[RetiredCPA]

Originally Posted by Arctic Fox

I stored my cartridges in the freezer when not using them for extended periods.

Just remember to take them out a day before you try to use them.

I do the same thing.

[oneclickplus]

Originally Posted by BobnBev

I don't use my printer very often. When I do, it seems like the ink cartridge has dried out. Is there a secret to keep it alive? TIA

Yes! Throw it away and get a laser printer which uses toner instead of ink. The toner does not dry out; it typically lasts for 3000-5000 pages (150 avg for inkjets) and provides superior output. Much cheaper cost / page and especially perfect for those that don't print often.

[Gunny2403]

Print more often

[jimhoward]

I just bought a very compact HP b&w laser printer at Office Depot yesterday for $119.

I was about to brag how cheap that was , but then saw others have bought them for <$100. It’s amazing how much the prices have come down.

[Nana2Teddy]

Originally Posted by villagetinker

I gave up on ink cartridge printers for exactly this reason, I currently have 2 Laser printers, a B/W for the normal printing and the color one as needed. At one time I was using the local shipping center for color printing until I saw the prices, I now do this at home, after about 200 to 300 prints i am breaking even, and everything after that is at a much lower cost.

Are there stores where we can still get color prints (photos) as needed? If so I would definitely switch to a b&w laser printer now that my very old ink jet printer is not compatible with my new MacBook Air. The ink jet printer cartridges are crazy expensive.

[retiredguy123]

FYI, on Amazon, you can buy an HP xl black cartridge and an HP xl color cartridge for $104. By comparison, you can buy the same generic cartridges for $39.

It is interesting that, typically, laser printers are marketed to people who do a lot of printing. But, on this thread, it is just the opposite. I don't do a lot of printing, and the cartridge printer works well for me. My cartridges don't dry out, and I can print in color whenever I want.

[airstreamingypsy]

I literally hit print about twice a year, so I understand the problem. The solution is to buy a laser printer. You could hit print once a year and they come out perfectly. The powder ink doesn't dry out.

I use a Brother printer.

[ThirdOfFive]

Inkjets (mine, anyway) have an automatic cleaning routine that kicks in every so often. Trouble is, it only functions when you are actually PRINTING something, so unless you print fairly often that cleaning routine doesn't help much.

But it has never been a problem. I currently have one of those Epson Eco-tank printers and have owned it since about June 2023. I print frequently so cleaning is not a problem. What is nice is that low ink is never a problem: In nearly 18 months of printing I'm still on my original tanks: color ones (3) are still at about 60% and my B&W is at maybe 33%. For some reason when I ordered it, it came with two extra black ink bottles, and those suckers have to have at least 4 ounces of ink apiece in them. and even if I have to replace all the ink (comes in bottles, not cartridges) it would cost me about $60-70 total. I used to burn through three sets of cartridges per year on my old HPs--at $105 per set, as of the last set I bought.

It is not the fastest machine in the world but then again it doesn't need to be. The print quality is there (three modes, something like good-better-best, and at "best" setting it prints color photos on the appropriate paper that rival anything I can get at a place that does such things). It is all I need at a VERY reasonable price.

[LuLinn]

I got so tired of messing with printers and RARELY use mine. I get all my bills in PDFs and store them on my computer with a back up in the cloud. I threw my printer away. The 2-3 times a year I actually need a hard copy of something, I upload it to Office Depot. I pay around a quarter a page online. I walk it and it is on a shelf at customer service for me to pick up. If I need to scan something, I use my notes app on my iPhone. It's just an alternative thought. I'll never own a printer again.

[elevatorman]

I would think of alternatives to printing. Next time you want to print something say, Do I really need to print this? What other ways are there to get this done. I put my boarding pass on my phone. Fax things from my computer.

If you don't have a printer, you can use digital tools to sign documents electronically. Here are a few options:

PDF Editor Apps: Many apps like Adobe Acrobat Reader, Preview (on Mac), and PDFescape allow you to add a digital signature to a PDF document. You can draw your signature or type it in, save it, and then send the signed document.

E-Signature Services: Platforms like DocuSign, HelloSign, and Adobe Sign are designed for electronic signatures. They let you sign documents securely online and email them directly from the platform.

Scanner Apps: Use a smartphone app like CamScanner or Adobe Scan to scan a handwritten signature. You can then insert this image into your documents.

These methods are secure and legally binding for most documents, making them great alternatives to printing.

[OhioBuckeye]

Originally Posted by Arctic Fox

I stored my cartridges in the freezer when not using them for extended periods.

Just remember to take them out a day before you try to use them.

Thank you, good question & answer, I have the same problem.

[Bugface]

Originally Posted by BobnBev

I don't use my printer very often. When I do, it seems like the ink cartridge has dried out. Is there a secret to keep it alive? TIA

Definitely agree with above recommendations for laser. Inexpensive B & W if don’t need color (when we switched from inkjet I thought would be an issue and it isn’t for us.) We are snowbirds and hated having printer problems every time we came south or went back north. 2 lasers now: one there and one here and never a problem. Don’t need any special care, just switch back on and ready to go.

[DAVES]

Originally Posted by Arctic Fox

I stored my cartridges in the freezer when not using them for extended periods.

Just remember to take them out a day before you try to use them.

That is interesting. Liquid if water expands when it freezes. Might well crack the plastic

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Nana2Teddy

Are there stores where we can still get color prints (photos) as needed? If so I would definitely switch to a b&w laser printer now that my very old ink jet printer is not compatible with my new MacBook Air. The ink jet printer cartridges are crazy expensive.

Plenty. But you pay a premium for the privilege. To print a color page (such as a flyer or mailer) on standard paper, it's 75 cents. If you want it on good paper, it's more, and if you want it on photo paper, it's a couple of dollars. That's all single-side, color print, just one copy.

Plus the time you have to spend GOING to the print shop to use their machine (if you want them to do all the work it costs even more), and the few cents worth of gas to drive there (or electricity if you have an EV). If it's busy that day, add more time to wait in line.

Or - you could have a printer in your house and not have to leave, have all the supplies you need right there.

In addition, if you have an HP ink printer, you could sign up for Instant Ink and for $1.99/month you can print up to 10 pages per month, and they send you more ink when yours runs low. If it dries out, you call them and they overnight you a replacement. You don't pay extra for the ink itself, it's just $1.99/month for 10 pages printed, color or black and white. If you don't use all 10 pages one month, it carries over to the next month. I believe you can carry over up to 2 months worth of pages. So if you need to print invitations, you could even plan in advance to save pages and print them all out. Or you can up the subscription to 50 pages at $4.99/month, and then drop back down to a 10/month plan when you've gotten all your invitations printed out.

I've been using instant ink for years and it's a pretty flawless system.

[DAVES]

Originally Posted by BobnBev

I don't use my printer very often. When I do, it seems like the ink cartridge has dried out. Is there a secret to keep it alive? TIA

Posted by others. If, you do not need color, you can buy a lazer B&W printer for around $100. Cost per print including the paper, it uses normal photocopier paper is like a nickle. Ink jet assuming you don't need to toss dried out ink is like ten times that.