Simple hacks to save on your printing costs
Many businesses struggle with the eternal question of how to save money on printing costs. Printing costs can often turn out to be really expensive and damaging to your wallet. Especially if you run a business and need to print several pages on a regular basis.
A few well-planned measures can make a big difference when it comes to lowering your printing costs. To start with, let’s look at some ways from the relatively effortless to the more aggressive.
1. Buy compatible printer ink cartridges
When you purchase toners or ink cartridges online, don’t always look for an expensive OEM branded cartridge. Instead, you may wish to explore other alternatives besides the branded ones. They are compatible with your printers and do the same job at much cheaper costs. We sell high quality printer ink online at prices that let you save up to 30% as compared to the OEMs. While selecting compatible cartridge options for your printer, it is quite essential that you review the customer service standards of the company. With Cartridge World Australia, you get 100% satisfaction guarantee for the cartridges.
2. Refill your ink cartridges
Most people aren’t aware that they can refill their used ink cartridges at the some local printing outlets instead of purchasing branded products. This seems like a more sustainable and economical option. If your cartridges are fairly new, you can refill them at least five to six times, before having to purchase a new one. One thing to note is that some shops carry ink that is compatible with selected printer models only, which needs to be checked closely before getting your cartridge refilled. Cartridge World has stores in more than 120 locations across Australia, and our specialist team can help you with refilling options. Contact your local Cartridge World store to find out if they have a refilling facility.
3. Buy high-capacity printer cartridges
Printer cartridges and toners come in several versions. It is always better to use those with high-capacity printing options (normally called XL or HC) to significantly reduce your printing costs per page. However, you should consider your printing behaviour before finalising your purchase. XL cartridges work great if you print a lot. However, if you do not print much, buying an XL cartridge will not benefit you and further large ink cartridges will dry out adding to your cost.
4. Do not act at the first message
There is no need to replace your cartridge immediately upon receiving a message that the ink level is low. Wait until the cartridge is really empty and then replace it with a new one. If you use toner cartridges, you may consider removing the toner and shaking it a few times horizontally. You will be surprised to see that you can continue printing with the same cartridge for a little longer and without any error.
5. Purchase value packs
To save your hard-earned bucks, you can buy cartridges and toners in different value packs or multi packs. These packs are available for both original as well as alternative products. You can save as much as 30 percent if you purchase in sets than as individual packs.
6. Shut down your printer appropriately
If you are using an inkjet printer, make sure not to switch it off through the power strip. These devices do not require much power, but if you disconnect them completely from the power source, they need to reinstall themselves when they are connected again. This causes the print heads to consume more ink than usual thereby adding to your printing overheads.
For laser printers again, they consume a larger amount of power when they are in idle mode. Usually they come with an “off switch” which disconnects them from the main and does not put them in standby mode. Therefore for these printers, you need to switch them off via the power strip as they are not cleaned by default when you reboot them.
7. Preview before you print a page
Many times, especially in an office environment, you may end up printing an entire ten page document when you only need two pages from it. Previewing the print job will help you to select the exact pages you want to print, and reduce your paper and ink usage on a daily basis. Another tip is that many internal documents do not require added elements like graphics or logos, so removing those and printing in black and white is a great budget-friendly alternative.
8. Print fewer pages
There are some printers that come with the option to print on both sides of a page. You can further save your cost here by decreasing page margins or double-line spacing to fit more content in fewer pages. Check on the font size and style as well. Few font styles burn more ink than others. Take for instance, fonts like ‘Calibri’ and ‘Arial’ will consume lesser ink than ‘Arial Black’ and ‘Broadway’.
9. Choose economical paper
A little known fact is that cheap paper actually consumes more ink due to the high absorbency rate, leading to higher printing cost. On the other hand, very thick premium paper, such as those used for creating brochures or cards, can be priced on the higher end. For regular use, a thickness of 80 grams per square meter is a smart choice, while important business paperwork can be printed on paper with 100 grams per square meter thickness. If you are with a graphic design agency or a photo book publisher, printing photographs requires a special kind of photo paper. Unless it’s the final copy, a budget-friendly alternative is to print on recycled paper for internal purposes.
For noticeable savings on printing costs and paper usage, these easy to implement tips can go a long way in drastically reducing additional expenses.
Cartridge World is a reliable brand that sells ink, toner, printer, paper & office supplies. We provide greater value for your money with our professional services and expert assistance. We also provide a 100% satisfaction guarantee to our customers through our 120+ stores located nationally.
