5 On Your Side: Changing your font will save printer ink

The shift to work and school at home means the printer is getting more use. Ink refills are in demand, and they are not cheap.

Many HP customers thought they had a great deal when the printer-maker offered free ink for life: 15 pages a month. But last fall, HP changed its mind and said it would start charging customers. After outcries on social media, HP reinstated the `Free for Life’ program for existing customers.

“HP isn’t the only one with a subscription plan. Brother, Canon, and Epson each have their own versions,” said Octavio Blanco, Consumer Reports’ tech editor.

Most plans rely on a company that remotely monitors ink levels and sends cartridges when the ink runs low.

No matter how often that refill is needed, Consumer Reports has ways to save on ink.

“Consider a refillable tank printer. The ink that comes with it should last you along time, and replacement bottles are a fraction of the cost of cartridges,” said Blanco.

Consider third-party ink cartridges. Just do your research. Some printers can detect them and won’t print.

Another option: switch to a black-and-white laser printer. They use toner instead of ink and are generally more cost-efficient.

Consume Reports found excellent text quality in the Brother HL-L2370DW Black and White Laser Printer. It costs $130.

If you’re not ready to buy a new printer, try changing your font. Consumer Reports found that Times New Roman uses less ink that Arial.

"Our testers got 27% more mileage using it,” said Blanco.

Finally, Consumer Reports says keep ink jet printers on. Testers found a noticeable reduction in ink use. They said that extra cleaning cycle that prints whenever it powers up after being off wastes ink in the long run.