Sep 5, 2025

10 Proven Ways for Perth Businesses to Reduce High Printing Costs with PrintCom’s Expert Solutions

If you have ever wondered how to reduce high printing costs without compromising quality or staff productivity, you are not alone. For many Perth organisations, printing silently consumes 1 to 3 percent of annual revenue according to widely cited industry benchmarks, and much of that spend is avoidable. From underutilised colour devices to wasteful print habits, hidden inefficiencies add up quickly and strain budgets, especially as teams return to the office in hybrid patterns. The good news is that with the right mix of technology, process, and support from a specialist like PrintCom, you can quickly reclaim control, lower monthly running costs, and make your print environment both reliable and sustainable.

In this how to guide, you will learn practical steps that work for small businesses, schools, health providers, legal practices, and enterprise teams alike. You will also see where Perth-based PrintCom’s 35 years of experience in printers, photocopiers, and document workflows give you a real-world advantage. As an authorised dealer for Brother, Kyocera, HP (Hewlett-Packard), Oki, Fuji Xerox, and Samsung, with qualified on-site technicians, extended warranties up to 5 years, maintenance and repair services, and rental options, PrintCom can tailor a solution that reduces costs while improving uptime. Along the way, you will find examples, data points, and easy comparisons to help you choose the path that fits your business best.

How to reduce high printing costs: 10 proven ways for Perth businesses

1. Audit and benchmark your current print environment

   Every effective savings program starts with clarity, because you cannot manage what you cannot see. Begin with a fleet assessment that captures device locations, monthly page volumes, colour versus mono mix, average coverage, error logs, supply usage, and energy consumption in kilowatt hour kWh. If you already have print management software, extract 90 days of data; if not, PrintCom can deploy lightweight monitoring tools and conduct manual meter reads to establish a baseline. Many Perth businesses discover that 20 to 30 percent of pages are unnecessary, multiple desktop printers duplicate the role of a central multifunction device, and colour printing is used for drafts that do not need it, which is why a precise baseline often unlocks savings in the first month.

   PrintCom’s assessment includes a simple scorecard that highlights fast wins and structural changes with estimated savings, payback periods, and impacts on staff workflow. You will know which devices are overworked and which sit idle, where secure release would eliminate abandoned pages, and how duplex defaults would reduce paper by up to half. Because the analysis is brand-agnostic across Brother, Kyocera, HP (Hewlett-Packard), Oki, Fuji Xerox, and Samsung, you get practical recommendations that fit your fleet, not generic advice. The result is a clear map from today’s spend to a lower, predictable monthly cost per page, backed by service levels and warranty options that protect availability.

2. Right-size and consolidate to the correct mix of devices

   Buying the cheapest printer is rarely cheap once you factor in toner or ink, drums, fusers, downtime, and staff time, which is why right-sizing matters. Consolidate scattered single-function devices into reliable multifunction printers that scan, copy, and fax to reduce footprints, supplies, and maintenance calls. Match duty cycle, recommended monthly volume, and pages per minute to your actual workload, and split high-volume and colour-critical jobs onto the most efficient devices. PrintCom’s range spans compact A4 workgroup printers to rugged A3 departmental multifunction units, so the final mix balances speed, image quality, and cost per page without overpaying for unused features.

   Where replacement is not immediate, PrintCom can extend the life of good devices with maintenance, firmware updates, and extended warranties up to 5 years, smoothing capital expenditure. Where a change is smart, side-by-side cost modelling helps you compare new Brother, Kyocera, HP (Hewlett-Packard), Oki, Fuji Xerox, and Samsung models on total cost of ownership and energy usage. Right-sizing often cuts the number of devices by 20 to 40 percent while improving uptime, because fewer, better machines are easier to maintain. Staff still enjoy fast access, yet your finance team sees a cleaner, smaller monthly spend that is far easier to predict.

3. Set print policies that default to the cheapest acceptable outcome

   Defaults drive behaviour, and behaviour drives cost, so put your most frugal options on autopilot. Make duplex printing the default on all capable devices, set grayscale for everyday documents, and route heavy jobs to the lowest cost per page device automatically. Simple rules like blocking full-bleed colour for internal drafts, setting page-per-sheet for meeting handouts, or capping max colour usage by department can trim consumption without slowing anyone down. PrintCom configures these policies in your chosen platform, and if you do not have one, can supply print management software with secure release, usage quotas, and departmental chargeback to embed lasting change.

