{"id":5003,"date":"2008-12-11T23:07:26","date_gmt":"2008-12-11T17:37:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/?p=5003"},"modified":"2026-10-12T13:13:19","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T07:43:19","slug":"ecofont-saves-printing-costs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/12\/ecofont-saves-printing-costs\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Save Printer Ink: Ecofont and 10 Free Tips (2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Printer ink is famously expensive, so any way to <strong>save printer ink<\/strong> adds up. In 2008 we tested Ecofont, a free font from a Dutch company that punched tiny holes into each letter to use about 20% less ink while staying readable at small sizes. Ecofont still exists, but it&#8217;s now a paid Windows printer driver rather than a free font. Here&#8217;s how Ecofont works today and the free settings that save the most ink in 2026.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-64444\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/save-printer-ink-1024x538.webp\" alt=\"How to save printer ink\" width=\"1024\" height=\"538\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/save-printer-ink-1024x538.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/save-printer-ink-300x158.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/save-printer-ink-150x79.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/save-printer-ink-768x403.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/save-printer-ink.webp 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> The easiest ways to save printer ink are printing in draft or eco mode, using grayscale for everyday documents, previewing to avoid wasted pages, printing double-sided and choosing lighter, thinner fonts at smaller sizes. Ecofont&#8217;s paid Windows driver automatically converts text to an ink-saving version and claims savings of up to about 50% in tests.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6adb786b21479\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6adb786b21479\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/12\/ecofont-saves-printing-costs\/#What_is_Ecofont\" >What is Ecofont?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/12\/ecofont-saves-printing-costs\/#10_free_ways_to_save_printer_ink\" >10 free ways to save printer ink<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/12\/ecofont-saves-printing-costs\/#Does_Ecofont_really_save_money\" >Does Ecofont really save money?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/12\/ecofont-saves-printing-costs\/#Is_the_free_Ecofont_still_available\" >Is the free Ecofont still available?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/12\/ecofont-saves-printing-costs\/#FAQ\" >FAQ<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/12\/ecofont-saves-printing-costs\/#Which_font_uses_the_least_ink\" >Which font uses the least ink?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/12\/ecofont-saves-printing-costs\/#Does_printing_in_black_and_white_save_colour_ink\" >Does printing in black and white save colour ink?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/12\/ecofont-saves-printing-costs\/#Is_Ecofont_free\" >Is Ecofont free?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_Ecofont\"><\/span>What is Ecofont?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The original Ecofont (based on the open-source Vera Sans) used small circular holes inside letters. At 9 to 10 point sizes, the holes were hard to notice but saved ink. Today <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ecofont.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ecofont<\/a> is a subscription printer driver for Windows that applies the same idea to any font in any app just before printing. Businesses that print a lot are its main users.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"10_free_ways_to_save_printer_ink\"><\/span>10 free ways to save printer ink<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Use draft or eco mode:<\/strong> in the print dialog, choose Draft, EconoMode or Toner Save.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Print in grayscale:<\/strong> select black and white for documents that don&#8217;t need colour.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Preview first:<\/strong> check for blank pages, ads or comments that would waste ink.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Print only what you need:<\/strong> select specific pages or highlighted text.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use reader mode or &#8220;print-friendly&#8221; versions<\/strong> of web pages to skip images and ads.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Choose ink-friendly fonts:<\/strong> thinner fonts like Garamond or Century Gothic use less ink than bold, heavy ones; smaller sizes help too.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Print double-sided<\/strong> to save paper as well.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Avoid unnecessary cleaning cycles:<\/strong> frequent head cleaning uses ink; print regularly instead so nozzles don&#8217;t dry out.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Save as PDF<\/strong> instead of printing receipts and tickets you&#8217;ll only view on screen.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Consider an ink tank printer:<\/strong> models with refillable tanks cost more upfront but far less per page.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Does_Ecofont_really_save_money\"><\/span>Does Ecofont really save money?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>For heavy business printing, an automatic driver can save noticeably on toner and ink. For home users who print occasionally, the free tips above, especially draft mode and grayscale, deliver most of the savings without a subscription.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_the_free_Ecofont_still_available\"><\/span>Is the free Ecofont still available?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The company now promotes its paid driver. Old copies of the original free font may still circulate, but download fonts only from trusted sources. Free alternatives with similar goals include simply choosing lighter fonts and using your printer&#8217;s toner-save setting.<\/p>\n<p>Looking for more fonts? See our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/07\/download-free-fonts\/\">downloading free fonts safely<\/a> and the pixel font <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2005\/06\/silkscreen-type-family-font-by-jason-kottke\/\">Silkscreen<\/a> for screens.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Which_font_uses_the_least_ink\"><\/span>Which font uses the least ink?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Thin, light fonts such as Garamond and Century Gothic generally use less ink than bold or heavy fonts like Arial Black.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Does_printing_in_black_and_white_save_colour_ink\"><\/span>Does printing in black and white save colour ink?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Usually, but some inkjet printers still use a little colour ink for black or maintenance.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_Ecofont_free\"><\/span>Is Ecofont free?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The current Ecofont printer driver is a paid subscription for Windows.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Printer ink is famously expensive, so any way to save printer ink adds up. In 2008 we tested Ecofont, a&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":64444,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5003","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tips"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5003","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5003"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5003\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":64445,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5003\/revisions\/64445"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64444"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5003"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5003"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5003"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}