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How to Reduce Ink Costs and Make Printer Cartridges Last Longer

Practical ways to reduce ink waste, get more useful printing from cartridges, and decide whether a different printer could better suit your volume.
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To spend less on printer ink, use an economy setting for drafts, print in black-only when your printer supports it, avoid unnecessary servicing and cartridge handling, and match your printer to how much you print. These steps can reduce waste, but no setting guarantees a fixed number of extra pages: yield depends on the printer, document, paper, settings, and maintenance.

Use draft or economy settings for everyday documents

For internal copies, proofreads, and other pages where appearance is secondary, choose the driver’s Draft, FastDraft, General Office, or similar economy setting if available. HP describes Draft as a low-DPI option for jobs that do not need high quality. Its guidance says plain-paper draft modes generally use less ink than the default plain-paper normal mode, with lower print quality; settings and results vary by printer and driver (HP print settings guide; HP ink-use explanation).

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Use a higher-quality setting when a page needs crisp presentation, detailed graphics, or photo output. Draft mode is a trade-off, not a way to get the same result with less ink.

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Choose black-only output carefully

Printing a document that looks black does not always mean the printer uses only black ink. Some inkjets use color cartridges to improve black text or create composite black, and routine servicing can draw ink from multiple cartridges. Many—but not all—printers offer a black-only driver option (HP ink-use explanation).

#1 Best Overall
HP Original 910 Cyan, Magenta, Yellow / 910XL Black Ink Cartridges (4-Pack) | Works OfficeJet 8010, 8020 Series OfficeJet Pro 8020, 8030 Series | Eligible for Instant Ink | 3JB41AN
  • Automatic
  • These cartridges work with: HP OfficeJet Pro 8020, 8020e, 8025, 8028, 8030e, 8035
  • Cartridge yield (approx.): 825 pages black, 315 pages per color
  • Up to 2x more prints with Original HP Ink vs. non-Original HP Ink
  • 82% of HP ink cartridges are manufactured with recycled plastic

For text documents, check the driver for Black ink only or a comparable option if available. Do not assume that Grayscale means the same thing: HP notes that some high-quality grayscale modes use both black and color cartridges (HP print settings guide). Menu names and available choices depend on the model, operating system, and driver. If the document includes color elements or needs smooth tonal detail, check a sample before printing a large batch.

Reduce pages before sending a job

  • Proofread on screen and correct errors before printing.
  • Print only the pages you need rather than the whole document.
  • Use duplex printing when both sides are suitable for the document.

These steps reduce the amount of material printed, though the sources cited here do not establish a specific ink-saving percentage for them.

Rank #2
HP 67 Black Ink Cartridge | Works with DeskJet 1255, 2700, 4100 and Envy 6000, 6400 Series, Eligible for Instant Ink, 3YM56AN | Packaging May Vary
  • HP Ink Cartridges are engineered to work with HP printers to provide consistent quality, reliability and value
  • Works with these HP Printers: DeskJet 1255, 2710e, 2720e, 2721e, 2722, 2722e, 2723e, 2724, 2725, 2732, 2742e, 2752e, 2755, 2755e, 4110e, 4120e, 4121e, 4122e, 4123e, 4130e, 4132e, 4152e, 4155e, 4158e; DeskJet Plus 4122, 4132, 4155
  • Works with these HP Printers: ENVY 6010e, 6020e, 6022e, 6030e, 6032e, 6034e, 6050e, 6052e, 6055, 6055e, 6075, 6075e, 6420e, 6422e, 6430e, 6432e, 6450e, 6452e, 6455e, 6458e, 6475e; ENVY Pro 6455, 6458, 6475
  • Cartridge yield (approx.): 120 pages
  • Trusted HP Printer Ink Cartridges for every printing need: Perfect for everyday home, office, and small business printing needs — choose HP 67 Ink Cartridges for reliable printing

Limit avoidable ink use during idle periods and handling

Expect servicing to use some ink

Inkjet printers may use ink to clean or service printheads. HP says a longer gap between print jobs can lead to more aggressive servicing, so leaving an inkjet unused for long stretches should not be treated as a dependable way to save ink (HP ink-use explanation).

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Power down normally and leave cartridges installed

For HP inkjets, HP advises using the printer’s Power button so the cartridges can move to a capped position. It also recommends leaving cartridges sealed until installation and avoiding unnecessary removal; removed cartridges can dry out (HP cartridge handling and storage guidance). For another brand, follow that printer’s manual rather than assuming HP’s instructions apply.

