How to Save Ink Before You Hit Print: Simple Office Tips

The fastest way to save ink is to print less: preview every job, print only the pages you need, and use draft mode and grayscale for anything that stays inside the office. These habits take seconds and work on almost every inkjet and laser printer.

Ink and toner are used in proportion to how much of each page is covered and how many pages you print. Every tip in this guide reduces one or both. Some are one-time settings you change in the printer driver; others are habits that become automatic after a week or two.

The same ideas apply whether your office uses an inkjet that takes ink cartridges or a laser printer that uses toner. Where the advice differs between the two, we point it out. If you are not sure which type you have, our guide to printer specs for beginners explains the basics.

Print preview shows exactly what will print, so you can catch blank pages, stray web content and single lines spilling onto an extra sheet before they cost you ink. It is the simplest ink-saving step there is.

Web pages and emails are the worst offenders. They often print with navigation menus, advertisements, comment threads and large images that nobody needs on paper. Before printing, try these options:

• Set a page range so you print only pages 2 to 4 rather than the whole document.
• Use print selection to print only highlighted text from a web page or document.
• Turn on your browser's reader view to strip out ads and sidebars before printing.
• Shrink to fit to pull a stray last line back onto the previous page.
• Turn off background graphics in your browser's print settings.

For many documents, the best saving is not printing at all. Saving to PDF lets you share, sign and store a copy digitally with no ink used. Scanning incoming paperwork instead of photocopying it works the same way, keeping a searchable digital record without printing a second copy.

Yes. Draft mode, also called economy, eco or toner-save mode, deliberately puts less ink or toner on each page, so every cartridge lasts longer. The trade-off is lighter, less crisp output.

Draft mode is a printer setting that reduces the amount of ink or toner laid down per page, producing lighter output intended for internal or proof copies. On inkjets it usually also speeds printing; on laser printers, the equivalent toner-save setting typically lightens text and images.

Draft output is perfectly readable for internal memos, reference copies, meeting notes and proofs you will mark up. Switch back to normal or high quality for anything that goes to customers, such as proposals, invoices and marketing material. Many printer drivers let you save a named preset, so staff can choose "Draft" or "Final" with one click instead of changing several settings each time.

Print in grayscale whenever color does not add real value, which for most offices is the majority of documents. Setting grayscale as the default means color is used only when someone deliberately selects it.

Grayscale printing means printing with black ink or toner only, rendering any colors as shades of gray. On a color laser printer, grayscale jobs generally draw on black toner only. On inkjets, behavior varies: some models blend colored inks to create rich black or use small amounts of color for routine nozzle maintenance, so color use drops but may not disappear entirely. Your printer's manual will explain how its model behaves.

Save color for documents where it matters, such as charts that rely on color coding, branded customer materials and photos. For shared machines, administrators can often restrict color printing to certain users, which keeps color supply costs under control.

A simple written print policy helps in a shared office. It might say that internal documents print in grayscale and draft mode, that color is reserved for client-facing work, and that large jobs go to the main copier rather than a small desktop printer. Secure or held print, where a job waits at the machine until the user releases it, also cuts waste from documents that are printed and never collected.

They do. Thinner fonts, sensible sizes and pages without heavy images or background fills put less ink on paper, so the same cartridge prints more pages.

Page coverage is the share of a page covered by ink or toner, and it is the main driver of how quickly cartridges run out. Small changes to how documents are designed can lower coverage noticeably without making them harder to read:

• Choose lighter, thinner fonts for body text rather than heavy or bold typefaces.
• Use a slightly smaller font size where readability allows.
• Avoid large blocks of bold text, solid headers and dark background fills.
• Remove logos, banners and decorative images from internal documents and templates.
• Use outlines or light shading instead of solid fills in charts and tables.
• Print slides as handouts with several per page rather than one slide per sheet.

Updating your company's default templates once can save ink on every document created afterward.

Printing fewer pages saves the most, followed by draft mode and grayscale. The table below compares the main tips so you can decide which to adopt first.

Choosing high-yield cartridges and a printer suited to your volume lowers what you pay for every page, on top of the savings from good habits. The supplies you buy matter as much as how you print.

Page yield is the number of pages a cartridge is rated to print under standard test conditions. High-yield cartridges hold more ink or toner and usually cost less per page than standard ones, so they are a good choice for printers that see regular use. Browse toner and drums to compare the options for your model.

The printer itself also matters. Laser printers fuse dry toner, a fine powder of plastic and pigment, onto paper and generally suit regular text printing, while inkjet printers spray liquid ink and often suit lower volumes and photo work. If an office prints a lot on a small inkjet, moving to a laser or multifunction printer can reduce running costs. A well-reconditioned laser printer is another budget-conscious route, so it is worth browsing reconditioned printers alongside new ones when you compare running costs. Our guide on buying a new printer without breaking the bank explains how to compare models, and you can browse printers and multifunction printers by brand.

Store spare cartridges sealed, flat and at room temperature, and use them within a reasonable time. When a laser printer starts to fade, many manufacturers suggest gently rocking the toner cartridge to redistribute the remaining toner before replacing it. ENERGY STAR guidance on imaging equipment covers efficiency features such as automatic duplexing and low-power modes.

Work through these steps once to change your settings, then make the habits part of everyday printing.

1. Set grayscale as the default in every computer's printer preferences.
2. Create "Draft" and "Final" presets in the printer driver and make Draft the default for internal work.
3. Turn on automatic double-sided printing where your printer supports it.
4. Update company templates with lighter fonts and no heavy headers or background fills.
5. Remind staff to use print preview, page ranges and reader view for web pages.
6. Encourage saving to PDF for documents that do not need to be on paper.
7. Switch to high-yield cartridges for printers that see regular use.
8. Store spare supplies sealed, flat and at room temperature.
9. Review whether your current printer suits your volume, and consider an upgrade if supply costs keep rising.

For more ways to avoid common mistakes, read the worst printer advice you've ever heard.

CopyFaxes supplies toner, drums and printers for offices of every size. If you are not sure which high-yield supplies fit your machine, or whether a different printer would lower your running costs, contact our specialist team or try the machine finder to compare options for your volume.