Tips and Tools

A company of 5,000 employees that uses double-sided printing for only 10% of its printing could save up to US$260,000.

Copying images on both sides of a sheet of paper can save up to 50% of paper costs

• Copying images on both sides, or duplexing, saves money on paper purchasing, as well as on storage and mailing. Duplex copies are also easier to fold and staple. While some prints and copies need to be single-sided, most do not.

Change your computer’s default settings so that you can put more text on each page.

• In Microsoft Word, go to "File", then to "Page Setup". Then choose "Reduce the Margins" and set your margins to smaller numbers. Compared to the normal settings, you could use up to 14% less paper!
• When you are printing, reduce font size to 10 point to decrease the amount of paper required.
• Use efficient fonts like Times New Roman or Arial. These fonts use significantly less space.

Use your fax effectively

• Send a fax or Word document without printing first! Simply use the menus in Word: choose "File", then "Send to", then "Fax Recipient", and then follow the instructions. This allows faxes to be sent from computers without the need to print first. It also allows faxes to be received in an e-mail rather than printed copy format. Help on this should be available from your IT department.
• When sending a paper fax, eliminate cover sheets and use fax stick-on labels instead.
• Program your fax to eliminate confirmation sheets

Practice image reduction

The ability to reduce or enlarge images is common on copiers. Image reduction is also possible with printing.

• For example, when copying a book, one can often get two original pages on to one side of the copied sheet. Because reduction works in two dimensions, you only need to reduce by 30% (to 70%) to cut in half the area of an image.
• While reproducing entire standard pages requires a 35% reduction (to 65%), books often have smaller than standard pages and most documents have larger than necessary margins, so the reduction can usually be less than this.

Practise preventative copier maintenance

• Keep copiers and printers in good repair and make it your company’s policy to only buy copiers and printers that make reliable double-sided copies.
• Let your copier maintenance person know when a copier is performing poorly (toner is low, jams frequently, etc.). Regular copier maintenance is important, especially if the toner is low. Many times copiers are used until all the toner is gone and that wears down machines. A copier that works well is less likely to jam and this helps save paper!