Ink and toner remain among the most expensive recurring costs for small businesses, home offices, and classrooms. If you’re printing frequently—whether it’s marketing materials, lesson plans, or invoices—you’ve probably noticed just how fast those cartridges drain your budget. Fortunately, with a few smart strategies, you can cut your ink and toner costs without sacrificing print quality.
Here’s how to make every drop of ink—and every dollar—go further.
- Buy High-Yield or XL Cartridges
High-yield or “XL” cartridges may cost more upfront, but they typically offer double or even triple the page output of standard cartridges. Over time, this reduces your cost per page and cuts down on how often you need to replace them.
Most major printer brands like HP, Canon, Brother, and Epson offer high-yield options. When shopping, be sure to check compatibility with your specific printer model.
- Shop Trusted Third-Party Refill Brands
Companies like LD Products offer reliable third-party ink and toner at a fraction of the cost of OEM (original equipment manufacturer) cartridges. Their products are compatible with most major printer brands and often come with satisfaction guarantees.
Many third-party cartridges now match OEM performance, making them a viable long-term alternative—especially for general office printing.
- Use Rakuten to Earn Cashback on Ink Purchases
If you’re ordering ink or toner online, activate the Rakuten browser extension before you shop. Major retailers like Staples, Office Depot, Walmart, and LD Products frequently offer cashback through Rakuten, allowing you to earn money back on top of any discounts or promo codes.
Combined with free shipping or bulk pricing, this can help reduce your overall spend on printing supplies.
- Consider Printer Subscription Services
Some brands now offer subscription-based ink delivery programs, like HP’s Instant Ink or Epson ReadyPrint. These services monitor ink levels and automatically send new cartridges when you’re running low—often at a lower per-page cost than standard retail prices.
While not for everyone, subscription services can be ideal for consistent, high-volume printing environments.
- Print Smarter with Eco Settings and Draft Mode
Simple tweaks to your printer settings can lead to significant savings. Use “Draft Mode” for internal documents and enable duplex (double-sided) printing to reduce paper usage. Also consider grayscale printing to stretch your color cartridges.
If your office prints a lot of graphics or images, using lighter fonts like Century Gothic or EcoFont can help conserve ink without impacting readability.
