Do You Want To Cut Down On Printing Costs?

In businesses every policy, process or decision usually results in the creation of a document. And most of the documents are printed either once or a number of times during their lifespan. It is a fact that businesses cannot go completely paperless and that is why you still need a good printer that will help you in your business operations. But you want to use your printer wisely too. Below are tips to help you cut down on the printing costs:

Stop and think

You don’t want to rush and just click the print button; make sure that you see to it that there is really need for the hardcopy of the document. Perhaps, scanning the document and sending it via the email will suffice. And there are many good applications out there that can easily scan the documents and save them as jpeg or PDF files. You too can take advantage of them.

Centralize your printing

It is imperative to select a multifunction printer instead of any other printer that could be located on your desk. Centralizing your printing is a great way to help in clearing some space on the desktops around your office. Unless the central location isn’t accessible or your documents are somewhat sensitive in nature, you need to centralize your printing.

Consider print management software

For businesses with more than twenty users, it is important to consider investing in a good print management system. These systems help businesses to save money, reduce printer waste and support major operating systems, even the mixed environments.

Use the print preview function

The print preview function comes in handy as it helps you to ensure that your document looks right before printing. So, always use it before sending the job to your printer so as to prevent the need to reprint your document when you discover there are spelling issues or other problems. And you can also reduce the size of your text. You do this because there are those few lines that don’t have to run on to an additional page.

Print several sheets to a page

This is important especially for those internal documents because it helps in reducing your page consumption and your load for reference as well. And it is not a must to print everything; you can print only those pages you need in order to reduce on printer waste and save on paper. Also, it is imperative to print only the number of copies that are actually needed. Always ensure that you print less.

Embrace duplexing

Since technology is your friend, it is important to employ duplexing when printing. Duplexers allow you to print on both sides, so not only will you save on effort and time, you will also save on paper costs as well. Most printers come with this feature, so it is important to take advantage of duplexing.  

Print in batches

This is very important because some printers must warm up when turned on while others have to lubricate the print heads. If you print in batches, you will definitely use less power, toner and ink, and also you won’t force your printer to run several start up or cool down procedures.

Paper settings

Did you know that the paper settings can have a huge impact on ink usage? You should understand that different papers have different dispersion and absorption rates which are pre-programmed into the printers. Always confirm that the setting you are using matches the paper being fed into the printer.

Turn off the printer

At the end of the day or when the printer is not in use, make sure that your turn it off. This will help in cutting about 70% of energy that would otherwise be consumed. And you should note that even when these devices are in sleep mode, they will still consume energy. Always make sure that the printer is turned off when not being used. You also want to save on power by setting the power save option on your printers and copiers. This will help in reducing energy use during downtime.  

It is very important for a business to establish a realistic culture that understands how important it is to reduce the use of paper and even if this isn’t a one time event, everyone will work towards this goal. Printing is a very important part of business processes and you can work towards effective management of printing to help in minimizing costs as well as the impact on your budget.   

A good thing about putting the above tips into practice is that you will save on money which can be used in other important business aspects. Always take care of your printer to make sure that it is always in good working condition. At Toronto Division Copiers, we offer high quality print management solutions to ensure that companies continue to enjoy a competitive advantage. If you have any print management questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.