Printer ink can be fairly expensive, especially for inkjet and laser printers. It also takes time to find the right cartridge or ribbon and purchase it. Here are some tips on how to use less printer ink:

1. When you aren't printing something important like a resume, use the "Draft" or "Econofast" printing mode. Not all printers have this, but it can usually be selected under "Preferences" in "Print" on Windows applications like Word and Wordpad.

2. If a web page must be printed, look around for a "Printer Friendly" link on the page. Sometimes this version will save ink, and it also prevents you from printing useless pages with text outside the margins or other formatting problems.

3. Consider having items like photos and brochures professionally printed, rather than printing them yourself. When comparing costs, remember to calculate the cost of glossy paper, printer maintenance, and electricity consumption.

Also try to use less bold print and underline. With some printers, applying these techniques will not only save ink but help the mechanical components last longer as well.