Rank #3
HP 67XL Black High-Yield Ink Cartridge | Works with DeskJet 1255, 2700, 4100, Envy 6000, 6400 Series | Eligible for Instant Ink | 3YM57AN | Packaging May Vary
  • HP Ink Cartridges are engineered to work with HP printers to provide consistent quality, reliability and value
  • Works with these HP Printers: DeskJet 1255, 2710e, 2720e, 2721e, 2722, 2722e, 2723e, 2724, 2725, 2732, 2742e, 2752e, 2755, 2755e, 4110e, 4120e, 4121e, 4122e, 4123e, 4130e, 4132e, 4152e, 4155e, 4158e; DeskJet Plus 4122, 4132, 4155
  • Works with these HP Printers: ENVY 6010e, 6020e, 6022e, 6030e, 6032e, 6034e, 6050e, 6052e, 6055, 6055e, 6075, 6075e, 6420e, 6422e, 6430e, 6432e, 6450e, 6452e, 6455e, 6458e, 6475e; ENVY Pro 6455, 6458, 6475
  • Cartridge yield (approx.): 240 pages
  • Trusted HP Printer Ink Cartridges for every printing need: Perfect for everyday home, office, and small business printing needs — choose HP 67XL Ink Cartridges for reliable printing

Follow model-specific storage instructions

If you must remove an opened cartridge, consult the instructions for your exact printer. HP’s separate guidance for HP supplies describes how to store removed cartridges and protect their nozzles and contacts, but its procedure is not universal to other brands (HP handling guidance; HP guidance for removed cartridges and printheads).

Treat page yield as an estimate, not a promise

A cartridge’s stated page yield will not necessarily match your results. Coverage, document type, print settings, paper, printer model, and maintenance cycles all affect how many pages a cartridge produces. A low-ink warning is also not a reliable basis for predicting a fixed number of extra pages. Do not shake or reset a cartridge, or override a warning, on the assumption that this creates more ink; no universal extra-page figure or override procedure is established here.

Rank #4
Canon PG-275 / CL-276 Genuine Ink Value Pack (2 Cartridges), Compatible with TS3520/3522/4722/3720/3722, TR4720
  • Compatible with TS3520/3522, TR4720/4722, TS3720/3722 inkjet printers.
  • Value pack of 2 cartridges: PG-275 Black ink yields up to 100 pages, CL-276 color ink yields up to 100 pages.
  • Canon Genuine Inks provide peak performance that is specifically designed for compatible Canon printers. The PG black ink cartridge produces crisp, sharp black text for your documents and the CL color cartridge produces accurate impressive color photos.
  • Canon's FINE (Full-photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering) technology utilizes 6,000 or more nozzles inside the print heads to provide greater efficiency, higher print precision and reliable accuracy in your photos and documents.
  • Don’t be fooled by imposters - look for the Canon logo on all ink packaging to ensure you’re buying Genuine Canon Ink for outstanding quality and performance you can rely on.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

Decide whether a different printer could lower your total cost

If you print often, compare a refillable ink-tank printer with a cartridge printer using your own expected volume and current local prices. HP presents tank printers as a potential fit for more frequent printing and cartridge printers as an option for more occasional use; that is a vendor comparison, not a universal break-even rule.

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HP’s 2026 comparison page gives illustrative ink-only costs of 0.4 cents per black-and-white page for an HP Smart Tank 5101 and 15 cents for an HP ENVY 6055e using an HP 67 standard cartridge. For color, it gives 1.7 cents per page for the cited Smart Tank and 62 cents for the cited cartridge printer. The figures are HP’s estimates for those example models, the page’s date is not stated, and the ink-cost calculation excludes printer hardware. HP also gives a rule-of-thumb recommendation of Smart Tank for more than 150 pages monthly; treat that as HP’s estimate, not an independent break-even analysis. Prices and estimates can change (HP Smart Tank and cartridge cost comparison).

Best Value
Sale
63XL Ink Cartridges Black and Color Replacement for HP Ink 63 for HP 63XL Ink Cartridge Combo Pack Work for HP OfficeJet 3830 4650 5255 5258 5200; Envy 4520 4512 4510; DeskJet 1112 2130 3630 (2 Pack)
  • Higher Page Yield: Up to 750 pages for hp ink 63 black, 450 pages for hp 63 ink tri-color (at 5% coverage of A4 paper)
  • Package Includes: 1 x 63XL black ink cartridge, 1 x 63XL color ink cartridge, 1 x User Guide
  • Compatible for HP OfficeJet 3830, 3831, 3832, 3833, 3834, 3836, 4650, 4652, 4654, 4655, 4656, 4657, 4658, 5255, 5200, 5220, 5222, 5230, 5232, 5252, 5258, 5260, 5264, 5212
  • Compatible for HP Envy 4520, 4510, 4511, 4512, 4513, 4516, 4517, 4521, 4522, 4523, 4524, 4525, 4526, 4527, 4528
  • Compatible for HP DeskJet 1110, 1111, 1112, 1113, 1114, 2130, 2131, 2132, 2133, 2134, 2136, 2137, 2138, 3630, 3631, 3632, 3633, 3634, 3635, 3636, 3637, 3638, 3639, 3640

Before choosing a printer, compare expected monthly volume, upfront hardware cost, current ink cost, the quality your jobs require, idle periods, and supply availability. A lower ink cost per page does not by itself establish a lower total cost of ownership.

Buy only a cartridge confirmed for your printer

There is no single cartridge that fits every printer. Check the exact printer model and the cartridge number specified for it before ordering; compatibility and availability can vary by model and region.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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