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Reducing your print

For many, trying to go paperless has become something of a pipedream rather than a reality however there are still many people printing, or using paper, without thinking about how much they use.

At XBM, we help companies become more efficient with their use and ensure that their costs are related to effective businesses processes so that they can track every sheet of paper printed. It is true to say that businesses are far less reliant on paper as they once were, but having a ‘hard copy’ or printed notes, still remains common place in any sized business across the world.

That said, there are ways in which you can reduce your printing of unnecessary items and take more control on what is needed and what isn’t.

Printing less isn’t always easy, however simply making the conscious decision to track what you are printing and before your print, thinking, do I need to print this will help you print less. You will be amazed at the quantity of paper you print without knowing it.

One top tip is for the printer to not print until you go over to the printer and show an ID card. This will stop people just printing for the sake of it as they have to get up and do it. Also, printing inhouse vs outhouse can be a good way to save money, by printing things with experts that will inevitably be better at not wasting paper or failing/test runs.

Having less printers in the office can also be a good thing if you think people just waste paper because they see the printer and think ‘oo let’s print it’.

Most printers have an economy setting or black and white setting which will help tor educe the sue of ink and stop people printing in colour when black and white will suffice. Making B&W default as well will stop unnecessary wasting of coloured (expensive) inks.

You could also try to discourage printing completely however depending on policies and the need for paper, this may be more difficult than you think.