How to Reduce Office Printing Costs (2024)

Discover how you can reduce printing costs in the office.

Estimates by both The Gartner Group and The Recycler show businesses spend between 1% and 3% of their annual revenue on printing. Most of these businesses underestimate their printing costs, and don’t have any process or software in place to track these costs anyway.

That’s a big problem – and an expensive one.

Here’s the good news. This problem can be fixed and you can easily reduce printing costs. The first step is to take advantage ofManaged Print Services(MPS). With MPS, your business or organization’s printing devices and practices are monitored, maintained and optimized for maximum efficiency and productivity. You can save up to 30% on overall printing costs while improving the security of your network.

When youpurchase printers, it’s a good idea to minimize or even eliminate personal printers. Larger, sharedmulti-function printers(MFPs) are more efficient and easier to maintain, and MPS allows you to control who has access to sensitive information. Also, look for the Energy Star label. That means the printer is 25% more efficient than non-Energy Star models.

Here is a list of best practices for everyday printing that will reduce printing costs:

1. Print draft quality.

You’ll use less ink and print faster without sacrificing quality.

2. Print in color only when absolutely necessary.

Color print cartridges can cost 40% more than black print cartridges. Color printing takes longer and consumes more power. Unless you really need to impress someone, stick with black and white.

3. Print only the text you need.

If you’re printing pages from the internet, copy and paste into a word processing document and adjust the content to fit as few pages as possible.

4. Use multi-page printing.

When you CAN fit 2-4 pages or more onto a single sheet of paper, the math is pretty simple. This is especially useful when printing files that are rarely accessed or reviewed.

5. Scan more and copy less.

Instead of copying a document and leaving it on someone’s desk or in their mailbox, scan it and email it to them.

6. Encourage duplex printing.

Printing on both sides of the page can reduce paper consumption by as much as 30% in enterprises. Again, this is a no-brainer for rarely accessed files and records.

7. Control your itchy print finger.

If your document hasn’t printed, check the printer queue for the status before you retry. It may just be waiting behind other print tasks.

8. Go green – and we’re not talking about ink.

Fonts have been created specifically for the purpose of conserving ink, and you probably can’t tellrecycled paperfrom newly manufactured paper. You’ll become moreeco-friendlyand reduce printing costs at the same time. Win-win.

How to Reduce Office Printing Costs (2024)

FAQs

How to Reduce Office Printing Costs? ›

Using both sides of a paper for printing, you can cut down the paper costs by 50% directly. Double-sided printing, also called duplex printing, allows you to automatically print on both sides of a sheet without manually removing the sheet, changing the side, and loading it back in the printer.

How can I save the cost of printing? ›

Using both sides of a paper for printing, you can cut down the paper costs by 50% directly. Double-sided printing, also called duplex printing, allows you to automatically print on both sides of a sheet without manually removing the sheet, changing the side, and loading it back in the printer.

How to print with less cost? ›

Spending Too Much On Printing? Here's How To Save Some Money
  1. Use smaller margins and line spacing.
  2. Use smaller document size.
  3. Preview before printing.
  4. Print in black and white.
  5. Print with toner and ink-saving fonts.
  6. Duplex printing.
  7. Continue printing with low ink or toner.
  8. Unplug printer or use deep sleep mode.
Nov 24, 2021

What is the most cost effective way to print? ›

Grayscale printing can reduce the cost drastically compared to printing everything in colour. Make sure the printer is stocked with ink and paper before you hit the 'print' button.

How to control printing in office? ›

  1. Reduce Printing.
  2. Print Double-Sided Copies.
  3. Audit Individual Use.
  4. Reduce Your Printer Fleet.
  5. Print in Draft Mode.
  6. Print in Black and White.
  7. Adjust Page Margins.
  8. Reduce Font Sizes.
Sep 12, 2023

How to reduce printing costs in office? ›

HOW TO REDUCE PRINTING COSTS
  1. Print draft quality. ...
  2. Print in color only when absolutely necessary. ...
  3. Print only the text you need. ...
  4. Use multi-page printing. ...
  5. Scan more and copy less. ...
  6. Encourage duplex printing. ...
  7. Control your itchy print finger. ...
  8. Go green – and we're not talking about ink.

How to save money when printing? ›

Use Draft Mode or Eco Mode to Save Ink

Most inkjet and laser printers have a draft mode or eco mode in their software settings. This mode helps reduce the amount of ink used by about 5 to 10% in each print. So, if you're printing tens to hundreds of pages a day, you'll make quite a difference in the ink consumption.

Why are printing prices so high? ›

Spiraling costs of raw materials, freight, logistics, and procurement due to pandemic-related restrictions have resulted in soaring prices. One supplier after another in the print industry has announced price hikes in recent months.

What is the most expensive printing method? ›

Engraving. Engraving is the most expensive method of printing. With engraving, your design is etched into a copper plate (aka a die). This is then filled with ink, and your paper is sandwiched between this front plate and a counter plate behind your paper.

What is the cost per page printing? ›

Shopping cart
Printing OptionsPrice Per Document Page
Black & White Both Side Printing on A4 Size Bond Paper₹1.40
Black & White Both Side and 2 Pages Each Side Printing on A4 Size Standard Premium Paper₹0.55
Color Both Side Printing on A5 Size Standard Premium Paper₹4.00
3 more rows

Which printing method is efficient? ›

Choosing the Right Printing Technique for Your Needs

If you're printing many high-quality images, offset printing may be the best option, while digital printing may be ideal for printing smaller quantities with variable data.

How can I print more efficiently? ›

Start by adjusting the default settings to suit the specific needs of your jobs. Set your printers to use less ink and print in draft mode. Similarly, adjusting the resolution for less critical prints can save ink and speed up the process without compromising on the essential quality where it's needed.

Why do prints cost so much? ›

One of the main reasons art prints are expensive is the cost of materials. High-quality paper, inks, and frames add to the cost of producing an art print. Additionally, some art prints are printed using specialized techniques such as giclée printing, which can add to the price.

How can I reduce the cost of printer ink? ›

Print fewer pages

You can further save your cost here by decreasing page margins or double-line spacing to fit more content in fewer pages. Check on the font size and style as well. Few font styles burn more ink than others.

What is the key control for print? ›

Ctrl+P is a keyboard shortcut to activate a PC's printer control key—the key that, when pressed, allows users to send documents or files directly to a printer. It activates the current program's print command without going through all the dialog boxes typically related to printing.

What printer will you use if you want to print at the least cost? ›

All Reviews
ProductRelease YearCost-Per-Print Black-Only Printing Cost
Epson EcoTank Pro ET-585020200.006 US$/print
Lexmark MC3426i20210.039 US$/print
Canon MAXIFY GX702020210.006 US$/print
Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw/MF751Cdw20230.049 US$/print
4 more rows
May 14, 2024

How do I reduce the amount of paper I print? ›

Print documents double-sided

By printing your documents double-sided, you can reduce your paper usage by up to 50%.

Is it cheaper to print at home or at the store? ›

For small jobs, it is cheaper to print at home. Big print jobs will require, at a minimum, an office-grade printer. If big print jobs become the norm, then it might be worth investing several thousand dollars into a high-end printer to offset the cost of color printing.

How do I save when printing? ›

Click the Preview button in the Print dialog box repeatedly until the Print button changes into the Save File button. Click the Save File button. The following dialog box appears. Select the location where you want to save the file, then type a file name into the File Name box and click Save.

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