Crunching the Numbers: How to Calculate and Reduce Your Cost-per-Print

The cost-per-print (CPP) is one of the most important but often ignored costs for any business. The cost of each page you print can add up quickly and have a significant effect on your bottom line. To better manage your printing costs, you need to know how to figure out your cost-per-print and find ways to lower it.

Cost-per-print: What You Need to Know

Simply put, the cost-per-print is how much you spend each time you print a page. This cost includes not only the price of the paper and ink or toner, but also the cost of repairs, the loss of value of the equipment, and even the cost of power. These secret costs can make your total printing cost go up by a lot.

How to Figure Out the Cost Per Print

Direct costs: The first thing you need to do is figure out your direct prices. This includes how much your paper, toner, or ink costs. To figure out how much your toner or ink costs per page, divide the cost of the cartridge by the number of pages the maker says it can print.

Indirect costs: Costs that aren’t directly related to the product or service. This includes the cost of buying the printer divided by how long it will last (in pages), as well as monthly maintenance and repairs.

Hidden costs: Don’t forget about prices like electricity. Even though these costs might not seem like much, they can add up over time, especially for bigger print fleets.

Add all of these costs and split them by the total number of pages printed to get the fleet cost per print. Keep in mind that color and black and white have different costs and each device has different costs. It is important to do this on a device-by-device level as much as possible to ensure you understand where your costs are coming from. When you get this to a granular level, you will quickly discover if there are any specific devices that are taking up too large a piece of your IT budget.

How to lower the cost of each page you print

The first step is to figure out what your cost-per-print is. The next step is to find ways to lower it.

• Effective printing habits: Tell your workers to only print when they need to and to use duplex (two-sided) printing to save paper.
• Regular Maintenance: Taking good care of your printers and giving them regular maintenance can help you avoid expensive fixes and make them last longer.
• Managed Print Services: Managed print services like ManagedPrint can look at your print fleet and offer ways to save money, such as pointing out devices that aren’t being used enough or offering rules for printing that are more cost-effective.

Keep in mind that the best way to control and lower your cost-per-print is to know the whole picture of your print setting. By being strategic and looking for ways to improve efficiency, you can make a big difference to your bottom line by lowering your cost-per-print.

Please keep in mind that while this blog gives you a general idea of how to figure out and lower your cost-per-print, the exact numbers can change depending on how you print. Talk to a professional in print management to get a more thorough and personalized analysis.