Default printer settings exist to make sample prints look good in a shop. They are not set up to save you money. This is a list of every setting you should change to cut ink usage by 30–60%.
The “Big Five” settings to change
1. Quality: Draft / EconoMode / Fast
Most printer drivers default to “Normal” or “Best”. For everyday notes, you do not need either.
- Draft (HP), EconoMode (HP LaserJet), Fast (Epson), Toner Save (Brother generic): uses significantly less ink. Text is still readable.
- Switch to “Normal” or “Best” only for final copies or slides you are submitting.
Most students print drafts. You will not notice the quality difference on text-heavy slides.
2. Colour: Black & white / Greyscale
If the document is mostly text (which coaching slides usually are, once you have converted dark to light), print in greyscale. Colour ink is 3–5× more expensive than black per page.
You will be surprised how rarely you actually need colour printing.
3. Pages per sheet: 2-up or 4-up (sometimes)
If you are printing slides for quick reference rather than detailed study, printing 2 or 4 slides per page can save significant ink. The slides are smaller, but still readable.
This is a trade-off. Smaller text means more eye strain. Reserve this for review material, not first-pass study.
4. Skip blank pages
Most printer drivers have a “skip blank pages” option. Coaching PDFs often have 1–2 blank filler pages per chapter. Skipping them saves real ink.
Where to find it: usually under “Printing Preferences” → “Effects” or “Finishing”.
5. Duplex (double-sided)
This is more about paper than ink, but worth mentioning:
- Single-sided printing uses more paper.
- Double-sided printing requires less ink per page in some printers (the second side dries the first).
The catch: notes are easier to read when single-sided. Your call.
Less obvious settings
Paper type
Setting your printer to “plain paper” rather than “photo paper” or “presentation paper” reduces the amount of ink laid down. The default is usually fine, but check.
Resolution
If your driver lets you set DPI explicitly:
- 300 DPI is the sweet spot for text.
- 600+ DPI is for photos — overkill for notes.
- Going below 300 DPI makes text fuzzy.
Driver “enhancements”
Some printer drivers default to “enhance edges” or “sharpen text”. These add ink. Turn them off for everyday printing.
Software settings (browser-side)
When you print from a browser, you have additional options:
Chrome / Edge
- Print as: PDF (if you want a soft copy first).
- Margins: Minimum (saves a tiny bit of ink on every page).
- Scale: Default (do not enlarge — that uses more ink).
Firefox
Similar to Chrome. Use “Fit to page width” if your slides are slightly oversized.
Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Print as image: Off (faster, less ink).
- Choose paper source by PDF page size: Off.
- Print in reverse order: Off unless you actually need it.
Habits that compound
Print at the end of the day, not throughout
When your printer sits idle between print jobs, the print heads do maintenance cycles that waste ink. Batching your printing into one session per day saves a measurable amount.
Print a sample page first
Before printing 200 pages, print page 1 and check the result. Five seconds now saves you discovering at page 100 that “draft mode” looks too faint.
Use original cartridges, not refills, for critical prints
Refilled cartridges are cheaper but the print quality is inconsistent. Use them for draft printing and save original cartridges for finals.
Store paper properly
A ream of paper left open absorbs moisture. Moist paper requires more ink to get the same darkness. Keep your paper sealed.
Realistic savings
If you currently print 800 pages per month at default settings and switch to the recommendations above:
- Draft mode: 20–30% savings
- Greyscale: 30–40% savings (if your pages are mostly text)
- Skipping blank pages: 2–5% savings
- Combined with converting dark to light first: another 40–60% on top
Realistic total: 50–70% reduction in monthly ink cost. On a typical ₹900 cartridge, that is ₹450–₹630 saved per cartridge.
What NOT to compromise on
- Readability. If “draft mode” makes your notes hard to read, switch back. The whole point of printing is to study.
- Test papers. Always print full-quality mock tests. You want them to look like the real exam.
The full setup
If you have already converted your dark slides to light using our dark → light tool, the remaining savings come from printer settings. Five minutes in your printing preferences page is worth hours of saved study money.