywhere else for HP Officejet Pro 8600?

  4. Deanna

    I have always used bing as my main search engine so when I heard you can download the bing bar, earn points for searching, then redeem for gift cards and such I decided to give it a try. It was easy. I always redeem for amazon cards (they send the code via email within 24 hours) and found they (amazon) have ink refills offered for less than $3 for black ink. I average about 20 or more refills per bottle ordered. I have an HP printer and you should be aware that using an ink refill kit can void the warranty, but mine is 4 or 5 years old and I only use it to print coupons. This system works great for me. I was spending way too much money on refill cartridges and this gives me all the ink I need for free!!!

  5. Maria

    I print most of my coupons at work!

    • R

      i would do that if the computer let me install the coupon printer on the computer… too bad…

    • Tanique E

      Darn I miss those days. I was doing the same! Now I’m a SAHM!

  6. Sandy

    Costco refills

  7. Vishnu

    Erin, how much do u end up paying per cartridge for your hp ink?

    Zuf coupons,
    I got a hp deskjet 3510. Had it for 4 months.its great to print from iPhone and iPad including coupons. U will need to download coupons.com app and grocery iq app, so that u can print total of 4 coupons per Idevice. Only issue is hp ink is expensive, but honestly when great printables are available I use 3 gadgets to print 12 coupons. It makes life a lot easier. I print coupons laying in bed at 12 at night, when kiddos are asleep.

    • LoveSaving

      Thanks for the heads up on grocery iq. Is there a way to change your location (zip code) to get coupons from other regions like you can on coupons.com? Thanks

      • Vishnu

        I haven’t figured that one yet. I tried signing in, but it didn’t pull up the purex1$/1 the other day. Hth.

        • LoveSaving

          Okay. Thanks for your reply. I am still excited to now be able to print four from my iPhone :). Hopefully they change that soon!

    • Stephanie

      Lol I print coupons laying in bed too! Love that!

  8. Vishnu

    I also have a brother printer 430j I believe. This is wireless and I use compatible ink from eBay for less than a 1$ a cartridge. I wish iPads printed to brother or all printer for that matter. I use this to print everything except iPhone/ iPad coupons.

  9. spi_cy13

    Since office stores like Staples match Amazon.com, I usually purchase my ink at Staples, price match, and use Staples rewards, any applicable coupons, and cash back rewards from my credit card to get giftcards such as Staples.

    • Sandra

      Does office Max price match Amazon?

      • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

        Hi Sandra!

        You can find more info about the OfficeMax Price Match Policy here. However, It does state that “The OfficeMax Price Guarantee does not apply to the following: On-line retailers without a physical retail store location in the continental U.S.” so I am assuming they will NOT price match to Amazon. Darn!

  10. justme

    I got a brother laser printer two years ago and have loved it! Before I was refilling my ink myself and oh what a mess. It can be done but so messy. My ink now goes a really long way and for the price it beats out my old printer. The only problem I have is sometimes I got to print something and it doesn’t print for an hour? We’ve found that if we reset our modem then it will all of a sudden print everything in que. Anyone else ever have this problem?

  11. LoveSaving

    We have a store called Cartridge World. I get cartridges for my HP printer there, but they sell many others. You just exchange your empty ones for full ones. They often have coupons available too. They are a fraction of the cost, compared to HP cartridges. Downside, the printer does not recognize when the ink is low, it will just run out without warning. Lost some good coupons that way, but still worth the savings.

  12. Colleen

    I buy toner cartridges at my city surplus store. They’re like 100$ new ( HP laserjet) but like $25 for brand name there.

  13. Donna

    My Way To Save Ink: I noticed one day that every time I turned my printer on, it sounded like it was cleaning the print head. I decided to leave the printer on to see if the ink would last longer. (It has a sleep mode). Sure enough, a set of ink cartridges that would usually be replaced every four months now lasts almost a year. The few pennies it cost to leave it on all the time is nothing compared to the cost of ink.

    • Beverly

      Yes, leaving your printer on is a great way to save on ink because turning it on and off causes them to run through a cleaning cycle that uses ink. Newer printers have an energy efficient “sleep” mode that saves on electric costs, so it is only costing you pennies to leave the printer running and you will use a whole lot less ink.

  14. S

    Hi,
    Can someone pls explain how to print a coupon from I phone..thanx

    • Vishnu

      U will need hp printer with wifi.
      Download coupons. Com app,
      Clip coupons
      View clipped coupons
      Print

      Can also do groceryIQ app.
      Can print total of 4 from each iPhone/ iPad, 2 from each app.

      • Laura

        Do you know if this would work with android devices also?

        • Bela1217

          Hi Laura. I have a Galaxy s4 and Galaxy Tablets (Android Devices) I cannot print from coupons.com or Target.com couponsite :/ only with ipad and iphones and an HP envy wifi ready Printer worked for me. Hope this helps.

