Because toner is so expensive, most organisations prefer to save it. However, there are numerous other things you can do to reduce printing costs.
1) Get secure print.
Wasted printing costs you far more than the cost of toner. How frequently do you find stacks of unfinished print jobs left on the printer? Secure print is a feature that reduces the number of wasted prints. When a print job is sent, the user scans a card or enters a code at the printer to release the document.
2) Track printing.
One of the simplest ways to save toner is to quit printing that isn’t absolutely necessary. Printing emails is one example. Printing personal documents is another option. How do you go about doing that? Printing can be tracked by employee or department. Once secure printing is enabled, you can easily trace who prints what and how much. Don’t forget to inform employees that you are tracking their printing. People will print less when they understand their printing is being tracked, so you’ll notice a reduction right away.
3) Set up printing rules.
Did you know you can configure network printers with rules? It’s known as rules-based print routing, and it can help you save toner and paper. Not to mention lower copier service expenses based on print volume. Here are just a few suggestions:
Print with less colours. Reduced colour printing is the obvious place to start when trying to save toner. Many documents do not require colour printing. Consider spreadsheets and emails.
You can configure alerts to notify users of the cost of printing in colour versus black and white. When they print a document in colour, for example, a pop-up notice may appear that says, “It costs $6.57 to print this document in colour.” “Black and white printing costs $0.87.” That’s even more effective if you charge the department’s budget for print expenses!
Print on both sides. Print double-sided documents (also known as duplex printing) wherever possible to save paper.
Use the appropriate printer for the project. Send high-volume projects to the most cost-effective printers.
You can make these regulations mandatory, or you can send out reminders and let employees choose the best option.
4) A well-managed print environment can save more than you think.
A managed print services software includes all of the functions mentioned above (and more). Managed print assists you in optimising your printing environment. You will be astounded by how much money you can save. Indeed, you may read a sample case study of a company (perhaps similar to yours) that saved thousands of dollars. The best part is that the service is completely free!
