In today’s world, businesses are trying to reduce unnecessary paper waste which affects the environment as well as their profitability.

Aside from using Document Management Software, an effective printer policy can curtail the exorbitant waste of money and resources businesses see on a daily basis.

Did you know that the average office worker uses 10,000 sheets of copy paper a year?

This amount of consumption obviously impacts the environment, and puts a serious dent into the operational budget of any size business.

45% of the paper printed in offices reportedly ends up in the trash at the end of the day. 

 

Much of this is from pages users didn’t even intend on printing.

Many companies may be aware of the amount of wasted paper, but don’t have a handle on how much it may be costing them or what they can do about it. With printer ink costing almost 2000% more than the cost of gas, all those unimportant print jobs really add up. A report from the Gartner Group said that the mismanagement of copiers, printers and faxes can cost businesses between 1-3% of their revenue annually. Imagine if your business was making a 1-3% increase in revenue, but then losing it to the lack of oversight on something as simple as paper usage.

After evaluating the areas for improvement, implement simple print policies to make a dramatic difference in cost savings and eliminating waste.

 

From designating rules about who to notify when you have a large print job to do, to enforcing two-sided (duplex) printing, print policies can be as detailed and specific as your company wants.

For many businesses, the best practices include: 

• Print and copy in black and white as much as possible. Set it as default.
• Choose the best device for large print jobs to save the most money.
• Make two-sided (duplex) printing a default.
• Print jobs to the cloud.
• Use software to measure and manage printing costs.

For businesses considering a print policy, the following outline serves as a good starting place for implementing an efficient workplace.

 

Printer Policy

Purpose: Explain in a sentence or two why a print policy is now an essential policy to employ.

 

Scope: List who the policy applies to: employees, contractors.  

 

Supported Printers: Listing out the type of printers your office has and their respective specs and capabilities makes an excellent resource for employees to return to when they are looking for a printer that can do specific things.
Printer Name Printer Model Resolution (dpi) Location Capabilities

Basic print policies:

1. Printers must be used only for business purposes and not for personal documents.
2. The allowance or non-allowance of personal printers either in the office or on remote location should be outlined here.
3. The printer is not a copier. If you need multiple copies, print one good copy on the printer and use the photocopier to make additional copies.
4. Be responsible. If you print something, please claim it, and if you no longer want it, please recycle it appropriately. 
5. Keep the area clean. If you see someone’s unclaimed print job, stack it neatly in the designated area. Items will be disposed of after (enter determined time allowance).
6. Take advantage of duplex (two-sided) printing when available and other output options for presentations (i.e. printing four PowerPoint slides per page versus only one).
7. Limit toner usage by keeping the light toner and lower dpi settings set as the default print settings.
8. Avoid large print jobs. If necessary, discuss with your Office Manager or IT department so you can use the most appropriate (lower cost) printer and co-workers can be notified that there will be a wait.
9. Monitor your print job. If it’s over 25 pages, be sure to be there to collect the pages so the tray does not overflow and spill onto the floor.
10. Avoid printing emails. Make use of your email application’s folders and archiving abilities.
11. If you need special paper, please check with IT to determine if the paper if proper for the machine before using.
12. Print in black and white by default at every opportunity.
13. Printer paper can be found (list location here). Toner cartridges can be retrieved from (list place or person here).
14. If you notice a problem with the printer such as a paper jam or if it’s out of ink, and you have not been taught how to fix the problem, please do not try. Report the problem to the Office Manager, IT department, or to a trained co-worker who may be able to help.
15. Report any unresolved or continual malfunctions of the office printing and copying equipment to the Office Manager.

Any employee who is found to have violated this policy may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.