   Because rules are most effective when staff understand the why behind them, pair technical controls with short, friendly guidance. A one-page how-to on printing in grayscale or scanning to email will get more adoption than long manuals, and PrintCom can provide these quick-reference guides. In most offices, policy shifts and better defaults deliver a 10 to 25 percent reduction in pages and colour usage with minimal pushback. Over a year, that is a material saving in paper, toner or ink, and energy, plus a quieter, greener print room that reflects well on your sustainability goals.

4. Pick high-yield supplies and the right settings for quality at the lowest cost

   Consumables are the heartbeat of print costs, so choose high-yield cartridges where available, because the effective cost per page often drops significantly compared to standard yields. Draft or eco modes can be surprisingly crisp for internal documents, while choosing economical fonts and optimising image compression reduces ink coverage without hurting readability. For critical client-facing work, reserve high-quality modes and consider colour management profiles to use colour more efficiently. PrintCom advises on genuine OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) supplies and reputable alternatives where appropriate, ensuring compatibility, printhead health, and warranty protection so that savings do not backfire through reprints or damage.

   Beyond toner or ink, paper selection influences both price and jam rates, which in turn affect downtime and staff time. Use standard 80 grams per square metre stock for drafts and recycled content for sustainability targets, then keep a higher-grade option for formal outputs. PrintCom can bundle consumables supply with scheduled maintenance so you pay predictably per month and never run out, and automated alerts ensure replacements arrive before devices stop. With smarter supplies and settings, businesses routinely shave the running cost curve without any visible drop in output quality.

5. Adopt MPS (Managed Print Services) for proactive cost control and uptime

   MPS (Managed Print Services) turns printing from a reactive headache into a managed utility with a single predictable bill. Remote monitoring detects toner or ink levels, worn parts, and error codes before they become outages, while automated dispatch ensures technicians and supplies arrive proactively. Print usage data is translated into reports that highlight savings opportunities, cost per page trends, and policy compliance, and your account manager reviews the insights with you regularly. Industry data shows organisations can reduce total print spend by 20 to 30 percent with MPS (Managed Print Services), and PrintCom tailors the service to your fleet size and business rhythms.

   Because Perth businesses often operate across multiple sites, PrintCom’s on-site service covers metro areas with consistent response times backed by service level agreements SLA (Service Level Agreements). You get one point of contact for Brother, Kyocera, HP (Hewlett-Packard), Oki, Fuji Xerox, and Samsung devices, which eliminates the wasteful shuffle between vendors and support lines. Extended warranties up to 5 years, bundled maintenance, and consumables supply turn sporadic costs into stable operating expenses that are easier to forecast. The result is simpler management, fewer interruptions, and a steady downward trend in monthly running costs.

6. Prevent downtime with scheduled maintenance and fast on-site repairs

   Unplanned outages are expensive because they ripple beyond toner or parts into staff delays, missed deadlines, and rework. A maintenance calendar that includes cleaning, roller and fuser checks, firmware updates, and colour calibration keeps devices reliable and image quality consistent. PrintCom’s qualified technicians handle this on-site and can standardise parts across your fleet to reduce inventory complexity and shorten repair times. When something does go wrong, diagnostics via remote monitoring point the technician to the most likely fault, which speeds resolution and reduces the chance of repeat visits.

   To protect budgets and peace of mind, extended warranties up to 5 years shield you from large, unexpected repair bills, and spare devices can be staged for critical departments. Many organisations combine this with secure release so that if one unit is down, staff can release their job at the next nearest device without reprinting. This operational resilience has a direct cost impact by cutting reprints and idle time, and it simplifies planning because maintenance windows are predictable. Over the course of a year, it is common to see callouts drop while availability rises, resulting in steadier, lower total cost of ownership TCO (Total Cost of Ownership).

7. Optimise acquisition with rental options aligned to cash flow

   Capital purchases are not the only path to modern, efficient print, and for many teams, rental provides flexibility with lower risk. Rentals smooth costs into a fixed monthly fee and often include maintenance and consumables, which keeps your balance sheet lighter and makes budgeting simpler. Rentals are ideal for projects, seasonal peaks, or new sites that need immediate capacity without long commitments, and they can include swap-out options if your needs change. PrintCom structures rental agreements to match your usage and refresh cycles, helping you avoid being stranded with outdated devices that cost more to run.

