The True Cost of Printing in an Office

Understanding Your Total Cost of Ownership

Most businesses underestimate what printing costs them.

The guess is nearly always the price of the machine, because that is the number on the invoice.

That is the one part you eventually stop paying for.

Consumables, maintenance, paper, energy, IT support time and document handling all sit on top of it, month after month, and none of them appeared on the purchase order you signed.

Working out your own cost per page, across every device you own, is the only way to see the number that actually leaves the bank account each month.

Breaking Down the Real Costs

1. Equipment Costs (15 to 20%)

Whether you purchase or lease, equipment costs include the initial outlay or monthly payments for printers, copiers and multifunction devices.

Leasing spreads this cost over time while providing access to newer technology and included maintenance.

2. Consumables (25 to 35%)

Toner, ink cartridges and drums represent a significant portion of ongoing costs.

The cost varies dramatically by device type:

• Desktop inkjet printers: 15 to 25 cents per colour page
• Desktop laser printers: 8 to 15 cents per colour page
• Workgroup laser printers: 5 to 10 cents per colour page
• Production multifunction devices: 3 to 7 cents per colour page

3. Maintenance and Repairs (10 to 15%)

Service calls, parts replacement and preventive maintenance add up quickly.

Desktop printers typically have no service options, meaning replacement when they fail.

Business grade equipment includes service contracts that provide predictable maintenance costs.

4. Paper Costs (10 to 15%)

A ream of standard A4 copy paper costs $5 to $8, equating to 1 to 1.6 cents per sheet.

Specialty papers for presentations, reports or marketing materials cost significantly more.

The average office worker uses 10,000 sheets of paper annually.

5. Energy Consumption (3 to 5%)

Printers consume power even in standby mode.

A typical office laser printer uses 300 to 500 watts while printing and 5 to 50 watts in standby.

Running multiple desktop printers costs more than a single efficient multifunction device.

6. IT Support Time (5 to 10%)

Your IT team spends considerable time managing print queues, troubleshooting driver issues, replacing cartridges and resolving paper jams.

Studies indicate IT staff spend up to 15 percent of their time on print related support.

Hidden Costs Most Businesses Miss

Wasteful Printing Habits

Research shows that up to 30 percent of office print jobs are never collected from the printer.

These abandoned documents waste toner, paper and energy while creating security risks when sensitive information sits uncollected.

Colour Printing Overuse

Colour printing costs three to five times more than monochrome.

Without print policies, employees often print in colour by default, even for internal documents that don’t require it.

Industry studies report that colour management can reduce costs by 20 to 40 per cent, depending on usage.

Inefficient Device Placement

Having too many devices or poorly located equipment increases costs.

Each additional printer requires separate supplies, maintenance and IT support.

Strategic consolidation typically reduces the number of devices by 30 to 50 percent while improving productivity.

Lack of Visibility

Most businesses cannot accurately track who prints what, when and how much.

Without this visibility, identifying waste and implementing cost controls becomes impossible.

Print management software provides detailed reporting on usage patterns.

Cost Comparison: Device Types

Note: Costs are approximate and vary based on specific models, supply costs and print coverage.

Kyocera devices are built around long life drum technology, which is why fewer components get swapped out over the life of the machine.

How to Reduce Your Printing Costs

1. Conduct a Print Audit

Before making changes, understand your current situation.

A print audit reveals how many devices you have, who uses them, what they print and how much it costs.

This baseline data guides optimisation decisions.

2. Consolidate and Standardise

Replace multiple desktop printers with strategically placed workgroup devices.

Standardising on a single manufacturer like Kyocera simplifies supplies management and reduces training requirements.

3. Implement Print Policies

Set defaults to monochrome and duplex printing.

Require authentication for colour and high volume jobs.

These simple changes typically reduce print volumes by 15 to 25 percent.

4. Consider Managed Print Services

A managed print services agreement bundles equipment, maintenance, supplies and support into a predictable monthly cost.

This eliminates surprise expenses and ensures proactive maintenance prevents costly downtime.

5. Choose the Right Equipment

Select devices matched to your actual usage.

Oversized equipment wastes capital while undersized devices fail prematurely.

Leasing provides flexibility to adjust as needs change.

Calculate Your True Printing Cost

Use this simple formula to estimate your annual printing expenditure:

Remember to add equipment payments, maintenance, paper, energy and IT support time for your total cost of ownership.

Most businesses find their actual print spend is 30 to 50 percent higher than estimated.

If those figures surprise you, check the signs your business needs a printer lease and see whether a set monthly plan makes more sense.

Where Kyocera Keeps the Running Cost Down

Kyocera’s ECOSYS technology uses long life components that dramatically reduce cost per page:

• Long life drums meaning fewer replacements across the life of the machine
• Fewer consumable replacements meaning less waste and lower costs
• Lower energy consumption with eco friendly sleep modes
• Rated most reliable A3 brand by Keypoint Intelligence for 2025 to 2027

Combined with all inclusive leasing from Global Document Solutions, businesses enjoy predictable monthly costs with no surprise expenses for maintenance, toner or repairs.

What people ask about print costs

What is a good cost per page for business printing?

For mono printing, aim for 1 to 2 cents per page.

For colour, 5 to 8 cents per page is achievable with workgroup devices.

Desktop printers typically cost three to five times more per page.

How much does the average business spend on printing?

Studies indicate printing costs represent 1 to 3 percent of annual revenue for most businesses.

For a company with $2 million revenue, that equates to $20,000 to $60,000 annually.

Is leasing or buying a printer more cost effective?

Leasing typically provides better value for businesses printing more than 2,000 pages monthly.

Lease agreements include maintenance and supplies, eliminating unexpected costs and providing tax benefits through operating expense deductions.

How can I reduce colour printing costs?

Set default print settings to monochrome.

Implement user authentication for colour printing.

Use print management software to track and allocate colour usage.

These steps typically reduce colour printing by 30 to 50 percent.

Related: what managed print services means, and our printer leasing glossary.