{"id":4770,"date":"2018-02-13T23:08:20","date_gmt":"2018-02-13T23:08:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/?p=4770"},"modified":"2023-06-01T21:17:03","modified_gmt":"2023-06-01T21:17:03","slug":"5-home-printing-tips-for-tax-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/5-home-printing-tips-for-tax-season\/","title":{"rendered":"9 Home Printing Tips for Tax Season"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Tax day is just around the corner.\u00a0 If you plan to print at home this year, we have some simple tips to ease your printing experience.\u00a0 Need to print out a particular tax form? A list of popular forms are available on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.gov\/forms-instructions\">IRS website<\/a> that you can fill out electronically and print for free, but you\u2019ll need to install <a href=\"https:\/\/get.adobe.com\/reader\/\">Adobe<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Acrobat<\/a> to fill them out online.\u00a0 Once you have everything prepped, here are some tips for home printing during tax season:<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4><strong>Make Sure Your Printer is in Good Working Order<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Before you start printing your tax documents, make sure your printer is in good working order and has enough ink or toner. It&#8217;s also a good idea to run a test print to make sure everything is working properly.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4><strong>(If you don&#8217;t have one yet) Choose the Right Printer<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>The right printer can save you a lot on printing costs.\u00a0 Inkjet printers are ideal for home users looking to print the occasional document or high quality photo.\u00a0\u00a0 Laser printers are often found in offices and are great for high volume document printing.\u00a0 A laser printer seems like an obvious choice during tax season but if you are just filing for yourself or choose to file electronically, your print volume might be light and all that extra power may be unnecessary.\u00a0 The perfect printer all boils down to the user and their printing needs.\u00a0 If you are not sure your current printer is the right fit, check out our article:<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/pros-cons-of-inkjet-and-laser-printers\/\">Inkjet vs Laser: Which Printer Is Right For You?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4><strong>Choose the Right Printer Cartridges<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Most printers offer two or three choices when it comes to printer cartridges.\u00a0 Standard yield cartridges are the least expensive of the three, but they also run out faster since they contain the smallest volume of ink.\u00a0 High yield or XL printer cartridges are generally a better value in the long term as they offer more prints per cartridge at just a slightly higher price point.\u00a0 Some printers offer XXL or extra high yield cartridges as well, which are a game changer for high volume print jobs.\u00a0 To demonstrate, let\u2019s look at three toner cartridges that are compatible with the Brother<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> HL-L6200DW laser printer:<\/p>\n<div id=\"footable_parent_10762\"\n     class=\"footable_parent ninja_table_wrapper loading_ninja_table wp_table_data_press_parent semantic_ui \">\n                <table data-ninja_table_instance=\"ninja_table_instance_0\" data-footable_id=\"10762\" data-filter-delay=\"1000\" aria-label=\"Brother TN820\"            id=\"footable_10762\"\n           data-unique_identifier=\"ninja_table_unique_id_1749867575_10762\"\n           class=\" foo-table ninja_footable foo_table_10762 ninja_table_unique_id_1749867575_10762 ui table  nt_type_legacy_table selectable striped vertical_centered  footable-paging-right ninja_table_search_disabled ninja_table_pro\">\n                <colgroup>\n                            <col class=\"ninja_column_0 \">\n                            <col class=\"ninja_column_1 \">\n                            <col class=\"ninja_column_2 \">\n                            <col class=\"ninja_column_3 \">\n                    <\/colgroup>\n        <thead>\n<tr class=\"footable-header\">\n                                                                        <th scope=\"col\"  class=\"ninja_column_0 ninja_clmn_nm_cartridge_name \">Cartridge Name<\/th><th scope=\"col\"  class=\"ninja_column_1 ninja_clmn_nm_page_yield \">Page Yield<\/th><th scope=\"col\"  class=\"ninja_column_2 ninja_clmn_nm_original_brother_cost \">Original Brother Cost*<\/th><th scope=\"col\"  class=\"ninja_column_3 ninja_clmn_nm_compatible_ld_brand_cost \">LD-Brand Cost<\/th><\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n\n        <tr data-row_id=\"273\" class=\"ninja_table_row_0 nt_row_id_273\">\n            <td>Brother\u00a0TN820 Black Toner<\/td><td>3,000 Pages<\/td><td>$70.99<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/compatible-brother-tn820-black-toner-cartridge?xid=tmd:blog:&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_source=ldblog&amp;utm_campaign=4770:TN820\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">$22.99<\/a><\/td>        <\/tr>\n            <tr data-row_id=\"274\" class=\"ninja_table_row_1 nt_row_id_274\">\n            <td>\u00a0Brother TN850 High Yield Black Toner<\/td><td>8,000 Pages<\/td><td>$115.49<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/compatible-brother-tn850-black-toner-cartridge-tn850cts?xid=tmd:blog:&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_source=ldblog&amp;utm_campaign=4770:TN850\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">$27.99<\/a><\/td>        <\/tr>\n            <tr data-row_id=\"275\" class=\"ninja_table_row_2 nt_row_id_275\">\n            <td>Brother TN880 Extra High Yield Black Toner<\/td><td>12,000 Pages<\/td><td>$132.99<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/compatible-brother-tn880-black-toner-cartridge?xid=tmd:blog:&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_source=ldblog&amp;utm_campaign=4770:TN880\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">$29.99<\/a><\/td>        <\/tr>\n    <\/tbody><!--ninja_tobody_rendering_done-->\n    <\/table>\n    <style id=\"ninja_table_custom_css_10762\" type=\"text\/css\">\n\n\n#footable_10762 td.ninja_column_0 { text-align: left; }#footable_10762 th.ninja_column_0 { text-align: left; }#footable_10762 td.ninja_column_1 { text-align: center; }#footable_10762 th.ninja_column_1 { text-align: center; }#footable_10762 td.ninja_column_2 { text-align: center; }#footable_10762 th.ninja_column_2 { text-align: center; }#footable_10762 td.ninja_column_3 { text-align: center; }#footable_10762 th.ninja_column_3 { text-align: center; }<\/style>\n\n    \n    \n<\/div>\n\n<p>As you can see with the Brother cartridges, print volume varies considerably depending on what cartridges you use, so be sure to check the cartridge page yield before committing to a particular cartridge.