In any business, it’s important to try to keep overheads down, as this is key to growth. One expenditure that businesses often can’t avoid is printing costs.

Some documents need to be printed and there is no way around it – for example, legal documents and invoices – but there is much more you can do to save money.

What are the best devices to save on business printing costs?

One of the big mistakes companies make when trying to save on business printing costs is clinging on to printers for too long. This means escalating maintenance costs once the printer reaches a few years old. Modern printers don’t only offer far cheaper costs per page, they’re also more energy-efficient, saving on power as well as ink.

Cost per Page (CPP)

For the ultimate efficiency, it is handy to know the CPP – or cost per page to print. Each type of printer technology, inkjet or laser, incurs an ongoing cost of ‘consumables’ – either ink or toner cartridges. In other words, each page you print costs something, in terms of toner the printer distributes over the paper. The cost of that small number of consumables is known as the cost per page, or CPP.

To roughly calculate the cost per page, divide the price of an ink or toner cartridge by the number of pages the manufacturer says it should cover.

If you know the format and layout of pages you’ll be printing, a low cost per page printer can help you monitor your spending.

Inkjet printers

Ideal for home users, inkjets are a good choice for those who are looking to print in low volumes. They are also a great choice for photographers, both professional and amateur, as they have the capabilities to produce good quality images.

All-in-one printers

Small businesses can benefit from a cheap all-in-one printer. These space-saving devices come in both laser and inkjet models that also include a copier and/or scanner.

Other functions include some combination of scanning, copying, and faxing from your PC, standalone faxing, and scanning to email. Some are also Wi-Fi-enabled, which would allow you to print documents from your tablet or phone.

Laser printers

Ideal for printing in high volume, laser printers are a great option for businesses that are searching for high-quality printing with low costs. Perfect for fast printing, laser toner cartridges usually last longer than replacement inkjet cartridges, so you won’t need to change them as often.

While toner cartridges cost more than their inkjet counterparts, their page yield is higher (typically over 1400 pages). So while the initial purchase and toner price may seem high, the cost-per-page can work out cheaper over time.

More tips for saving money on business printing costs

Ink settings

Look at the level of quality that you need – will you mostly be printing draft papers? Modern printers are intelligent as they select the most efficient ink settings based on the paper stock being used. They don’t use more ink than the paper can handle. You can also buy printers that automatically print double-sided.

Set your printer to draft mode for everyday printing. It means the characters are not as bold as the printer only makes a single pass and moves to the next line.

In normal mode – which most printers are configured with – the print cartridge passes over the same area multiple times, spraying coats of ink to make characters bolder, and using more ink in the process.

Monochrome or colour

Not every document needs colour, so as with the quality settings, made black and white the default and save colour for when it matters!

Change fonts

Some fonts whip through a lot more ink than others – the larger the character size, the more ink is used. Set styles for office use, Century Gothic font is a good example. A reduction of 1 or 2 points in size could mean fewer pages being printed.

Consider the cost of cartridges

The cost of ink is important when buying a printer. The cheapest printer in a shop can easily cost less than a set of branded printer cartridges, meaning you’ll quickly spend more on prints than the printer itself. However, buying third-party cartridges can be detrimental to the longevity of the printer so it is recommended that you use the manufacturer’s ink in order to maintain the device.