Inkcarts.com Blog » Printer Tips

What You Need to Know about a Printer before You Buy It

Ink Cartridges — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:18:31 +0000

Buying a printer is a big deal, and it is not something you should rush into. You may be tempted to buy the $20 printer on sale at Wal-Mart, but there are aspects about it that you need to figure out before you potentially waste your money. Some cheap printers cost a lot of money to maintain, which could end up hurting you in the long run. Before you invest money in something you can’t use, you need to take the time to find a printer that will work well for you no matter what. Here are some things to keep in mind to ensure you get the best printer from the start.

Ink Costs

The cost of ink is going to play a major role in the amount of money you spend on a printer. Use an ink finder to figure out how much the ink is going to cost for a printer you want to buy, and then figure out if it’s actually something you want to spend money on. Your really cheap printer could cost a whole bunch of money to maintain, and then it won’t be a good deal anymore. That’s the beauty of doing your research.

Ink Efficiency

Just like your car has a fuel efficiency rating, your printer should have an ink efficiency rating. In essence, this will be a measure of how effectively a printer utilizes the ink you put in it. If you get something that uses ink sparingly, you will always save money. If you buy an ink guzzler, you will have to spend more money on ink cartridges in the future. Think about all of this before you buy something you can’t afford to maintain.

Printing Quality

The printer paper you use will have a big impact on the quality of your prints, but so will the printer itself. Quality printers cost more money to maintain, but they give you better images in the end. You have to determine what is most important to you and pick out a printer from there. If you have been looking for a new printer in your home or office, the tips above will hopefully point you in the right direction.

Using Financial Aid to Buy School Supplies

Ink Cartridges — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:12:27 +0000

Are you a college student in need of supplies to start a new semester with? If so, you may be able to use your financial aid money to get all the books, printing equipment, and general school supplies you need to start your classes with. Most students make little to no money, so they rely on their scholarships and student loans to provide them with money for supplies. The problem is that the money doesn’t always come in fast enough to buy everything in time. If you are worried about that, there are a few solutions you can keep in mind. Here is a basic guide to show you how you can use financial aid to buy school supplies.

Setup a Direct Deposit

Most schools will allow you to setup a direct deposit for your financial aid when it comes in. Whenever a scholarship or grant hits the account, it will immediately go to your bank account. This happens after the money is taken out for tuition and fees, so you don’t have to worry about paying the school back. You may have to wait 24 to 48 hours for the bank to have the funds available, but that beats the week you would have to wait to get a check in the mail.

Use PayPal to Shop Online

When you get the money in your bank account, you can use it to buy printer ink online. You could either use the debit card from your bank to process the transaction, or you could use a PayPal account to pull money from your bank to the web. Either way, you can start buying school supplies the day that your money comes in, and then you will be able to have it shipped to you as soon as possible.

Avoid buying school supplies on campus because they are always double the price of school supplies online. College campuses can up charge you however much they want because they know they provide a convenient service. The same theory applies to buying toilet paper at a gas station. You are going to pay more for lower quality items. Focus on getting your money in, and then you can use it to save money online. Then all you have to do is start using you school supplies for school itself.

A Look at Vintage Paper

Ink Cartridges — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 20:14:56 +0000

There are many different forms of paper and printable media in the world nowadays. They may have only been able to work with parchment a century ago, but now you can find paper made from anything from trees to old blue jeans. Among some of the hottest selling items on the market today is vintage paper, which is paper made to look old even if it is actually manufactured in the present day. In this case, the paper is made to be durable enough for today’s standards but still reminiscent of old paper. Whether you want it in a journal or just on its own, you may love to have some of this paper in your collection.

Vintage paper can put a unique flare on something you want to send or give to someone. For instance, if you have a friend going on a trip in the near future, you may get a vintage notebook and pen set so he or she can keep a journal on his or her travels. You may also get some unique looking paper like this to write a letter to a friend or make a special sketch on. There are many purposes for vintage paper, and they can all work in your favor.

Vintage paper may be more expensive than copy paper, but that is because it is made to be unique and special. This is the same reason why vintage jewelry usually costs more than modern jewelry of the same caliber. You can still get a good deal on this paper if you shop online, and you may be able to get other vintage accessories to go along with it. The vintage look is totally in style nowadays in both the fashion world and the stationary industry. You could be a part of the experience.

Using vintage paper can set you apart from everyone else, even if you do not use it very often. You can employ it as part of a special project, or you can just keep it around because it looks pleasing. Whatever the case may be, almost anyone can see the beauty in a piece of vintage paper. You can take a look at some of the items involving this paper online to see what you would be able to get. Then you can determine if you want to purchase this unique printing supply to use yourself.

Save Money with E-Statements

Ink Cartridges — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 15:07:13 +0000

E-statements are bills and bank records that come to you in the form of an email. Rather than getting your bills and balances in the mail each month, you can actually request to have everything sent to your inbox. This will save the company you work with money in paper and toner cartridges, but it could also save you money in the long run. If you haven’t signed up for e-statements yet, you may want to look into a program like this. Here are a few ways you might be able to cut your costs by using the web for your bills.

Built-in Discounts

In some cases, you can simply save money because the company offers a discount for e-statements. Most companies actually charge money now for people who choose to use standard billing methods. You may only be spending a few dollars a month for these fees, but that is money you could be putting toward your own printing materials. Ask your bank, insurance company, utility supplier, phone company, and cable company if you are currently paying a fee for the way you are being billed. If so, you can request e-statements to save yourself some money every month.

Cancellation Fees

Sometimes it takes bills a few days to get to you in the mail. By that time, you may miss out on information about a service of yours being cancelled. Then you may incur a cancellation fee and all kinds of extra charges, regardless of whether or not you had the money for the bill. If you get e-statements though, you can see that information instantly without having to worry about the cancellations at all. This will save you money and stress as you will be able to fix problems as they come up.

E-statements are everywhere, and they are incredibly convenient to use. If you still run to the mail box every day to see your bills, you may want to step into the 21st century. Nowadays, you can do all of that through an email account, so that all you have to do is log on to see everything you need to know. The process is easy, and it can save you money in the long run. Save the environment and start asking about e-statements today.

Reusable Coloring Pages Kids Love

Ink Cartridges — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 11:03:57 +0000

Don’t you hate having to throw away coloring books because your child has colored on all the pages? If so, you’re not alone. Most parents hate having to get rid of coloring book after coloring book because all of that waste adds up over time. Rather than going through this wasteful process though, you could save the environment and your money by printing your own reusable coloring pages. If you have some loose paper, a printer, and access to a laminator, you may never have to throw away a coloring page again. Here is a look at how easy it is to make your own reusable pages.

Making the Pages

You can find creative coloring pages online to print off. Take a look at some of the options you have based on your kid’s favorite cartoon characters or animals. Once you have everything printed that your kids would want to color, take them to an office supply store to have them laminated. Then your children will be able to color the pages with markers that you can easily wipe off. The process will only cost you a few bucks in office equipment, and it will give you a chance to provide your child with hours of entertainment.

Using the Pages

Have your kids color on the pages with dry erase markers that you can easily wipe off. You will need to be careful about where they do this to avoid getting marker all over your furniture. You can also have the children use transparency markers like teachers use on overhead projectors. Those are easy to clean off with a special cleaning solution, so your kids will be able to color the same pages time and time again.

If you’re looking for a gift that keeps on giving, this could definitely be the one. You just have to take the time to get the pages laminated, and the rest will work out from there. Find some images online that your kids would love to color, and then use your toner cartridges to make the images come to life. The kids will take care of the rest.