How to Save Money on Printer Consumables

Last Updated on June 16, 2020 by Christian Ralph

When it comes to running a business, it’s likely that you’ll always want to reduce your expenditure in order to make a better profit. This ideology can be applied to the printing set-up that your office uses.

Technology is often the most expensive part of a workplace, considering the monthly running costs of certain machines, so it’ll come as no surprise that business owners are looking to reduce the amount of money they spend on consumables.

In this guide, we’ve shared seven simple tips that your business can use in order to save money on printer consumables, as well as ensuring that your working environment is efficient:

Duplex printing

One of the simplest ways to cut the running cost of your printer is to use duplex printing, if the machine you’re using offers it. This setting works by printing your text on both sides of a piece of paper, which means that the money you spend on paper will be instantly halved.

Choose a mono printer

You could also opt for a mono printer if you’re looking to cut the costs of your printing consumables. Because mono printers are only able to print in shades of black and white, the cost to purchase and maintain printer ink cartridges and toners is much less.

The cost of purchasing coloured ink cartridges once they run out can build up over time, so it’s definitely worth considering a mono printer if your business has a limited requirement for printing coloured documents.

Change the font

Surprisingly, the font of the text that you’re printing can have a huge impact on the amount you’ll spend to run the machine. Text formatted in bold will use more ink than normal text and certain fonts can take up more space on a piece of paper, leading you to purchase more.

Consider changing the default size and font of the documents to something like Arial or Calibri if you’re printing using Microsoft Word to avoid wasting ink and paper unnecessarily.

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Buy genuine consumables

When it comes to the daily running of a printer, you will need reliable consumables to ensure that your machine doesn’t experience down-time. For this reason, you should always use genuine cartridges, created by the manufacturer of your printer.

Genuine consumables will last much longer than third-party ink, meaning that you will not have to purchase consumables as frequently. So, although you may spend slightly more up front, your total cost of ownership will be reduced. Your business printer is also less likely to experience down-time due to a fault if using genuine cartridges.

Maintain the printer properly

Another tip for saving money on your printer ink is to clean and maintain the printer properly. Keep both the external and internal parts clean and free from dust as this can affect the performance of the machine.

If small particles of dust build-up within your printer, it could cause cartridges to clog and need to be replaced. This can be an expensive repair for the sake of a simple bit of cleaning!

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Look for eco-settings

When purchasing your printer, if you’re looking to save on money, you should try to choose a machine that has eco-settings. These options offer you the chance to alter printing settings to reduce the amount you’ll spend on funding the machine.

Eco-settings can allow you to cut out blank pages in your digital file, meaning that paper won’t be wasted. You may also be able to use duplex printing as an eco-setting.

Opt for high-capacity cartridges

With new printers, you should look for a machine that uses high-capacity cartridges. This will bring down the cost of printing each page, as well as reducing time spent replacing cheap printer consumables.

Once you’ve implemented these tips within your business’ printing set-up, we’re sure that you will see a reduction in the cost of maintaining your machine within a matter of weeks.

If you’re looking for assistance with your machine and would like to speak to an expert to discuss your options, contact us today.

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