080811_printing_cover.jpgPrinter ink is ridiculously expensive, and it sucks having to constantly spend obscene amounts of money replacing your ink cartridges. Find out what printer ink is made of and why it costs so much, as well as check out these 5 methods to save some cash and still fulfill your printing needs.

Printer ink is expensive, but believe it or not there's actually a reason for it. But that still doesn't mean we like overspending on overpriced ink.

1) Buy Ink From Alternative Sources
This might sound like a no-brainer, but there are lots of options for cheaper ink that doesn't have to come from the original printer manufacturer. Many stores such as Office Depot offer re-manufactured or store-brand cartridges at a discount. Costco and many other shops can refill your existing cartridges in-store. You can even use DIY kiosks and refill kits, but be careful as they can sometimes be extremely messy. Buying online can save you a few bucks as well.

080811_printing_laser.jpg2) Consider Switching To A Monochrome Laser Printer
For most of us the majority of what we print is just plain old black and white text. Switching to a monochrome laser printer might save you money in the long run. Even though toner cartridges might be more expensive they can generally provide quite a lot more prints for the money than ink jet cartridges.

3) Print Just What You Need
There's a ton of waste when you print from the web. Consider all of the website navigation, ads, and widow pages with just a small scrap of a footer. Use intelligent software , websites, and plugins to print just what you need and save ink and paper.

4) Use a Different Font
Believe it or not, different fonts can use more ink and paper than others. Check out Unplggd author and reader suggestions for savings simply by switching to a different font.

080811_printing_green.jpg5) Use Green Printers & Toners
From concept to reality, some new printers and toners are actually designed to be green and less wasteful.