When it comes to discussion about print costs, we frequently hear that color printing is more expensive than black-and-white. And while it is true that color ink is more costly, this premise creates an incorrect view of the overall costs of color printing. There is a misconception that only large organizations with huge print budgets can afford to produce color documents, but that is no longer the case.
The Price of Print
Color office printers are more compact and affordable than ever; however, depending on your budget, they may still seem like an unrealistic expense for your business. Plus, ink cartridges must be replaced throughout the year and add to the total cost of ownership. To achieve the full-color spectrum, color printers require multiple cartridges, further increases your costs.
On the flip side, because you can get a great deal on an office printer, it might still be a viable option for your business. They are best used occasionally, for small volumes of pages such as presentations, not as your go-to print device. If you regularly print large volumes of color documents, they might end up being a prohibitive expense.
Outsourcing Jobs
If you think printing color documents in-house is cost prohibitive, you are probably outsourcing those jobs to a vendor, hoping to save money. This might not necessarily be true. To turn a profit, print houses charge more per page to print and require bulk orders, typically leading to excess prints, which are expensive and wasteful. A typically outsourced color document costs 70 cents per print.
So, where does that leave you?
Color Solutions You Can Get Behind
The best solution for most businesses is an in-house multifunctional printer with black-and-white and color print capabilities. When you calculate the total cost of ownership, a color-capable MFP is the most affordable solution for color copies, coming in at around 16 cents total per page.
Another benefit is that, unlike with outsourcing, you are not required to print a high volume of pages to get the best cost-per-page. With an MFP, you can make color copies as you need them in small amounts if desired, which is significantly cheaper than having to print multiple color documents. Plus, you will benefit from all of the other advantages of a multifunction device.
The best approach to deciding which option is best for your organization is to first determine how often you need to print color documents. Depending on the answer, you can explore the different color print options available, such as a color office printer or print vendor, as detailed above.
If you are unsure of your color cost-per-page, contact us for a free print assessment.
