Would you be surprised to hear that most businesses spend between 1 and 3 per cent of their total revenue on printing? If the computer age has proven anything it's that the paperless office we were promised is a distant dream. So, what can we do to reduce the cost of printing?
1. Cut back on the colour
Colour printing can cost more than 10 times as much as monochrome. Don't print in colour unless you need it. Better yet, change the settings on each computer connected to your colour printer so that printing in black and white is the default setting. That way, when you print in colour, you're making a conscious decision to do so.
2. Duplex whenever possible
Cutting on the paper saves you paper costs and is good for the planet. Although not every document can be duplexed, there's research that suggests you can save up to 40% on paper by setting duplex as a default.
3. Paperless meetings
Although lots of things can't go paperless, many meetings can go ahead without paper too much trouble. Using a projector to put agendas and other shared papers on a screen as well as tablet and laptop apps for annotating documents makes it easy to shun the paper.
4. Networked printers
Printing isn't just about paper and ink. Power is also part of the equation. If you rely on a printer that's shared from a computer then you're spending too much on power for printing. If no one is using that computer, then it's power is being wasted. Printers that can connect directly to your network are generally easier to set up and don't rely on a computer.
5. Management software
The best way to set some savings targets with your printing is to measure it. If you're running a large office multifunction device that prints and photocopies, then it's likely that the manufacturer offers support for management software like PaperCut, Print Audit or PrintSolv. This will let you see who prints the most, what print jobs cost the most and allow you target where you can make the most savings.
Ready to take a deeper dive on this topic? Read our guide to halving your print bill.