   The financial case is strongest when you compare TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) rather than sticker prices, because a cheap printer with expensive toner or ink is a false economy. PrintCom’s proposals model electricity usage in kilowatt hour kWh, service events, parts wear, and consumables at realistic coverage rates to show a true monthly figure. When the economics are close, consider intangibles like risk transfer, response times, and end-of-term refresh advantages. This holistic view makes it easy to pick the acquisition model that minimises cost, maximises uptime, and aligns with your operational and financial goals.

8. Digitise paper-heavy workflows and print only what adds value

   Every page not printed is money saved, so look for moments where a scan, e-signature, or digital approval replaces a physical document. Modern multifunction devices can scan to email, cloud storage, or line-of-business applications, and optical character recognition turns scans into searchable Portable Document Format PDF (Portable Document Format) files for quick retrieval. Replace legacy fax machines with secure cloud fax services and route inbound faxes to email, which saves consumables and time, and standardise templates so that forms fit two pages instead of three. PrintCom helps map your workflows and configure shortcuts on device touchscreens so the digital path is as convenient as printing, which makes the change stick.

   For the pages you still need, combine duplex defaults with booklet or multiple-pages-per-sheet options to compress content without sacrificing readability. When analogue records must be archived, scanning them on a scheduled basis reduces future reprint requests and storage costs, and that clean digital archive supports better customer service. Many organisations find that even modest digitisation trims 10 percent or more off monthly page volumes while making information easier to find. Over time, your print environment becomes the safety net for the exceptions rather than the default for every document.

9. Strengthen security and accountability to eliminate waste

   Abandoned pages left in output trays are a silent drain on budgets and a risk to privacy, especially for sensitive client information. Secure release holds jobs on the server until staff authenticate with a card, code, or phone at the device, ensuring nothing prints until the right person is present. This has a double benefit: it slashes waste from forgotten jobs and reduces reprints caused by someone else taking your document by mistake. PrintCom configures authentication to fit your environment, including visitor workflows and accessibility needs, and can integrate with existing cards where possible.

   With better visibility, you can tune policies by department, time of day, or job type, and monthly reports show progress against your targets. If your office uses Wireless Fidelity Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) or Near Field Communication NFC (Near Field Communication) print, enable authentication there too, because mobile jobs are easy to forget. While security may sound like a compliance project, it is a practical way to protect budgets and brand reputation while keeping staff efficient. The end result is fewer wasted pages, lower consumable spend, and stronger control of who printed what and why.

10. Educate your people and keep improving with data

    Technology changes stick when people understand and believe in them, which is why quick education pays for itself. A short onboarding module, one-page how-tos, and periodic tips on sustainable printing turn policies from obstacles into helpful defaults, and friendly signage near devices reduces accidental colour jobs. Celebrate teams that reduce their print spend and share a monthly leaderboard to spark healthy competition and make savings visible. PrintCom can supply training materials and simple dashboards so you track cost per page, colour mix, and page volumes by site or department without digging into raw logs.

    As you learn, keep tuning the system with A/B tests like defaulting one floor to duplex and another to simplex, or piloting secure release in one department before rolling it out. The point is not to be perfect on day one but to create a flywheel of data, insight, and small changes that compound. Many Perth clients see their biggest savings in months 3 to 6 as the new behaviours bed in and the fleet is right-sized. With steady iteration, your print environment becomes predictable, efficient, and aligned to how your business actually works.

Compare your options: devices, supplies, and service models

Comparisons make decisions faster, so use the following tables to see how common choices stack up on cost, reliability, and practicality. The figures are realistic examples gathered from industry norms and PrintCom’s experience with Perth customers, and your actual results will vary based on coverage, page volumes, and device condition. Use them as a guide in discovery conversations and to validate proposals, because clarity up front prevents friction and surprise costs later. When in doubt, ask PrintCom to model your exact environment, including electricity in kilowatt hour kWh, maintenance, and print behaviour patterns.

Real-world results: Perth case studies with PrintCom

Seeing results from peers helps you judge what is practical, which is why these snapshots focus on common scenarios across Perth. They are representative examples based on PrintCom engagements and industry norms, designed to show how different levers combine to drive savings and stability. Each case highlights the starting problem, actions taken, and the measurable outcomes that matter to finance and operations. You can use these as conversation starters to map your own path to lower costs and higher reliability.

