If you print out documents frequently, you know how quickly your printing costs can add up. Paper isn’t cheap, and neither are printer cartridges or ink refills. If you want to cut your costs and save money on printing, try these simple and cheap ways to save money on printing in your office or home office space. You can use these 9 ways to cut your printing costs if you print out documents at home, if you work in an office setting, or if you run your own business and need to print out invoices and sales receipts regularly.
1) Buy a New Printer
Today’s printers are fast, reliable, multifunctional, and can even double as fax machines or scanners. There’s a good chance that investing in a new printer will save you money over time—so do some research and then find a deal that’s too good to pass up.
2) Print in Black and White
Turn your printer’s color-print setting to black and white. Most printed documents are made up of 50% or more black, so there’s no need for a full-color document unless you have photos or artwork in your project. Even if it’s not on a professional level, printing in black and white is often enough to do what you need with text-heavy projects like reports, newsletters, etc.
3) Print on Both Sides
One of the easiest ways to cut your printing costs is by simply turning your paper over. For an average sheet of paper, it’s safe to print on both sides. This can save you around 30% on ink and toner costs alone, which can add up quickly! Just make sure that both sides are free from errors before printing out anything important.
4) Save it on a Cloud
It might sound like a strange idea, but storing your documents on a cloud means you don’t have to store them in your office. This has many benefits. Firstly, it cuts down on physical storage space. Secondly, it makes it incredibly easy for other members of your business team to access those files whenever they need them – there’s no long waiting time for someone else to get access to them.
5) Use High Quality Paper
The higher quality your paper, the more ink you will use. There are some exceptions to that rule, but if you want to cut costs in your printing make sure you use high quality paper. I recommend using matte photo paper with a thicker weight such as double weight or triple weight. Use water-based inks: Water-based inks tend to use less ink than solvent based (and oil based) inks.
6) No Color? No Problem!
Switching over to a monochrome color scheme can help you cut costs. Not only will it reduce your print costs, but it’ll also help focus on what’s most important in your design. And don’t think that just because you’re printing things in black and white that you have to give up on color entirely; there are plenty of ways to include a splash of bright yellow, for example, without having high ink costs!
7) Request Double-Sided Copies
Printing double-sided copies is a great way to cut your paper usage in half. Many businesses are still using old printers that can’t do double-sided printing, so you may want to invest in a new printer shop if you really want to maximize your savings. Otherwise, ask your printer or copier services if they can add extra pages on the back of your copies so that you can use both sides of each page.
8) Get Rid of Paper Clutter
Every time you use a piece of paper, it costs you money. Paper storage cost can add up quickly; get rid of your paper clutter now to save yourself some serious cash in coming months. It’s time to get organized!
9) Use Online Workplaces instead of Office Ones
Offices have rent, utilities, and maintenance fees. Unless you’re running a growing company with a huge staff, it might be more cost-effective to get your team together online. There are many free websites that allow you to schedule meetings or share documents easily. Tools like Google Drive help ensure that everyone is on task—and if there are problems along the way, they can be addressed right away instead of letting issues fester for days or weeks in an office setting.