4 features of cost-effective printers

What do you look for when buying a new cost-effective printer? Many businesses focus on just the purchase price. While it may make sense at the time of purchase, this one decision could cost you a lot more in the long run.

Your printer or multifunction device (MFD) can have significant ongoing operating expenses over its lifetime. In fact, printing is usually the third biggest business expense, after rent and payroll. So, it is vital to consider the total cost of ownership (TCO) of your printer – going beyond the initial investment, and calculating the total running cost over the life of your device.

In this post, we will focus on the cost-saving features you should look for when choosing the right printer for your business. We hope it helps you find the best printer that will not only reduce ongoing printing costs but also improve overall productivity and minimise your environmental impact.

First, understand your business needs.

How do you choose the best cost-effective printer or MFD for your business? As you know, there are many brands and models with varying capabilities and features. It is essential not to focus too much on the latest and most innovative print technologies until you’ve figured out what your business actually needs.

The first step, therefore, in choosing the right printer is to find out your specific printing requirements. You need to consider what your printer will be used for, how often you'll need to use it, and who will be doing most of the printing. Here are some questions you can start with:

• How much printing would be done daily?
• Would you print in colour or black and white?
• What print quality do you need?
• How many users would you have?
• Which devices need to connect to the printer?

We suggest starting with a site audit to better understand your print operations, habits and needs.

4 features of cost-effective printers to consider

Once you’ve determined your printing requirements, you can now start the search for the best and most cost-effective printer for your business. As mentioned, you would need to assess the device's TCO, including its overall financial impact over its lifetime. Here are the printer cost-saving features you can consider:

1. Cost and yield of consumables

There are some consumables that need regular replacement, depending on the printer's use. These components could include the print drum, developer and toner.

It’s important to note that not every device has the same number of consumables, and some components need to be replaced more frequently than others. When comparing printer and MFD models, consider the number of consumables and their projected lifespans.

For instance, KYOCERA’s ECOSYS printers have a long-life print drum capable of printing thousands of pages. The print drum usually lasts the whole lifetime of the device, so the only consumable you need to replace is the toner. This results in a lower total cost of ownership and a significant reduction in disposable waste.

Also, to help save on toner costs, all of KYOCERA’s new printers come equipped with a ‘draft mode’ setting that can print documents using only half the toner.

2. Power consumption

How much power will the device consume? It’s worth knowing how much electricity the printer or MFD would consume in regular daily use. Is it Energy Star compliant?

We recommend comparing the printer’s energy efficiency with the Energy Rating label before you buy. Energy Star-compliant machines can switch from standby to sleep mode to consume the least power and maximise cost savings.

3. Environmental impact

Is the printer environmentally friendly? An energy-efficient printer or MFD not only lowers your overall printing costs but also reduces your carbon footprint and creates an eco-friendly workplace.

This is why KYOCERA’s ECOSYS technology makes perfect business sense. The long-life print drum can print up to 600,000 pages without needing replacement. Thus, this enables you to significantly reduce landfill waste, lower CO2 emissions and save on energy bills.

4. Servicing and maintenance costs

How much time and money are you spending to sort out service issues on inefficient print devices, systems and processes? Servicing and maintenance costs are primary considerations when purchasing a new printer or MFD.

You need to be confident that when you encounter printer-related issues or the machine breaks down, your vendor or provider can address them quickly and efficiently.

This is where managed print services (MPS) can help. A reliable MPS can optimise your entire print environment, reduce ongoing printing costs, improve productivity, and increase document security, while minimising your environmental impact.

KYOCERA MPS, for example, delivers a total service package – from assessing your current operations and implementing a tailored solution to the actual management and optimisation of your print and document environment. We can provide you with complete visibility on your entire printing operations, help identify inefficiencies, and recommend ways to generate significant cost savings.

In conclusion...

As you can see, there are several factors to consider when purchasing a new, cost-effective printer or MFD. It is an ongoing investment and not just a one-off purchase. You need to look at the costs of consumables, power consumption, environmental impact, and maintenance. Essentially, the only way to find the best, most cost-effective printer for your business is to consider the device’s total cost of ownership over its entire lifespan. 

Printing is typically the third-highest business expense after rent and payroll, but it's often overlooked or calculated using only the sticker price. Download our Guide to Calculating Total Printing Costs to learn how to correctly assess your device's total cost of ownership and avoid unnecessary expenses.

KYOCERA Document Solutions provides document management solutions with long-life print technology that keeps printing and maintenance costs low, reducing the total cost of ownership while delivering greater productivity, reliability and uptime.