Despite living in a world full of cloud storage, emailing, and instant messaging, there will always come a time in the workplace when you will need to print something out. Whether it’s an invoice, contract, or a presentation for a meeting, printers are still a necessary item for businesses far and wide. We’re thriftier than ever nowadays, however, and will price-compare packets of crisps for the office party if necessary, so it should come as no surprise then, that when it comes to printing costs, we’ll gladly save a few quid here and there as well.
If you’re careful about how you print, where you buy your ink from, and think a bit more environmentally friendly, you can save cash on printing and still keep your business running smoothly. Here’s how.
Printer ink
Ink cartridges have never been known for being cheap, but that doesn’t mean you have to pay ridiculous prices at high street shops. These places can charge an arm and a leg, making you think that the entire printer industry is simply out to rob us! Our tip is to stop buying them brand new from the first electronics store you see on the street, and to shop online from ecommerce stores that recycle the cartridges instead. Find your printer make and model here and then browse a shop online. You’ll discover you can save both money and the environment.
Adjust printer settings
Saving money on printing costs is often as easy as changing the settings on your Word document before you actually click “print”! If the document remains in-house and simply needs to be filed away for recordkeeping, you could print in draft mode, switch to black-and-white, and reduce the size of the font – doing all this will use a lot less ink. If there are multiple pages, make sure you are printing double-sided to maximise your use of each sheet.
Of course, the best way to save money on printing is by not printing at all! Consider if this document really needs to be in a physical form, or if it can remain on your computer or in the cloud. If it needs to be printed, adjust the printer settings to save ink and paper. Oh, and if you click “print” and nothing happens, don’t hit the button another 10 times! It might just be that the printer needs paper or that a cable is loose. Instead of getting frustrated and running a bunch of extra printing jobs, get up and investigate what the problem is. Otherwise, you’ll just be stuck with unnecessary copies when the printer starts working again. Remember, many of us throw away enough paper as it is!
Use a more economical printer
Even though it may surprise you, a lot of modern printers are actually quite affordable and economical, and some great choices retail for around £100. Your ancient printer in the corner of the office might not be so cost-effective anymore, which is why it’s worth looking into new printers like the HP Envy5540, HP Deskjet 3630, or the Samsung Xpress M2070W. Check out some of these or look at some modern options that are affordable and don’t skimp on quality.
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