Guide: Making an Inkjet Cartridge Last Longer

It's Not Rocket Science, it Can Be Done

Inkjet cartridges don't last forever. Sometime during the life of one, the nozzles will wear out and become damaged, they will dry up, or they will run out. Replacing them isn't cheap and therefore all the steps to extending the life of these small ink cubes should be taken.

It all starts with new habits. If you change your existing maintenance routine a little bit it is guaranteed that you will extend the life of a cartridge by at least 1 week give or take depending on your printer usage. Also keep in mind that you can reasonably expect an inkjet cartridge to perform well for 3 to 4 refills, after that you should replace them if you want to keep having the wonderful printings.

- Expiration dates: Checking the expiration dates on the package before buying it is something that you must do. This will be beneficial to you even if you plan on refilling just because you don't want to start out with a short cartridge. Note: Cartridges do not usually work past expiration date even if they have been refilled or haven't been used so take this into consideration.

- Cut down: When you don't need to use the printer don't. If you want to know how your printing will look use "print preview" instead of printing the page to check what it looks like. When you print your hard copy try to avoid errors and unwanted content to prevent large amounts of ink usage.

- Clean up: The print cartridge should be cleaned frequently in order to prevent it from building up ink and dust on the very delicate nozzles. If you do regular maintenance on them you will catch the small problems that can save you from having a can't-fix-it-buy-a-new-one issue. If you can avoid these small issues then do so.