How can businesses reduce printing costs?

Colour pages cost several times more than mono pages on most machines, so the colour share of your printing matters.

• Set every computer's printer driver to duplex (two-sided) by default. See duplex explained.
• Set black and white as the default on colour machines.
• Use draft or toner-save mode for internal documents.
• Use secure or held printing, so jobs only print when someone collects them.
• Scan to email or folder instead of copying for filing.

Many offices run a mix of old desktop printers, each with its own expensive cartridges. One networked multifunction machine with high-yield toner usually prints for less per page, and leaves one machine to maintain. Keep a small printer only where it saves real time. See the best printer for a high-volume office.

Most office MFDs can require a user or department code and report pages printed. Showing departments their usage tends to reduce it. The Konica Minolta bizhub 225i in our range, for example, supports accounting for up to 50 user accounts.

• Compare consumables by cost per page.
• Consider compatible toner for internal mono printing on out-of-warranty machines. See toner vs ink.
• Keep one spare toner so nobody buys in a hurry at a premium.
• Schedule preventive maintenance. A jammed or streaking machine wastes paper and time. See the maintenance guide.