Jun 16, 2025

How to make printing cheaper

Running a modern workplace means keeping a close eye on every overhead, and how to reduce business printing costs is often high on the agenda. After all, studies suggest printing can swallow up to 3% of annual revenue—on par with rent or utilities. In this comprehensive guide you will learn where the hidden expenses lurk, which steps deliver the quickest savings, and how Perth-based PrintCom helps organisations of every size streamline workflows while slashing their monthly print spend.

1. Understanding Your True Printing Costs

Before rushing out to replace aging devices or renegotiate toner contracts, you first need clarity. Most companies underestimate their total cost of ownership (TCO) because expenses are scattered across departments or buried in general ledgers. What does printing actually cost you when you add everything together?

Add these together and it becomes clear why ad-hoc purchasing rarely delivers real savings. By mapping every device, print volume, and associated cost, you create a baseline against which all future optimisation efforts can be measured. PrintCom technicians often start with a no-obligation print audit, using meter reads and usage data from brands such as Brother, Kyocera, or HP to develop an accurate picture in less than a week.

2. How to Reduce Business Printing Costs: 10 Proven Strategies

Armed with hard numbers, you can begin to tackle unnecessary spending. Below are ten evidence-based tactics PrintCom regularly deploys for clients in Perth and beyond:

1. Consolidate devices: Retire single-function printers and migrate to multifunction units (MFDs) that print, copy, and scan. This slashes hardware count by up to 40%.
2. Standardise models: Stick to a small fleet of approved devices—e.g., HP LaserJet for A4 monochrome, Kyocera TASKalfa for colour A3—so consumables, drivers, and spare parts are interchangeable.
3. Set default duplex and draft mode: Simply printing double-sided and in draft can cut paper use by 50% and toner by 30%.
4. Implement user authentication: Swipe cards or PIN release reduce abandoned print jobs, a common source of wasted paper.
5. Automate consumable supply: Let your dealer ship toner only when sensors reach 15%, avoiding stockpiles that tie up cash.
6. Leverage high-yield cartridges: Oki or Epson high-capacity toners often halve cost per page compared with standard versions.
7. Deploy print rules: Route large colour jobs to an energy-efficient A3 copier instead of individual deskjets.
8. Schedule preventative maintenance: Quarterly servicing by PrintCom’s qualified technicians prevents breakdowns that lead to rushed, premium-priced repairs.
9. Consider leasing or rental: For seasonal peaks, short-term rental avoids capital expenditure while ensuring you always run current technology.
10. Recycle and return: Manufacturer take-back programs for drums and cartridges can unlock rebates and support corporate sustainability goals.

Could you implement all ten at once? Possibly, yet most organisations phase them in over three to six months, measuring results after each wave. PrintCom guides clients through prioritising high-impact initiatives first—for example, duplex defaults deliver instant savings without staff retraining.

3. Choosing the Right Hardware: Buy, Lease, or Rent?

The next question is whether to purchase devices outright or opt for leasing and rental. Ownership offers control, but leasing bundles much-needed services and warranties. Meanwhile rental delivers maximum flexibility—ideal for project sites or pop-up offices. Below is a quick comparison:

PrintCom offers all three. As an authorised dealer for Fuji Xerox, Samsung, and more, the company secures bulk discounts that translate into lower purchase prices. Its five-year extended warranties cover the risk of hardware failure, while rental clients receive swap-out devices within 24 hours—eliminating downtime. By matching acquisition models to business cycles, you preserve cash flow and avoid being stuck with obsolete gear.

4. Optimizing Consumables and Supply Management

Consumables are often the single largest ongoing expense. That means small tweaks here deliver outsize returns. Consider these evidence-backed best practices:

• Choose genuine or high-quality remanufactured cartridges: Low-grade third-party toners can cause printhead damage—negating any upfront saving.
• Adopt page-pack contracts: Pay a flat cent-per-page rate covering toner, drums, and preventative maintenance. PrintCom’s page-pack model includes free delivery of supplies exactly when sensors trigger.
• Automated inventory dashboards: Cloud portals summarise real-time levels across every device, flagging anomalies and enabling bulk ordering.
• Eco-labelled paper: Recycled or FSC-certified paper often feeds better through modern printers and can qualify for sustainability credits.

Why not just buy the cheapest toner online? Because hidden costs, such as streaky prints forcing reprints, quickly erase any savings. PrintCom’s technicians regularly track defect rates and have found sub-standard toner increases service calls by 35%. In contrast, OEM or ISO-certified remanufactured cartridges keep failure rates under 1%.

5. Maintenance, Repairs, and Downtime Prevention

Even the best printer is only as economical as its uptime. According to market research, unscheduled downtime costs Australian businesses an average of AU$260 per hour in lost productivity and IT support. Here’s how to minimise those losses:

1. Scheduled servicing: A quarterly clean and inspection eliminate 70% of common faults like paper jams or fuser errors.
2. Remote diagnostics: Many Brother and Kyocera models transmit error codes to PrintCom’s help desk, allowing fixes before users ever notice.
3. On-site response SLAs: PrintCom offers 4-hour metro response, with certified technicians carrying genuine parts.
4. Firmware updates: Patching security holes prevents ransomware that could lock down printers—and workflows—for days.
5. User training: Simple habits, such as fanning paper and closing trays gently, extend life spans and avoid service calls.

For organisations managing multiple brands, troubleshooting can feel like herding cats. PrintCom’s multi-vendor expertise means one phone call, not five different support lines. The net result? Lower mean-time-to-repair and fewer costly workarounds like sending urgent jobs to local copy shops.

6. Measuring Results and Continuous Improvement

So you have implemented device consolidation, upgraded consumables, and locked in preventative maintenance. How do you prove the investment paid off? Successful cost-reduction programs are data-driven and iterative. Consider these metrics:

Monthly review meetings with PrintCom keep the program on track. If colour volume creeps up unexpectedly, print rules can be tightened. If a department’s device is under-utilised, it might be redeployed to a busier floor, avoiding a new purchase. Continuous improvement turns one-time savings into a sustainable competitive advantage.

In one case study, a 150-employee engineering firm in Osborne Park engaged PrintCom to overhaul its ageing fleet of 42 printers and copiers. By transitioning to 15 networked MFDs, moving to page-pack contracts, and introducing user ID release, the firm cut annual print expenditure from AU$78,000 to AU$42,000—a 46% reduction within twelve months. Crucially, the number of help-desk tickets related to printing fell by 60%, freeing IT staff for higher-value projects.

Conclusion

Mastering how to reduce business printing costs boils down to visibility, smart hardware choices, disciplined consumable management, and proactive maintenance. Whether you purchase devices outright, opt for flexible leasing, or rent monthly, aligning technology with real-world workflows is essential. By partnering with a trusted provider like PrintCom—armed with 35 years’ multi-brand expertise, on-site technicians, extended warranties, and cost-per-page contracts—you gain a roadmap to continuous savings, rock-solid reliability, and a more sustainable print environment for years to come.