• Professional services firm in the Perth CBD: A 60-person legal practice ran 25 small printers with frequent jams and inconsistent colour for court bundles. PrintCom audited usage, consolidated to five A3 multifunction devices and four A4 mono printers, enforced secure release, and defaulted drafts to grayscale. With MPS (Managed Print Services), preventative maintenance, and high-yield supplies, monthly pages dropped 22 percent, colour usage fell from 40 to 23 percent, and total spend decreased by 28 percent while uptime improved to 99.3 percent.
• WA healthcare clinic network: A multi-site clinic struggled with privacy risks from abandoned prints and long delays during toner or ink outages. PrintCom deployed secure release across sites, centralised supplies with automated replenishment, and introduced a scan-to-record workflow that linked directly to the patient system. The clinics saw waste shrink by 17 percent, an average of 45 minutes of staff time recovered per location per week, and a smoother audit trail that strengthened compliance practices.
• Construction company in Osborne Park: Field teams needed large-format plans occasionally, but the office printed most documents on costly colour devices. PrintCom set rules to route oversized jobs to a dedicated device and standardised simplex or duplex defaults by document type. The company added a rental unit for a six-month project peak, then scaled back without capital strain, reducing total print spend by 19 percent and removing bursts of downtime that had delayed site packs.
• Independent school in Fremantle: Teachers printed many colour handouts and worksheets, and the school wanted to cut costs without hurting classroom quality. PrintCom implemented department-level quotas, duplex defaults, and booklet printing for multi-page handouts, plus quick staff training on scan-to-share via the learning platform. Over two terms, paper use fell 31 percent and colour prints dropped 26 percent while teacher satisfaction rose because devices were more reliable and faster to use.

Step-by-step implementation roadmap for your team

Change is easier when it is sequenced, so use this roadmap to move from quick wins to durable savings without disruption. The timeline is designed for typical Perth businesses, though larger fleets may spread some steps for minimal impact on operations. If you already have some controls in place, start where the biggest gaps remain and build momentum with visible wins that teams appreciate. PrintCom coordinates these stages with on-site technicians, clear communication, and aftercare so your staff feel supported, not surprised.

Throughout the rollout, engage department champions and gather feedback to refine defaults and training. A short survey after week four and week eight surfaces friction points before they become blockers, and PrintCom can adjust routing rules or device placements accordingly. Remember that the goal is not just lower costs but also fewer disruptions and faster, more consistent output for your teams. With a steady cadence and clear ownership, the improvements will feel natural rather than forced.

Why PrintCom is the trusted partner for reducing monthly print costs

PrintCom’s value is practical: deep multi-brand expertise, fast on-site support across Perth, and solutions designed specifically to reduce monthly running costs. As an authorised dealer for Brother, Kyocera, HP (Hewlett-Packard), Oki, Fuji Xerox, and Samsung, PrintCom advises across devices and supplies without locking you into a single path. Qualified technicians handle diagnostics, repairs, and maintenance on-site, which compresses downtime and avoids the costs of shipping devices or juggling multiple support lines. Extended warranties up to 5 years and maintenance and repair services shift unpredictable spikes into stable, budget-friendly fees that finance teams prefer.

For procurement and operations leaders, the ability to choose between purchase and rental makes it easy to align cash flow with business cycles. If you need to scale for a project or new site, rentals add capacity fast; if you plan a refresh, purchase options offer predictable ownership and bundled service choices. Consumables supply is monitored and delivered automatically so you do not pay for emergency purchases or halt work due to stockouts. Combined with MPS (Managed Print Services) reporting, you get a single source of truth for print usage, cost per page, and savings progress that you can share with executives and auditors.

Put simply, PrintCom removes the friction that makes printing expensive and unreliable. Instead of reacting to breakdowns, you move to a calm, predictable rhythm where devices are right-sized, supplies arrive automatically, and staff can trust the output every time. That reliability builds confidence in new behaviours like duplex defaults and secure release, which amplifies the cost savings you set out to capture. The end result is an environment that costs less, works better, and adapts easily as your business evolves.

Additional expert tips to sustain savings year-round

Once your core improvements are live, a few advanced practices will keep the cost curve trending down. Review your reports quarterly for departments whose colour usage has crept up and refresh training or adjust rules as needed; small corrections prevent expensive habits from returning. Schedule annual device right-sizing with PrintCom to reflect staff changes or new workflows, and consider enabling sleep schedules and auto power-down to trim electricity by 15 to 30 percent according to device specifications. Finally, tag your most critical devices for priority response under your service level agreement SLA (Service Level Agreement) so that any outage is resolved rapidly without cascading delays.

