When I used Windows XP, a program called " Inksaver " reduced the amount of ink my printer used by forty percent. I now use a Suse Linux 10 OS and my ink consumption is putting way too large a hole in my pocket. Therefor I am pleading with the members, here, for help.

Does anyone know of a Linux compatible program that will cut down my ink usage?? Thank You!

Throw that inkjet AWAY!! I dont care if you've spent $20 or 400$!! Inkjets are always consuming all that $$$$ ink. Laser printers on the other hand never seem to work w/ linux, but you can print SOO much more stuff SOOO much quickly. Sorry if this was no help, I just cant stand it when ppl complain about there' ink suckers.

Have you tried running that program in wine or xcossover?

cousinlucky>

Just lower the print resolution.

colinstu>
Stuff it.
Inkjets are still superior to laser printers when it comes to color matching proofs that you intend to put to press. Just as a hammer is not the right tool for every construction job, a laser printer is not the best choice for all print jobs.

Also, what if cousinlucky needs a large print form factor? Like, 11x13 or 13x17? I'm sure that if you're willing to give him the $15K or so it takes to buy a laser printer that can handle that print size, or $4mil or so for a heidelberg press, he'd readily dump his inkjet.

Or, if he just needs a cheap printer and would rather have a good inkjet printer than a crappy low-end color laser printer, what the hell is wrong with that?

Wow!!! Who pulled your chain?

First, there are now several laser printers on the market that support Linux--marked right on the box...

Next, why are we comparing inkjet to laser? Two different applications---some people may need both. We do a whole bunch of things on inkjets that are simply not doable on a laser eg high-quality photos

Third, there are (GOOD) low-cost 3rd party ink options for most of the popular inkjets.

Now, to address OP's question: Turboprint is a Linux printing environment that--among other things--gives you access to a lot more printer options than does CUPS

Oh, sorry about that. I was trying a video card in my sff and it overheated and crashed. I was mad... and I needed a place to vent. I'm sick of confessing to my Father at church about swearing. Dell's lasers say they work w/ linux, im guessing thats right, but I didn't get it to work. At school we got some $$$ Xerox Phaser 8400? $$$$ laser printer. That thing prints so fast, you press the print button, it's printed. My Dad has a Dell 4100CN laser printer, its slow but it gets the job done (its toner does a carousel type thing while the xerox has the toner in a straight row).

Yeah people say inkjets print super colory stuff better than lasers, bullcrap. Hey, I might be wrong but I don't know where they've been for the last 5-10 years.

Artists selling color prints are typically using one of two things: Old-fashioned wet chemistry or Inkjet (Except they sometimes like to call it Giclee)

Go to any art fair and find an artist selling prints from a laser printer.

I have never seen a laser that can match what i can do with an inkjet--NEVER

It's time you about should. What have you been doing? Going to bestbuy and pressing the test print buttons on the lasers? Yea, the prints always look like crap there (especially the konica minolta one GROSS). Xerox, Oki, Dell are about the best, then HP. I have no clue how good Brother, Samsung, and lexmark are. Konica Minolta is always crap, but I got a Digital Camera from them and it's pretty good. For really big pictures, you'd have to use an inkjet, but for color prints on letter/legal paper, use a laser.

Anyway don't you think LASER sounds cooler than inkjet? Bubblejet is kind of cool sounding too.

I quickly found http://www.smallbusinesscomputing.co...le.php/3521141 this artical. Pretty new too. I don't exactly aggree w/ that lasers are quiter but inkjets are still noisy.

I could get some cheap-o Dell 1700 for $84/150 and pay toner only after, umm every 5000/15000 pages. Or I could get some dell inkjet for 74$ and I dont even want to talk about the ink. The only way your going to get 16ppm for color is if I set it on cheap/crappy print when the head on swipes the page 5 times. Dell's color lasers are actually, kinda crappy i see.Or I could get a 700$ xerox w/ 24ppm color or pay 1200$ and get 30ppm color.

My humbly submitted request for help was not intended to begin an open dispute.

Well--that's what happens here sometimes........

My best answer for you was the Turboprint suggestion.

What I have been doing?
1. Working in an organization with 5000+ employees with very expensive laser printers whereever you look.
2. Writing and producing proposals for 10+ years and looking at every kind of imaginable color output.
3. Working on snapshot and archival color printing using inkjets and 3rd-party inksets.
4. Going to art fairs and studying the various printing processes that people use for prints to sell.

The laser has its place--so does inkjet. I sincerely hope that you make choices that are best for you.....

Inkjets are quite useful for cheap colour printing. Not everybody can afford the price of Laserjets.

Anyway, if you use CUPS, there is a way to control the quality of print.

Try if this works: Open and browser and type:

http://localhost:631 (the CUPS interface)

Go to "Printers."

Click on the "Configure printer". You'll be asked for user name and password. Type the root user name and password.

In that panel you should see options for controlling page size, print quality and so on. The "Printout mode" settings should manage the print quality and resolution. If your driver supports this, it should work. I notice quite a bit of difference when I choose different modes on my HP PSC 1315 MFD.

// This should have been posted in Linux - Hardware or such. Somehow, every topic posted in General seems to become a debate or a rant.

Inkjets are also quite useful for very expensive, high-quality color printing... Take a look at the Epson wide-format professional lineup + the "semi-professional" models---eg 2400 and 1800.

You get inkjets in all ranges. You don't get a cheap (colour) laserjet even today.

... i used to play with canon bj230 , hp 1000c and hp 5l in linux ... i also got other old and not so old printers (the noisy type actually) ... but had since went into this polariod square film with all sorts of filters , i prefer the "mood" of polariod ... but never mind ...


cousinlucky my young "old" man ... you can either reduce the color/resolution or whatever through software ... or ... if you want to reduce cost(maybe??) through "hardware" probably you can try those large external ink-containers running tubings to your printer , just like what we see in the hospital or something ... not sure about the output quality though ... but it seems that they are less trouble-some when come to refilling/changing ink-cartriages ... i mean you can print mad like hell as if its nobody else business ...


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Moved: This thread is more suitable in Linux-Hardware and has been moved accordingly to help your thread/question get the exposure it deserves.