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How to Save Money on Office Printing Costs

March 12, 2019 at 9:28 AM / by Laina Davidson, Digital Marketing Specialist

The global market is fiercely competitive, making every dollar count. Whether sales are high or low, one of the smartest things a business can do is cut costs. Printing is an expensive operation and firms who can cut printing costs effectively can save substantially. Knowing how to cut printing costs without compromising quality is the key to success.

Do More with Less Cost Cutting Strategies for Companies

One of the most valuable skills as a manager is knowing how to cut costs in business. Managers that keep firms leaner and tighter outperform competition. To reduce printing costs, firms need to analyze their departments and prioritize those with the highest printing costs. By targeting the areas with the highest printing cost, analysis can be done to greatly reduce costs.

Managers need to implement cost cutting ideas for the workplace to stay competitive. Firms should take time to develop strategies for continually cutting costs without sacrificing crucial components of operations. Reducing the cost of printing can be easily achieved through simple exercises like previewing print jobs before they print out. Misprints are costly mistakes and should be stopped before they start.

Increase Savings by Keeping Printers on Standby

Turning printers on and off can cause them to use more ink. Employees should be instructed to keep printers on standby instead of turning them off. This is an easy way to rack up savings by paying for less ink. Managers should consider whether energy costs outweigh printing expenses. If more is being spent on energy, there needs to be more focus on making the printing equipment more energy efficient. This will save money not only on printing related costs, but for the company as a whole.

Other Ways to Reduce Printing Costs

Simple techniques to reduce printing costs are plentiful and easy to implement. Printing more sheets per page is a place to start. In certain situations, printing multiple sections on one page is more efficient. Exercise restraint with this technique, however, and weigh whether the time taken to make the selections and group them outweighs the cost of using more paper. 

Don’t Lose Money on Expensive Paper

There is no excuse to have high end paper without a financially justifiable need for it. Every year, firms lose money by wasting money on paper that exceeds actual requirements. Managers should be aware of paper quality, the prices, and the operating requirements, such as what grade of paper is genuinely necessary.

One concern that managers should take into account are the effects of cheaper paper causing jams. Certain printers are especially susceptible to jamming when printing with inexpensive paper. The loss of paper and ink resulting from a paper jam represent a serious potential cost. Firms need to know their equipment and find the sweet spot that both the printers and budgets are comfortable with.

Pay for the Ink Quality, Not the Name

When it comes to cost saving ideas for the workplace, managers need to take steps to reduce spending on ink. Ink is one of the most expensive aspects of printing. Don’t purchase name brand ink unless it’s absolutely necessary for project requirements. By opting for inks that are compatible, businesses save money every time they buy ink. There is plenty of compatible ink on the market that delivers comparable quality at significantly lower prices.

Using recycled ink cartridges is also a savvy option when appropriate. Depending on a firm’s printing needs, recycled ink cartridges are perfectly adequate. However, compatible and recycled ink cartridges run the risk of leaking.

Decision makers who are familiar with the company’s printing requirements can develop a strategy to get the benefits of compatible and recycled ink cartridges while running a lower risk. This can be achieved by alternating between brand name ink, compatible ink, and recycled cartridges. Different grades can be used according the specifications of the print job. For instance, they can use lower grade ink for printing routine materials while high grade ink should be used when printing pictures.

Efficient Printing Techniques

Another easy way to save money on printing is to exercise more efficient printing. Firms are recommended to print at least once a week to avoid clogging up nozzles with dried ink. When ink dries and clogs the nozzle, the repairs can be expensive. Problems often happen at the worst possible time. Avoiding potential repair costs is good management.

Save Big with ImageNet Consulting

Printing costs represent a significant share of company budgets. Business expenses can be brought down with cost cutting strategies. Firms that save on printing are competitive and fiscally fit.

Start saving money now and chat with ImageNet Consulting for valuable insight on printing more efficiently and reducing costs.

Topics: printing costs

Written by Laina Davidson, Digital Marketing Specialist

Laina Davidson is ImageNet Consulting's Digital Marketing Specialist.

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