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/what-is-page-yield\/\">Page yield<\/a> is the average number of prints customers will get from a cartridge, and is based on 5% page coverage. Even printers with identical price points and features may have very different page yields and cartridges for a very different price. Knowing roughly how many pages you print each month should give you a good idea on what size cartridge best suits your needs. Customers that print infrequently are probably fine sticking with a standard yield cartridge.\u00a0 Regular printer users should definitely consider high yield cartridges to get the most cost savings.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Compatible cartridges from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/?xid=tmd:blog:&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_source=ldblog&amp;utm_campaign=4770:homepage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">LD Products<\/a> can save you even more money.<\/strong>\u00a0 LD brand compatible cartridges offer the same print quality and page yield as the original brand at a fraction of the price!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com?xid=tmd:blog:banner&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_source=ldblog&amp;utm_campaign=4770:bannerv6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-6460 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/ld_banr_txt_smallbusiness_2019_728x90_v3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"728\" height=\"90\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4><strong>Print Multiple Copies<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>It&#8217;s always a good idea to print multiple copies of your tax documents, in case you need to send them to different places or make corrections.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4><strong>Use High-Quality Paper:<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>It&#8217;s important to use high-quality paper when printing your tax documents to ensure that they are legible and professional-looking.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4><strong>Keep a Backup<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>It&#8217;s always a good idea to keep a backup of your tax documents, in case the original copies get lost or damaged. You can save a digital copy on a flash drive or cloud storage.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4><strong>Check for Errors and Preview Before You Print<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Before submitting your tax return, double-check all of your numbers and make sure that everything is accurate. Mistakes can delay your refund or even result in an audit. Don\u2019t forget to hit \u201cprint preview\u201d on your browser to confirm pages are formatted properly before sending your documents to the printer.\u00a0 Not only will you avoid wasting ink and paper, you\u2019ll get another chance to double check that everything is filled out accurately too.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4><strong>Print in Grayscale or Black and White<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Tax documents can be long and complex, printing in black and white can save on ink costs. Print with just your black printer cartridge by adjusting your printer settings to \u201cgray scale\u201d or \u201cblack ink only\u201d and save the color ink for family photos.\u00a0 Most printers have a black ink setting under the \u201cPrinter Properties\u201d menu.\u00a0 You may need to consult your printer\u2019s user guide for specific instructions.\u00a0 You can easily find a free PDF copy of your printer manual on the printer manufacturer\u2019s website.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/grayscale-and-draft-mode.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-4773\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/grayscale-and-draft-mode.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"547\" height=\"598\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4><strong>Consider Draft Mode and Duplex Printing<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Draft mode uses up to 50% less ink and actually prints faster than regular mode, making it perfect for any extra pages you don\u2019t plan to include with your file.\u00a0 Like gray scale printing, you can usually find draft mode under the \u201cPrinter Properties\u201d menu, but check your printer manual to be sure.\u00a0 If your printer has duplex printing capability, use it to save on paper and reduce the amount of paper waste and most printers can do it automatically.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>By following these tips, you can help ensure that your tax documents are printed correctly and efficiently, and that you can get your taxes done on time and without any unnecessary complications. Have any questions about the tips posted here, or a specific question about your printer?\u00a0 Drop us a line in the comments, we&#8217;d be happy to help.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/media\/wysiwyg\/ldproducts\/pdf\/tax_prep_checklist_2023.pdf\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-12595\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ld_bnr_email_tax_checklist_printable_2023-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"740\" height=\"185\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><sup>*Savings based on price comparison between remanufactured\/compatible cartridge prices on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/\">www.LDProducts.com<\/a><\/sup><sup> and OEM cartridge and printer prices from Staples\u00ae. All prices effective as of June 1, 2023.\u00a0 OEM names are registered trademarks of their respective owners and are not affiliated with, and do not endorse LD Products.\u00a0 This article is intended to provide general financial education information.\u00a0 It does not give personalized tax, investment, legal or other business and professional advice.\u00a0 Consult a tax professional who can provide personal recommendations before taking any action.<\/sup><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/?xid=tmd:blog:&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_source=ldblog&amp;utm_campaign=11248:lowprices\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-9287 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ld_banr_txt_customers_2020_728x90-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"728\" height=\"90\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tax day is just around the corner.\u00a0 If you plan to print at home this year, we have some simple tips to ease your printing experience.\u00a0 Need to print out&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":12616,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[19,27],"tags":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4770"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4770"}],"version-history":[{"count":56,"href":"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4770\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13101,"href":"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4770\/revisions\/13101"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12616"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4770"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4770"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4770"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}