How To Better Manage Printing Costs for Your Company

Printing costs are generally an afterthought when it comes to running a business. These costs, however, can be leaking out of your business without you even realizing it. This is because most businesses don't have any processes or software in place to help manage the costs associated with printing, and they are hard to keep track of. Here are some ways to help better manage printing costs for your company.

Investigate Printing Software

In many cases, it can be easier and more cost-effective to use printing software to help manage and streamline the document printing process. In some cases, it can save up to 30% or more on printing costs alone! In your search for the best printing software, make sure to check that the software will work with the printers that you already have. With a little digging, you should be able to see if something like this would make sense for your company. 

Print Primarily in Black and White

While we all like to add a little color to life, it will save a lot of money at the office if you only print in color when it's necessary. Color cartridges can cost a hefty 40% or more than their monotone counterparts. Charts and tables can often get their point across and be just as effective even when printed in black and white or grayscale. High-quality photo prints take up the most ink, so print those sparingly.  

Print Less

Instead of printing documents and passing out paper copies, send off an email to your colleagues instead. If your printer has scanner features, you can also scan a copy of the document and email it as an attachment. Google Docs and Google Sheets are also great applications for team collaborations where you need other people's input and you can track changes that are made as you go. 

Use 2-Sided Printing

This is an easy and effective solution to cut down on up to 50% of print costs and waste! Always make sure to look at the print preview screen before you print to make sure that the box for 2-sided printing is checked. You can set up your printer defaults from this screen to make sure that it automatically prints double-sided. Send out an email to the rest of your staff to remind them to check and make sure they are using 2-sided printing as well. 

Reduce Margins and Font Size

A great way to fit more information onto a sheet of paper is to reduce your margins and your printing size. A 10-pt. font is easy enough to read and will reduce the amount of paper required. Changing to smaller margins can fit up to 14% more information on a single sheet of paper!

Print in Draft Mode

Printing in draft mode may not be suitable for all applications because it's a lower quality print. If you just need to print something that is legible but doesn't require a high-quality finish, then this mode will help save money in the long run. It uses less ink to print. Depending on your printer type this may also be called Toner Quality, Toner Save, EconoMode, or Draft Quality. 

Use Recycled Ink

Ink and toner costs are often the most expensive part of owning a printer. Switching to recycled or remanufactured cartridges can save you up to 15-50% of those costs! Merchants that deal with these inks and toners can set their own prices instead of having to stick to the established prices set by Dell or HP, for example. Recycled ink cartridges are also filled to capacity with ink, whereas the cartridges that come directly from the manufacturer often are not. 

There are many simple ways to help conserve these costs so that you aren't leaching them out of your business. By following this guide, you'll be able to save a good chunk of change easily without having to make difficult or costly changes. Implement them in your business to start saving money now!