Squeeze More Ink From Your Printer

Fri Apr 14, 2006 1:56PM EDT

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Printers today are somehow able to shoot a fleck of ink with exact precision onto a sheet of paper at incredible speeds, and yet somehow they aren't able to suck all the ink out of the cartridge before declaring it empty. Given that new cartridges can run from 30 to hundreds of dollars (and printers can require several cartridges), it makes sense to try to squeeze every drop of ink out of them that you can.

Leave it to the Russians to figure out how to do exactly that. This utility, for Epson Stylus printers, runs on all versions of Windows and provides a much more accurate view of the amount of ink left in your cartridges and allows you to "reset" the level when printer thinks the ink has run out, allowing you to milk a few more drops out of the "empty" cartridge.

Thanks to Boing Boing for the link, and for pointing out a reset utility for Hewlett-Packard printers, too.

Comments on Squeeze More Ink From Your Printer

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  • 6 Posted by qazwsxl on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:23PM EDT Report Abuse

    Buy the cheapest printer you can get. Use up the ink. Throw out the printer. Buy new printer.

  • 8 Posted by fast3756 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:58PM EDT Report Abuse

    Just wait till you move up to a LAZER, it doesn't get cheaper. Example: a Brother 9420CN Color Lazer cost about $900.00 The refills are $125.00 per cartridge, yes that adds up to $500! Count your blessings and keep your money stay with ink jets.

  • 9 Posted by rgenovese@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:38PM EDT Report Abuse

    Can someone please help me because it doesn't seem like the Epson help desk can. I have an Epson Stylus C86 and have just replaced the ink cartridges with Epson cartridges. Now I can't get the darn thing to work. Prints, looks like it is working but doesn't print on the paper. Have tried everthing possible and still won't print. Would appreciate any help I can get at this point. Thanks

  • 10 Posted by dinouye6@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:43PM EDT Report Abuse

    for older epson and canon ink jet printers. buy from amonditech.com. the prices for their ink cartridges is very cheap. i have used their cartridges for a few months now, and they work great. now i use my printer all the time, before i seldom used my printer because of the high prices of ink.

  • 12 Posted by inkcartridgeexpress on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:24PM EDT Report Abuse

    I make a living REFILLING ink cartridges, and it works! When you run the cartridge empty, it burns out the thermal printhead, forcing you to go back to the original manufacturer and buy their overpriced replacements. That is EXACTLY what they hope you will do! There is an alternative! Look into refill services in your area, or e-mail me at inkcartridgeexpress@yahoo.com with your questions. I have many happy customers that no longer pay $ 40 or more for an ink cartridge, and they do not have to order them online and wait up to a week sometimes for delivery!

  • 13 Posted by getjdb on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:08PM EDT Report Abuse

    Must be a manufacturer that has a printer that cartridges don't cost a fortune? If not sure looks like a heck of an opportunity.

  • 14 Posted by meilingntuffy on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:15PM EDT Report Abuse

    Remove the cartridge from your printer, give it a few shakes and reinstall. When the print begins to lighten again, shake it again. This works on larger printers, too. I have been doing this for years. Also, write a date on your new cartridge, if it doesn't give you enough mileage, take it back to the store where you bought it. After several cartridges you should get an average in time or copies. More....when you hit print, click on properties, then color, then print in greyscale. This saves your expensive color cartridges.

  • 16 Posted by xbeing on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:51PM EDT Report Abuse

    I bought a HP-840C; only the first time I used its "original" cartridges ($35 each!). Since then I just have used refilled ones ($3 each!). I´ve been using my faithfull printer for SEVEN years now, I just love it.

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