The average personal printer is relatively inexpensive to purchase.  What many of the printer manufacturers have discovered is the real profit is not with the printer itself but with the toner and ink-jet cartridges that are used.

Typical printers can use much more toner than you might expect.  The “cost per page” calculation that many printer manufacturers advertise is based only on 5% toner coverage for a printed sheet.  This is roughly the amount of 5 signatures on a standard size paper.  The actual cost per page for your printer can be much more depending on what you are printing and how often you print.

The toner coverage and cost per page can fluctuate:

• Are you printing text, images, or graphics?
• How much of the page is being used for the print?
• Is the print using color, gray scale, or black and white?

Color printing with images and graphics can cost substantially more than text printing using black toner.

In the business world the costs associated with toner coverage can be even more concerning.  Many employees do not consider the costs associated with printing and can use much more toner than is needed for routine office needs.

The National Printer Repair Network reports that less than 5% of businesses have any type of formal print policy in place.  Without a print policy, employees can be oblivious to the costs for toner coverage and waste unnecessary budget monies on printing.

One of the most ideal approaches for businesses uses two key solutions:

1. Implement a managed print policy for your business – with many multifunction printers your company can use your own business rules through automation.  Printing is routed to the most appropriate printer for the job, or security can be used so that only authorized employees can print to the more expensive devices.  There are also numerous monitoring tools available to help you analyze your print utilization in order to help you reduce printing costs.
2. Use a fixed cost per print model – work with your printer or copier provider to implement a fixed cost per print solution at your location.  This provides a more predictable print spend for your business and avoids the surprises associated with toner coverage expenses.

It can be easy to ignore the costs associated with toner coverage.  Many businesses are completely taken aback when they look more closely at their printing and the expenses that are associated.  Contact a reputable printing provider to find out more information on how to save money while keeping your business on track.

To find out how much your business is currently spending on print, Click here for your free print assessment: