How to save on printer inks

CharmaineK · Dec 9, 2022

bobkn said:
The Envy 6455e is stated to come with "setup" ink cartridges. I presume that those are low-capacity ones adequate to get started with the printer, but not for much printing.

If you intend to do much printing, maybe the XL cartridges would be the most cost-effective.

(For my own use, I gave up on ink jets except for a dedicated photo printer. I prefer Brother printers because they seem to offer good long-term driver support.)

The tank shows 1/2 full after printing 34 pages.The black, blue and yellow are fine. I removed the colour cartridge and can see specks of magenta,it just isn't enough volume to make it to the page. Hoping it is just near empty or dryed out eventhough shows 1/2 full and not an issue with printer. I'm going to use up the black somehow before putting in the new instant ink sent to me. It's 6 months free ink so taking advantage of that deal.

johnlgalt · Dec 9, 2022

ICIT2LOL said:
as there is no off switch for the mains supply having to shut down the printer to keep it off.

Uhhh, according to the picture that @Porthos posted, as well as the bottom picture from HP OfficeJet Pro 9010e All-in-One Printer | HP® United Kingdom there most certainly is a power button - and it should always be one on devices that have power draw.

If you've tried that and it does not work, it may require that you press and hold the button to power it off.

This is a fact, because in the same webpage, when reading up on how to upgrade the printer, it specifically states "Power off the printer" for this model, which means there is an ability to power it off.

ICIT2LOL said:
Yes well I have a newish HP Officejet 9012 E printer and the annoying thing is the inks are expensive but for me the most annoying feature is that it powers on whenever I fire up my UPS as there is no switch on the printer to stop this happening and I am guessing every time the printer turns on it will go through a cleaning process and therefore use ink that is left in the device plus it requires a proper shut down action to turn it off. So my only solution is to either wire in a switch - (I guess would void the warranty) or unplug the power supply from the machine.
So beware buyers of HP printers as I am thinking this will apply to every machine they produce now and it becomes objectionable to have to keep buying their inks if you are like me a not often user of the printer.

ICIT2LOL said:
Yes well I would mate but I like to shut down when I am finished for the day as I don't want the machine and printer drawing power unnecessarily and the fire risk of course. It just peeves me that there is no off button on the printer as my old one used to have.

It's simpler than that.

1) Unplug the printer from the UPS and plug it directly into the mains - printers are typically not plugged into a UPS, for a variety of reasons.

2) Use the power button on the printer to turn it off, and turn it on only when you want to print.

3) In the future, when you're ready for another printer, consider the many people here (including me) who suggest that, unless you need photo-realistic prints with high color accuracy on photo stock, go with a color laser.

johnlgalt · Dec 9, 2022

CharmaineK said:
The tank shows 1/2 full after printing 34 pages.The black, blue and yellow are fine. I removed the colour cartridge and can see specks of magenta,it just isn't enough volume to make it to the page. Hoping it is just near empty or dryed out eventhough shows 1/2 full and not an issue with printer. I'm going to use up the black somehow before putting in the new instant ink sent to me. It's 6 months free ink so taking advantage of that deal.View attachment 47173

Some swabs and a bit of alcohol can clean the print heads on most printing cartridges if there is gummed up ink on them. Be sure to give them at least 15 minutes of drying time after cleaning before reinstalling and testing.

You'll need to replace those starter ones anyway, so getting a replacement set is a good thing, you'll need them sooner than you think, so don't cancel the order. But to get printing now, plenty of YouTube videos on cleaning ink cartridge print head areas.

One thing I suggest - using a cotton swab (aka Q-Tip), position the cartridge so that the print head faces horizontally (in other words, don't put the cartridge so that the print head is facing up) when cleaning, and use very light alcohol on the swab (don't soak it, make it damp with alcohol) and use light, firm strokes to loosen and break up the gummy ink.

bikemanI7 · Dec 9, 2022

I typically print an item probably once a week to keep my HP Envy 4520 ink from drying out, mostly in black though 90 percent of the time. Plan on buying more ink when Christmas arrives, and hopefully that lasts for a good long while.

My Printer is HP Envy 4520

ICIT2LOL · Dec 9, 2022

johnlgalt said:
1) Unplug the printer from the UPS and plug it directly into the mains - printers are typically not plugged into a UPS, for a variety of reasons.

2) Use the power button on the printer to turn it off, and turn it on only when you want to print.

Yes I know John but even if the printer is plugged into another power source it entails having another power outlet which I don't have easy access to and the problem remains even if I switch it off after turning on my UPS the cleaning process has already been run and as HP recommend shutting down the proper way ie using the power button as in your attachment I have no choice but to unplug thee device until needed. My point is that the computer has a power button as does just about every device one uses ie monitor, modem, sound system etc so why not the HP printer?? I think it is a bit of a shonky way of HP making you use more ink.

johnlgalt · Dec 9, 2022

ICIT2LOL said:
Yes I know John but even if the printer is plugged into another power source it entails having another power outlet which I don't have easy access to and the problem remains even if I switch it off after turning on my UPS the cleaning process has already been run and as HP recommend shutting down the proper way ie using the power button as in your attachment I have no choice but to unplug thee device until needed. My point is that the computer has a power button as does just about every device one uses ie monitor, modem, sound system etc so why not the HP printer?? I think it is a bit of a shonky way of HP making you use more ink.

Are you saying that when you switch it off using the power button, then power cycle the UPS, it comes back on automatically?

That might be a setting in the printer's management console to auto wake on power / connection to the PC.

Otherwise what I'm saying is power off the printer before powering off the UPS, and it should stay off until you manually turn it back on again.

CharmaineK · Dec 9, 2022

johnlgalt said:
Some swabs and a bit of alcohol can clean the print heads on most printing cartridges if there is gummed up ink on them. Be sure to give them at least 15 minutes of drying time after cleaning before reinstalling and testing.

You'll need to replace those starter ones anyway, so getting a replacement set is a good thing, you'll need them sooner than you think, so don't cancel the order. But to get printing now, plenty of YouTube videos on cleaning ink cartridge print head areas.

One thing I suggest - using a cotton swab (aka Q-Tip), position the cartridge so that the print head faces horizontally (in other words, don't put the cartridge so that the print head is facing up) when cleaning, and use very light alcohol on the swab (don't soak it, make it damp with alcohol) and use light, firm strokes to loosen and break up the gummy ink.

I googled and youtubed and tried the tactics. Expiry on ink says Sept 2023. I'll just use up the black ink while waiting for new ink. Instant Ink says sent out Dec 5 so I should get it as next week. Just thought strange blue and yellow are fine so I guess magenta compartment is the issue. Hope nothing to do with the pins or ribbon on the printer. I just bought it new in box last week.

ICIT2LOL · Dec 9, 2022

johnlgalt said:
Are you saying that when you switch it off using the power button, then power cycle the UPS, it comes back on automatically?

No John the printer fires up when I switch on the UPS it would do so even if I plugged it into a different power source if the power point was in the on position. My gripe is that the printer does not have a power on/off button at the back where the power lead is attached to the printer.
Actually I have just watched a YouTube video on the Epson ET-3850 printer -

- that has a tank refill system and if I had known at the time when I bought the HP I would have gone for the Epson instead because it seems to be both much less expensive to run and has a dedicated power on/off button.

Porthos · Dec 10, 2022

ICIT2LOL said:
My gripe is that the printer does not have a power on/off button

Can you power it off with this button by holding it until the screen goes off then turn off The UPS?

bobkn · Dec 10, 2022

ICIT2LOL said:
No John the printer fires up when I switch on the UPS it would do so even if I plugged it into a different power source if the power point was in the on position. My gripe is that the printer does not have a power on/off button at the back where the power lead is attached to the printer.
Actually I have just watched a YouTube video on the Epson ET-3850 printer - (snip) - that has a tank refill system and if I had known at the time when I bought the HP I would have gone for the Epson instead because it seems to be both much less expensive to run and has a dedicated power on/off button.

I'm confused.

The printer has a power button:

Do you mean that if the printer is shut down using that button, and you turn off the mains power (or power strip etc.), that the printer powers up again when the mains power is turned back on?

I guess I could believe that. The button may just send the printer into some sort of sleep mode, rather than functioning like the traditional rocker switch.

ICIT2LOL · Dec 10, 2022

Porthos said:
Can you power it off with this button by holding it until the screen goes off then turn off The UPS?

Yes Porthos that is exactly what happens and what I am going to try is insert a double pole rocker switch into a spare power lead close to the printer so that I can switch the printer on when I need it and just use the top power switch to shut it down correctly. This will save me having to unplug or switch off an alternative power source. Again I don't like the way that HP have setup this printer as they have as in my mind it is just a way of making sure one uses the maximum amount of ink that the printer uses if it is left plugged into a power source such as I use.

johnlgalt · Dec 11, 2022

ICIT2LOL said:
Yes Porthos that is exactly what happens and what I am going to try is insert a double pole rocker switch into a spare power lead close to the printer so that I can switch the printer on when I need it and just use the top power switch to shut it down correctly. This will save me having to unplug or switch off an alternative power source. Again I don't like the way that HP have setup this printer as they have as in my mind it is just a way of making sure one uses the maximum amount of ink that the printer uses if it is left plugged into a power source such as I use.

You could do that - or you could first try powering it off the way it is meant to.

According to the manual,

To avoid print quality problems, always turn the printer off using the Power button, and wait until the
Power button light goes out before you pull the plug or turn off a power strip. This allows the printer to move
the cartridges to a capped position, where they are protected from drying out.

Which if you've been using the UPS to power it off, this is definitely not occurring, and so it is in limbo, and always powers on to check the cartridges as soon as it receives power again.

Unfortunately, the manual is too large, even when compressed in a .ZIP file, to upload here.

Winuser · Dec 11, 2022

ICIT2LOL said:
I ask because to renew the ink cartridges is almost the same as the cost of the printer itself.

Because the printer manufacturers make huge profits off of selling the ink cartridges, I doubt it. If you noticed, they do their best to try and force us to only use their ink.

Winuser · Dec 11, 2022

CharmaineK said:
I just bought the HP Envy 6455e. I came with ink. However, using it for the first time today I printed a photo today and the picture was green. I ran diagnostics and magenta (same cartridge as cyan and yellow and they are fine) not printing. I thought I'd get a few prints from the free ink but unfortunately not! Now I have to wait for new ink to test and see if it works. I may reseal it and use up what I got for free first.

When you buy a new printer, they usually come with just enough ink for you to print a very limited amount of pages. The ink is where they make their money.

Winuser · Dec 11, 2022

bobkn said:
I prefer Brother printers because they seem to offer good long-term driver support.)

I have a Brother HL-L2340 DW laser printer. it's been the best printer I ever bought. When the day comes that I have to replace it, I'm going with a Brother mutifunction printer and copier.

ICIT2LOL · Dec 11, 2022

Winuser said:
Because the printer manufacturers make huge profits off of selling the ink cartridges, I doubt it. If you noticed, they do their best to try and force us to only use their ink.

Yes mate my replacement cartridges are $149 a pop for the four colours. Next time I am up for a printer I shall research into a laser one as it seems that most laser printer owners appear to find they are the best. But I do such little printing anyway the HP will have to do until I can find a way of fitting it with an on/off button either in the machine or an inline one on the power cord.

LeLibran · Dec 12, 2022

HP Guide: Turn the printer on and off

The second 'option' appears to be the one for you; and, given this is the official HP advice, they obviously know that users are having a problem with the On/Off Switch but don't seem to be able to provide an effective fix other than "pull the plug".

Winuser · Dec 12, 2022

ICIT2LOL said:
Yes mate my replacement cartridges are $149 a pop for the four colours. Next time I am up for a printer I shall research into a laser one as it seems that most laser printer owners appear to find they are the best. But I do such little printing anyway the HP will have to do until I can find a way of fitting it with an on/off button either in the machine or an inline one on the power cord.

The easiest way would be to buy an extension cord with a switch or a plugin on off switch. plugin on off switch - Search

ICIT2LOL · Dec 12, 2022

Winuser said:
The easiest way would be to buy an extension cord with a switch or a plugin on off switch.

Yes mate I have a spare power cord that will fit the printer and am trying to track down an inline double pole switch which is proving to be quite difficult - have no idea why because they are a standard type electrical fitting.