Ink can be one of the biggest expenses of running a printer, but there are a few ways users can save themselves some cash by printing smarter. As well as checking out the deals available on sites like Misco to see if you can buy printer ink for less, you can check your settings to see if you’re making the best use of the ink you have.

For instance, many people are unaware that the amount of ink their printer uses depends on the quality of the print, and unless you’re planning to hand the documents in as a presentation, it’s unlikely you need to choose the highest quality every time. Selecting “Draft” from the print options menu will give you a printout that’s perfectly fine for home printing and drains your ink cartridges at a much slower rate.

You may also be using coloured ink when black and white will do. If you’re printing out a webpage, for instance, you probably only want the text – so make sure you’ve chosen to print in black and white to avoid wasting the more expensive coloured cartridges. You can also save on paper by printing on both sides of the page.