Any business that prints a lot knows that ink cartridges are expensive. In fact, if you look at it per millilitre, black ink is one of the most expensive liquids on the planet – it’s even more expensive than human blood.
And even when you print what feels like a modest amount, it can be quite easy for businesses to spend R13,000 or more just on ink cartridges. But fear not! There are practical strategies you can implement to significantly reduce this cost, without compromising on the quality of your printouts.
Here’s how you can do that.
Use a managed print service (MPS) provider
Managed Print Services can be a game-changer for businesses with substantial printing needs. An MPS provider assesses your printing requirements and takes over the management of your printing needs. They can provide insights into which printers are over or under-utilised and suggest ways to streamline your printing processes.
Alternatively, they can provide you with printers, which you pay a monthly fee to use, but they handle literally everything about them, from replenishing ink cartridges and paper to servicing and repairing them. Adopting an MPS is a great way to take away the stress and strain of managing your own printers and can even lower your printing costs.
Adjust printer settings
You’d be surprised how much ink you can save by tweaking your printer settings. For documents that don’t require top-notch quality, use draft or economy mode. This uses less ink and is perfect for internal documents. Also, consider setting your printers to use black-and-white as default. Colour ink cartridges are more expensive, so only print in colour when you really need to.
Optimise document design
Simple changes in the way you design documents can lead to significant ink savings. Use ink-saving fonts like Times New Roman or Arial and avoid heavy graphics or backgrounds where possible. Also, encourage double-sided printing to make the most out of each sheet of paper. This adds to paper cost savings which can also contribute to lowering your overall print bill.
Regular maintenance and software updates
Keep your printers well-maintained and regularly update their software. Printers with outdated software can function inefficiently, leading to unnecessary ink wastage, although this isn’t as common a problem as you might think.
However, regular maintenance ensures that your printers are running optimally and using ink as efficiently as possible, and it’s never a bad idea to keep software and drivers updated. If that sounds like a mission, it is something a managed print services provider can help with – they will do all of the hard work for you while you sit back and enjoy the benefits.
Go digital where possible
In today’s digital age, consider whether all documents need to be printed. Encouraging digital document sharing and storage can drastically reduce your printing needs. Tools like PDFs, cloud storage, and digital signatures can eliminate or reduce the need to print certain types of documents.
There’s a reason some people add things like “Do you really need to print this email?” at the bottom of their emails, and it’s wise to encourage staff to keep it in mind before they click that Print button.
Bulk purchasing and negotiating with suppliers
If compatible ink cartridges aren’t an option for your business, try to negotiate a better deal with your suppliers. Bulk purchasing can often lead to decent discounts. It could benefit you in the long run to establish a good relationship with your suppliers; don’t shy away from negotiating for a better price, especially if you’re a loyal customer. And if they say no, it could be time to find a new supplier, or to look into signing up with an MPS provider.
Buy compatible or remanufactured ink cartridges
If you are willing to take a risk, you could always switch from brand-name ink cartridges to ones that are sold as “compatible” or “remanufactured”. These alternatives offer very similar print quality to the originals but at a much lower cost.
Something to be aware of, though, is that printer manufacturers don’t really like this approach and using remanufactured or compatible ink cartridges can void your printer’s warranty. It’s also wise to be careful with the type of replacement ink you use: some printer makers design their ink in a way that only works well with their own printers.
If you’re willing to try different ink despite the risk, you can, but just remember, it’s not a risk-free move.
Consider printer upgrades
You could invest in newer, more efficient printers. Because ink usage (and cost) has long been a major complaint among business owners, some printer manufacturers have brought out new models with ink efficiency in mind.
Read More: Epson Ecotank L6270 multifunction printer review – Take it home with you
Epson, for example, has brought out a line of EcoTank printers that use large tanks of ink to give buyers more prints than traditional inkjet printers do. While your up-front costs might be higher, by upgrading your printers the savings on ink could be worth it.
Switch to laser printers
Finally, you could look into laser printing. Laser printers tend to print more pages per toner cartridge than ink printers do per ink cartridge. And sure, they can appear to be more expensive at first glance, but if you consider their per-page printing costs – even in colour – they can work out to be more economical than ink printers.
Reducing your ink cartridge expenses from thousands of rands a month to something more affordable is not only possible, it’s practical. By adopting one or more of these tips, any business can lower its printing costs and make them more manageable. Remember, every drop of ink counts, so make clever choices and watch your savings add up.