On top of being more expensive than black ink, colored cartridges also contain less ink in general. This could make your colored ink endeavors riskier. Whether you need to print brochures or posters – it would be a shame to waste precious color.

Want to print all your colored documents with precision and ease the first time around? Below are the top 3 mistakes that can distort your colors and force you to reprint.

• Not Using the Color Proof Feature

By default, the colors that you see on your device won’t be the same as the colors in the final printed product. That’s because digital devices have greater color spectrums than a printer. So, what can you do? In almost every design application, there’s a feature called “color proof”. When enabled, this feature shows the user exactly how the printer perceives the colors. Make sure to enable color proof and tweak the document until you are satisfied with it.

• Forgetting to Calibrate Your Monitor

In most office settings, you aren’t using a laptop. Instead, you’re relying on a monitor which comes with its own set of color printing challenges. The most common problem when dealing with a monitor is the varying and often arbitrary display options. Display settings like “Gaming”, “Cinema”, “Low-power”, and so forth, all tend to distort colors by adding filters to your monitor.

That’s why you need to calibrate your monitor. Calibration is the process of getting your monitor to show the widest range of colors. When done, you’ll see colors how they were meant to be seen.

• Maintain Your Printer Condition

We’ll keep our last point short and simple. Whether you’re dealing with black or colored ink, your printer needs to be in good condition. Make sure to take the time to unclog print heads, remove fingerprints, and run your printer through a cleaning cycle. This will remove smudges and specks of residual ink on your future prints.