      • S

        Hi Vishnu..thanx a ton for ur response..I Ve iPhone 4S and m just not able to install either of the apps..;(

        • Vishnu

          I have a 4 and it works just fine. I hope u can figure it out. I wonder if IOs version matters. My husband has iPhone 4 with ios7 and it works. Mine has iOS 6.

  15. Caitlin

    I got my HP Photosmart All-in-one C310 almost three years ago from Staples when they had an excellent promo that involved Staples rewards, rebates, and cash back. I ended up “making” $12 by purchasing it. While I have not been thoroughly satisfied with it because of connection issues, it has been nice because it has a built in wifi enabled touch screen that allows me to print coupons.com coupons, so I get two more prints! I also am able to print from phones, iPads, and anyone who visits with a wifi enabled device can print extras, too. The ink is very expensive, so I buy all of mine refurbished from eBay. I buy two cartridges at a time, and only have to order about twice a year. The refurbished cartridges are 85% cheaper than retail. We print a LOT, at least 100 pages per month between coupons and schoolwork. As for paper, we reuse everything. I print on the back of junk mail, notes I print, and any other scraps I find, and of course, we never pay for paper otherwise thanks to awesome Staples deals. 🙂

    • Jan

      I have this same printer. Had no idea you coupon print from the touch screen. Thanks for the tip!

  16. Kelly A.

    Use a laserjet printer – black and white if you can (I mean if stores in your area will accept them without issues) and buy generic ink from amazon, using amazon gift cards you earned for taking surveys! For instance, my HP laserjet ink cartridge would cost me $80 for the genuine HP ink in store, but I buy the generic (just as good 2-3000 pages) for $13 shipped, but nothing oop for me.

    • Jen

      I buy generic ink also and so far it’s been working like a dream in my printer. The cost difference was significant. $37 to buy a pack of 4 epson 200 series brand inks (black, yellow, cyan, magenta) as opposed to paying $20 on amazon to get 4 blacks, 2 yellow, 2 cyan, and 2 magenta!

      • jenny

        whats the name of the generic ink for epsom?

  17. gominam

    I agree with Vishnu, the best printer for very cheap ink is Brother MFC-J430W. I bought it when it was on sale $50. I buy the ink from amazon they come with 10 ink cartridge which include 4xBk, 2xCyan, 2xM & 2xYellow. This set will last me for more than 1 year! And I print a lot of coupons! Of course if you have iphones then this printer might not be good for you cause of HP printers are better for printing coupons. But i have a total of 6 laptops/comps in my house so that is enough for me and i have androids.

    • gominam

      btw, the ink cost $7 for 10 cartridges!

  18. Megan C

    I will never buy generic printer ink again. The off-brand ones I’ve bought have always ruined my printers. Once the printer doesn’t recognize a printer cartridge there’s no way to fix it. I just bite the bullet now and always buy the same brand as the printer

    • Vishnu

      Megan,
      I don’t know if u tried this, but cleaning all cartridge heads, which can be done by using ur menu button and following instructions actually eliminates this problem. The printer automatically cleans the heads and no more clogging. I think most of us who use generic cartridges have 40-50$ printers. The savings are much more compared to printer cost.

  19. Happymama

    I bought a 15 pack (three 5 packs) of ink for my printer that is six months old. I paid $10 and was stoked…until I realized the cartridges didn’t fit at all. They were supposed to be completable w/the brand name but wasn’t. I still have to return it to Amazon. I knew it was too good to be true lol.

  20. tracy

    I bought six bottles of ink and refill my cartridges with a needle. Once my printer recognizes a cartridge is empty- its too late. Refill the cartridge every couple weeks with a minimal amount of ink.

  21. Deanna

    Man I have a 564 hp cartridge in my old printer. I was going through one a more cartridges a week……that’s why I had to move on to the refill kits. I think my printing habits are about average. How in the world can people only replace ink once or twice a year? What am I missing?

  22. Chelcie

    I love our hp because like everyone said I can print from our iPhones and iPads. I can get the same one at biglots for like 50$. As for ink. It’s so hard to pass up on coupons;; and it makes me upset how much ink I waste because they expire 🙁 I may need to try that 4.99 a mo thing cuz I’m too far wear from the stores even;;

  23. Beverly

    I buy Sophia ink from Amazon for my Canon PIXMA MG5420. It’s not the cheapest ink, but it works well and saves big bucks over Canon ink. The cartridges are see thru, so you can see that they fill them to the top and you can be sure that they are truly empty before replacing them.

  24. Misty

    I bought a brother 2280dw printer and copier with wireless in Feb 2013 for $85 and the original ink cartridge is still good. I have ordered 2 sets of generic ink cartridges but yet to replace. Now I print each good coupon without thinking about the cost of ink if I can’t use the coupon. I print a lot for schoolwork and coupons from 2 computers and occasionally from a third one if the coupon is very nice.
    I also have the ink sucking hp 3050 all in one for printing from the iPhone but I rary use it

  25. stacy

    I have a laserjet HP printer. Will never go back to inkjet again! I was changing cartridges every two weeks and hated refilling myself to save money. Even though the toner is more expensive, I go for several months with the laserjet and once it starts getting light, I just remove and shake the cartridge. Works for a long time after that. Thanks for the tips for printing from iphone. Can’t wait to get home and try it. A tip on saving paper too, I print one coupon that prints at the top of the page and then flip that paper around and print the same coupon on the other end of the paper. Just make sure you aren’t printing a different coupon that may take up a whole page. I have messed up a few times forgetting I had the paper turned around after I printed one coupon, and then a coupon printed on top of what I had on that page because it was a full page print.
    Thanks Collin and team for what you do!!

