Tips to Reduce Print Costs
Printing is expensive, and the average amount of paper wasted is staggering. Of the 10,000 sheets of paper an average employee uses each year, 70% of them end up in the recycling bin. By taking some simple steps, you can help reduce your paper waste and your printing costs.
Print Less; Use Digital More
One of the most obvious steps to reduce printing costs is simply to print less. Oftentimes, employees are printing things out of habit more than necessity. As digital technology makes it easier to share documents, the need for printed copies decreases. Be sure employees are only printing copies that they actually need. You can audit printer use to see who is printing what, which will help draw attention to the issue.
At the same time, switch to digital wherever possible. Documents, forms, and other commonly printed items are not only more convenient to share digitally, but they’re easier to store and find later. A lost document can cost your business as much as $700. This cost can be minimized or eliminated by switching to digital formats.
Change Your Print Settings
Some things will still have to be printed, of course, but there are ways to maximize each sheet of paper to still reduce your overall print costs.
- Set automatic print settings to print double sided and in black and white
- Reduce standard font size to 10 pt.
- Reduce margin sizes
- Use fonts that consume less ink
Even small changes such as these can add up to big savings over time.
Reuse and Recycle
Before you throw your paper away, have you used it to it’s fullest? Old prints can be used as scrap paper for notes and reminders, or printed on the other side for internal use. And when you’re truly finished with it, make sure your paper ends up in a recycling bin, not the trash!
Consult the Experts
A Managed Print Services provider can help you reduce your print costs even further by doing a full assessment of your print environment and coming up with solutions tailored to your business. Upgrading equipment, preventative maintenance, and improving print efficiency are all ways an MPS provider can help you maximize your printers to minimize your costs.
Printing is expensive, but there are ways to reduce your costs. By being mindful, going digital, and consulting experts, you can help drive down your costs and your paper waste. Give us a call at PrimeEdge and let us show you how you can maximize the efficiency of your print environment and reduce your print costs.
