Our world has changed since 2020.

During the pandemic, I had difficulty finding cyan (blue) ink cartridges so we could print our prayer letter. I just received notice that my current order for cyan ink is delayed.

You are well-acquainted with supply-chain issues.

Your Printer, Low Ink, and a Possible UPS Strike

I keep a supply of ink cartridges now so I don’t run out. Here are a few reasons to start this habit and stock up now.

UPS Workers Will Likely Strike on August 1st

[UPDATE: 07/25/2023 – UPS and the Teamsters avoided the strike. Because of our unstable world, I still advocate you keep a supply of ink on hand.]

UPS and the Teamsters Union negotiated an agreement from April to July this year. They wanted to avoid a strike, which would have been the largest against one entity. 360,000 U.S. workers would have gone on strike.

According to the UPS website: “We deliver packages each business day for 1.6 million shipping customers to 11.1 million delivery customers in over 220 countries and territories. In 2022, we delivered an average of 24.3 million packages per day. . .”

Read the articles in the NOTES for more information about how this strike might have impacted global shipping.

Ink and Other MPD Supplies

“But,” you say, “UPS doesn’t deliver ink to me. I go to the store or order from Amazon.”

That is not the issue. Did UPS deliver the ink, or the cartridge parts, to a factory? The strike could impact the ink supply. Many other products will also be affected. Do you need paper, thank you notes, gel pens, or other supplies for your ministry or MPD? UPS may have delivered these products or their parts somewhere in the supply chain. Buy them now.

Remember, you are the last link in the chain.

Don’t Risk Damage to Your Printer

You SHOULD have ink on hand. After the shortages a few years ago, I always have all the ink colors in my supply cabinet. (We usually run out of ink when printing our prayer letter.)

You DO NOT want empty or very low ink cartridges in your printer while printing. You could damage your printer. This is also true for low toner.

It’s a tough call because many printers give you a low-ink or low-toner warning while you still have enough ink. I generally wait until I see poor print quality, but I have an HP, so my results may differ from yours.

Read this article, Your Printer is Lying to You about Low Ink. PC World lab-tested Canon, Epson, HP, and Kodak printers. I hope this article helps you decide how to protect your printer from damage.

What This Means for You

You know that demands and shortages are part of life. You have your “supply chain “stories. Empty shelves. Planning ahead. Creative substitutions.

Here are some things to do:

• Keep ink on hand in your supply cabinet.
  • Have plenty of black ink or toner. (Be prepared in case you will need to do black-only printing.)
• NEVER keep an empty or very low cartridge in your printer while printing.
• You might choose to switch to email or text for prayer letters.
  • Do you need to gather some email addresses or phone numbers?

How to print in black-only:

• Use the “monochrome” setting for a black-ink-only printer for best quality.
• For a color printer:
  • Use the “grayscale” setting. If you don’t, your printer will still use color inks to create a rich black. You don’t want to use your colors for black-only printing.
  • Even though you won’t use the color inks, you will still have them in your machine. To prevent possible damage, do not let them get too low.

Re-read my post about printer settings in Why Your Printer Is Using Too Much Colored Ink. You might be using color inks when you think you only use black.

During the shortage of blue ink in 2020, I sometimes found them, but the price was too high. We waited until cyan was available and affordable.

Twice this year, two of my heart medications were not readily available. God provided so I did not run out.

I know God will provide and guide you in how He wants you to respond to the information in this post.

What will you buy now for your personal or ministry needs? 

If you can’t “buy ahead,” send me a message so I can pray, asking God to supply your needs.

NOTES:

• About the possible UPS Strike (this would only involve American workers who also  belong  to the Teamsters Union)
  • UPS strike: Union, UPS return to bargaining to avert strike (Reuters)
  • UPS on strike: How will Amazon deliveries be affected if UPS Teamsters union halts work? (USA Today)
  • USPS handles 23.8 million packages a day, while FedEx handles 16.5 million. Neither the U.S. Post Office nor FedEx could handle an extra 24 million packages.
• Photo by Lucas Kapla on Unsplash