Excessive paper consumption is one of the biggest challenges in any office. Aside from the added expense of buying paper and ink, the amount of time it takes to print documents could easily put a dent to your efficiency and hurt your productivity as a business in the long run.

Too much use of printing products like ink cartridges is also harmful to the environment since the production of at least 200,000 cartridges each month produces a carbon dioxide emission equivalent to 500 homes.

But the truth is, you can reduce printing significantly in the workplace to not only cut down operational costs but also make your office more efficient. Here are five tips that you can follow:

1. Keep printers to a minimum.

Remember that not all of your employees need their own printer. Aside from the expense of buying several printers, you also need to spend on ink and paper for each printer, not to mention maintaining them.

Imagine that if a single page costs 2 cents, you’ll be spending at least $1,000 for every 50,000 pages printed in all the printers in your office. Keep printers to a minimum and put them in communal spaces.

This way, those who overprint will be forced to self-regulate and you can save a good amount of money from only stocking up three printers instead of ten.

2. Use print management software.

No matter how you try to go for a paperless office, there might still be some employees who already built the habit of printing too much.

In this case, you will need the help of print management software that will regulate, manage and restrict printing activities in your office. Doing so will help you cut down on paper and energy while still ensuring the efficiency of your workforce.

3. Implement strict printer policies.

Even if you already have print management software in place, you still need to implement strict printer policies to avoid late night printing, photo printing and huge print runs.

You can also implement policies for each level of your organization and have your managers handle violations promptly.

4. Embrace the cloud.

Cloud storage is used more in offices these days because it makes storing documents fast and more secure.

If you have digital storage, you can also share your files easily across different networks without wasting paper or worrying that your documents will be passed on to the wrong hands.

5. Use fonts that take up less ink.

If you really need to print some documents, make sure to use fonts that utilize less ink. Studies show that Century Gothic uses lesser ink than Arial, so switching fonts can help a company save at least $80 a year on printing. This might not be a lot, but you can already put money towards other expenses.

Taking the steps to reduce printing in your workplace will not only help you save money but also improve your efficiency as an organization. After all, you’ll need every penny you can save towards growing your business.