Couponing FAQ: print coupons in color or black and white?

Earlier this week on the Wall, Sarah asked this question:

Do you have to print your coupons with color ink or is black and white OK?

A few of us responded on the Wall, but I wanted to highlight Sarah’s question and ask for additional input. There’s definitely no requirement to print coupons in color – in fact, many coupons now say “this coupon may appear in color or black and white”.  So, generally you’ll want to save the more expensive color ink and just print in black and white.

However, since many stores are leery of accepting printable coupons because there are scammers out there who will photocopy the coupons, I wonder if any of you have had better experiences using printable coupons if you print in color?

Seems like a reader once said they had better experiences when they printed on cardstock rather than plain paper – again, because stores are less-likely to think that it’s copied.

Love to hear your thoughts in the comments!  Remember, we’re talking about whether or not the method of printing affects stores’ willingness to accept them – not discussing ways to manipulate your printer to print more coupons or anything fraudulent like that.

Some other couponing FAQ posts you  may find helpful:

• Printing coupons on Windows 7
• How to tell if a printable coupon is legitimate
• Help printing “Bricks” printable coupons