• Standardise drivers and print queues so every user sees the same simple options.
• Use mobile print with authentication for flexible workspaces, not as a loophole that bypasses policies.
• Reserve premium colour modes for client outputs and brand materials via device presets.
• Keep a small buffer of paper and toner or ink at each device to prevent emergency runs to retail.
• Review niche devices like label or receipt printers annually, consolidating models where possible.

These small habits, paired with PrintCom’s monitoring and maintenance, stop drift and preserve the wins you worked for. Because the environment is instrumented, you will see early signals of change and fix them with data rather than guesswork. Over time, the combination of governance, visibility, and responsive service produces a stable, low-cost plateau rather than a quick dip followed by a rebound. That is the kind of sustained saving that both finance and frontline teams appreciate.

Have you considered accessibility and inclusive design in your print policies? Adding larger default margins, accessible fonts, and clear colour contrast in templates improves readability and can reduce reprints, especially for public-facing materials. PrintCom can help review templates alongside device settings so output is both cost effective and inclusive. Thoughtful choices like these save money and make documents more usable for everyone.

Once you decide to pursue a lower-cost print environment, momentum builds quickly with the right partner. PrintCom’s tailored printing solutions, ongoing maintenance, and specialised support for various printer models are built to address the real frustrations businesses face: high printing costs, unreliable equipment, and the inconvenience of breakdowns and juggling different brands or models. With an engaged team, a simple roadmap, and practical tools, the path to lower spend and higher reliability is straightforward and repeatable.

If you are weighing next steps, start with a light-touch assessment that gives you numbers you can trust. Bring finance, IT, and department leads together for a 45-minute review, and you will align on priorities immediately because the data tells a clear story. From there, it is a matter of locking in quick wins and scheduling the structural changes that cement the savings, all with minimal disruption to day-to-day work. The sooner you begin, the sooner predictable costs and dependable print become your new normal.

Finally, remember that printing is not just a pile of pages; it is a chain of moments that either slows teams down or clears their path. With PrintCom’s service depth, brand coverage, and flexible acquisition options, you can keep that chain smooth and affordable no matter how your business grows. And because your environment will be monitored and maintained, you will spend less time firefighting and more time focusing on what matters to your customers and staff.

With all of this in mind, here is a concise checklist to kick-start your plan:

• Audit and benchmark your current volumes, colour mix, and device health.
• Right-size your fleet and consolidate where practical.
• Turn on duplex, grayscale, and routing rules as defaults.
• Enable secure release and usage reporting for visibility.
• Choose high-yield supplies and standard papers wisely.
• Adopt MPS (Managed Print Services) and schedule maintenance.
• Evaluate rental if acquisition flexibility helps.
• Digitise a few paper-heavy workflows first, then expand.
• Educate staff and share progress monthly with dashboards.
• Repeat quarterly tuning with PrintCom for sustained savings.

If your operations include remote or hybrid workers, consider a short add-on policy for home devices. Provide guidance on duplex and grayscale defaults, offer an allowance tied to documented needs rather than unlimited pages, and route high-volume work to office devices where cost per page is lower. PrintCom can advise on lightweight software to capture usage where needed while respecting privacy and simplicity, ensuring your broader print footprint stays efficient.

Curious about environmental co-benefits? Reduced paper use cuts carbon dioxide CO2 (carbon dioxide) and water consumption embedded in paper manufacturing, while energy-efficient devices and sleep schedules lower electricity demand in kilowatt hour kWh. Many organisations use print savings to fund broader sustainability projects like digital records or device recycling, which further strengthens community and customer trust. With PrintCom’s support, you can quantify these impacts in plain language for annual reports and stakeholder updates.

Last, be mindful that print is part of a larger information ecosystem that includes scanning, storage, and collaboration tools. When you align these elements, staff stop printing as a workaround because digital paths are faster and clearer, and the need for physical copies naturally shrinks. PrintCom’s experience across scanners, multifunction devices, and workflow setup helps tie these pieces together so savings do not come at the cost of productivity. That balanced approach is what keeps improvements both durable and widely accepted by your teams.

Conclusion

Lowering your print spend is absolutely achievable with clear data, better defaults, right-fit devices, and PrintCom’s hands-on expertise.

Imagine the next 12 months with fewer breakdowns, faster approvals, and a calm, predictable monthly bill that steadily shrinks as your team prints smarter. What change will you make this week that moves you closer to that simpler, stronger standard for how to reduce high printing costs?