  26. Adriana Jane

    I wanted to follow the suggestion of adding this post to my so far non-existent “Hip List” but have never actually gotten it to work on any post. Every time I try, a message pops up saying “User credentials are not correct (3011)”. I’m always logged in when I try it. Any ideas on what’s going wrong?

  27. Darla Seaton

    I have a Canon that requires a color and a black cartridge. When it shows my black i out, I set my ink cartridge setting to “only color” and when the color runs out, I set it to “black only”. I can get many more pages by doing this.

  28. dorfmunder

    I use the InkOwl system that I bought from Amazon. It’s $65 for the refillable cartridges and 4 HUGE bottles of ink! I’ve had no issues whatsoever with it and saves me tons of money.

  29. Patty

    Hands down best and most economical printer I have owned is the Brother HL-2270DW Laser Printer. It does duplex copies. It doesn’t do fancy but it is the printer that we send our docs to the most. Can be wireless or Ethernet. And the coupons scan without any headaches. I have had this printer for about three years now and have only replaced the cartridge one time and I replaced it with a cheaper no name compatible cartridge. I have had HP inkjet printers but they are just too much trouble and the ink is far too expensive. I liked the Brother so much that I went out earlier this month when my Mother In Law’s old HP Printer that I had been using as a printer at work starting giving me too much grief and I was running through far too many cartridges. Found the Brother HL-2240 (not wireless) that is just a basic printer that has a door on the front for loading in single sheets of letterhead stationery. This model does not do duplex but it is virtually the same printer. Office Depot had it for $79.99 the week before last but I found it at Office Max from $59.99 just last week with free shipping (was $119.99). Very happy with that deal even if my company was actually paying for it! I use the same thought process for my employers spending as I would for my own home. And there is a Brother printer app that I use for non-coupon printing and it works like a charm on my home wireless Brother printer. Can print pages, emails, anything in document off my network and to my printer from my Android phone. Sigh, wish I could print coupons but that is more of an issue with Coupons.com, so it seems.

  30. tony crudele

    You should also check out Inkwow.com. They have great prices on printer ink.

  31. Jill Gamble

    Meritline com is my favorite place to buy generic toner

  32. sandynvickSandy

    Does anyone have a problem getting their coupons to scan? I always have a hassle at Walmart getting them to scan and sometimes they just apply a “vendor coupon” for the amount of my coupon. Just yesterday they told me if the coupon doesnt scan, they will no longer take them. Im thinking it could be my printer that sucks (HP Deskjet 3512) 🙁

  33. Ann

    I have a kodak wireless printer and it cost me alot of money on ink. This printer consume 3-4 sets of ink refill in 1 year 🙁 it is very painful to get a warning message knowing I’m going to spend atleast $35 for both 1 colored and 1 black ink. Please help me save some. What is the best printer to use for printing coupons that has very inexpensive toner?? I highly aprreciate any advice. Thanks

  34. Dhale

    who else has a problem about printing target coupons on Mac and not printing any?? I don’t know why but every time i tried to print, its just refreshing the page and not showing list i tried to print. 🙁

  35. Goreti Tada

    Collin, I’m at my wits end. I just bought a canon printer. It lasted almost a month. I’m researching printers right now but my husband says to get the one that Collinn has. So, which printer do you own?

  36. Swathi

    Hi Collin, my husband says he is not able to print any of the coupons.. I clip the coupons and send it to mail for printing.. I use my husbands mail id to print it from his office .. But he says he doesn’t see any barcode or coupon to print.. Where am I going wrong plz help me.. I have been using hip2save for almost 7 to 8 weeks .. But I consider only the freebies and online deals.. Plz help me to print coupons thanks.. And love your work…

  37. Coryelle Kaiser Higdon

    Sort of on topic, but I’m too overwhelmed to deal with my printer. Any suggestions for who has the best rates for color copies? and color copies on cardstock? not bulk, just a few dozen.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

It's not your Grandma's coupon site!

Sign up for a Hip2Save account (it's free) to access all of the awesome features!

Forgot Password?

Don't have an account? Register

Forgot Password

Don't have an account? Register

Become a Hip2Save Insider

Don't Miss Out! Join our large community of insiders - it's totally free! Once you join, you'll be able to save & share your favorite deals, rate posts and recipes and add items to your HipList and Cookbook! What are ya waiting for?!



Already have an account? Login

Thank you for rating!

Would you also like to leave us a comment?