If you own a business, you already know the importance of minimizing expenses as best you can, while still keeping efficiency and quality intact of course. One of the reasons we find spending getting too high for our liking is a basic lack of awareness. We just keep doing what we are doing without ever stopping to examine where things may be off track, and where shifts can be made. One major expense that you can likely trim quite nicely is printing costs. If they are higher than you would like, here are just a few ways to get them under control.
Raising Awareness
Sometimes, all we need is a little reminder to help us take action. We are not wilfully doing something ‘wrong’, it just hasn’t crossed our mind. If you have a lot of interoffice emailing going on, have everyone put in their signature a reminder to consider the environment before printing the email, and to consider saving the document for easy retrieval on the computer. Include this reminder anytime you are sending something out that people may feel compelled to print out, but could easily just save as a file. This seemingly small step can make a big difference by helping remind people to consider whether something really needs to be printed out. Ask people to do the same when sending other types of documentation.
Paper-Saving Tricks
An oldie but goodie is using both sides of the paper—so effective yet easily overlooked, so had to throw in that reminder here. Use the ‘shrink to fit’ option to keep columns and orphaned text from being cut off. This feature can eliminate all those instances where a whole sheet of paper is used to accommodate a couple of words. And, not to mention the fact that when this happens, we usually end up reprinting the whole job, leading to even more waste.
Consider changing fonts as well. This is certainly not a major cost-saving measure but remember that lots of little changes can add up to big-time results and savings. Some good choices include Century Gothic and Times New Roman. You can learn more about this popular study conducted by Printer.com.
Consider Third-Party Ink Cartridges
Ink is a huge expense, and if you insist on using the manufacturer’s ink, you are spending more than you need to. Research suggests using off-brand ink are usually as good, or nearly as good as using the brand-name version. If you are primarily using the ink for text and other kinds of black and white printing, this is definitely worth considering as the differences are often undetectable. With the exception of needing extremely high quality photo prints, where going with OEM ink may be a better bet, the off-brand will do you just fine. You can save up to 70 percent on ink costs going this route.
Engage in Active Print Management Initiatives
While many offices turn to a hodgepodge of remedies, which can certainly have its benefits, some offices are going to need an ‘official’ strategy in place that takes a thought-out, multi-pronged approach to keeping printing costs under control. Actively implementing print management initiatives can save a business up to 30 percent on printing costs. If such a solution interests you, reach out to companies such as AXIS Business Technologies, which offer comprehensive printing management solutions.
With a little bit of investigation of how your printing situation is faring now, you can begin implementing effective changes.