Top 10 Ways to Reduce Your Printing Costs in 2026 📉

If your printing costs are making you howl, you're not alone. Australian businesses spend an average of $200–$800 per year on toner and ink per printer — and for offices with multiple machines, that number climbs fast. But here's the good news: with a few smart changes, you can cut those costs dramatically without sacrificing quality. 🐾

Noodle's been digging through the data (she's very thorough for a schnauzer), and we've put together the definitive guide to reducing printing costs in Australia for 2026. Let's fetch those savings!

1. Switch to Compatible Cartridges 🏆

Estimated savings: 50–80%

This is the single most impactful change you can make. Compatible (generic) toner cartridges are manufactured to the same specifications as genuine OEM cartridges but cost a fraction of the price.

Real examples from FetchInk:

| Cartridge | Genuine Price | Compatible Price | Saving | |-----------|--------------|-----------------|--------| | Brother TN-2450 | ~$89 | ~$25 | 72% | | HP 206X (W2110X) Black | ~$199 | ~$45 | 77% | | Canon CART-057H | ~$289 | ~$49 | 83% |

An office replacing just four cartridges a year could save $250–$600 annually per printer. Multiply that across your fleet and the numbers get very exciting.

Under Australian Consumer Law, using compatible cartridges does not void your printer warranty — the ACCC has been clear on this point. So you can switch with confidence.

2. Always Buy High-Yield (XL) Cartridges 📦

Estimated savings: 20–40% per page

High-yield cartridges cost more upfront but print significantly more pages, reducing your cost per page considerably.

Take the HP 206A vs 206X:

• 206A (standard): ~1,350 pages, compatible price ~$30 → 2.2c per page
• 206X (high-yield): ~3,150 pages, compatible price ~$45 → 1.4c per page

That's a 36% reduction in cost per page just by choosing the XL option. Always check if a high-yield variant exists for your printer model.

3. Use Draft Mode for Internal Documents 📄

Estimated savings: up to 40% on toner usage

Your printer's draft mode (also called "economy mode" or "toner save mode") uses significantly less toner per page. The output is slightly lighter but perfectly readable.

Use draft mode for:

• Internal memos and meeting notes
• Email printouts and reference copies
• Draft documents and working copies
• Personal printing and research

Switch to normal mode for:

• Client-facing documents
• Final proposals and contracts
• Marketing materials

Most printers let you set draft mode as the default and switch to normal quality only when needed — this way, savings happen automatically.

4. Print Double-Sided (Duplex) by Default 📑

Estimated savings: up to 50% on paper costs

If your printer supports automatic duplex printing (most modern lasers do), set it as the default. You'll halve your paper usage immediately, which reduces both paper costs and toner usage on those extra pages.

How to enable it:

• Windows: Printer settings → Printing Preferences → set "Print on Both Sides" to "Flip on Long Edge"
• Mac: System Preferences → Printers → Options → enable "Two-Sided"
• Network printers: Your IT admin can set duplex as the fleet default

Australian offices use roughly 50kg of paper per employee per year. Duplex printing cuts that in half — good for your budget and the planet. 🌏

5. Print in Black and White by Default ⚫

Estimated savings: 30–60% on toner costs

Colour toner cartridges are more expensive than black, and most office documents don't need colour. Set your default print mode to grayscale or black only, and switch to colour only when it's genuinely needed.

A full set of four colour toner cartridges (even compatible ones) costs 3–4 times more than a single black cartridge. If only 10% of your printing truly needs colour, you're wasting a lot of money printing everything in full colour.

6. Use Print Preview Religiously 👀

Estimated savings: 5–15% (from avoided reprints)

It sounds simple, but how often have you printed something only to find it's formatted wrong, has an extra blank page, or came out in the wrong orientation?

Every reprint is wasted toner and paper. Get in the habit of using Print Preview for every print job. Check:

• Layout and margins
• Whether all pages are needed (maybe you only need pages 2–5)
• Orientation (portrait vs landscape)
• Whether colour is actually necessary

Many applications also let you print multiple pages per sheet (2-up or 4-up) for reference documents, further reducing paper and toner use.

7. Buy Multi-Packs and Stock Up During Sales 🛒

Estimated savings: 10–25% beyond individual cartridge prices

Buying cartridges in multi-packs almost always works out cheaper per unit than buying singles. At FetchInk, our combo packs offer additional discounts on top of our already competitive prices.

Toner cartridges have a shelf life of 2+ years when stored unopened in a cool, dry place, so stocking up when you see a good deal is a smart move.

Pro tip: Sign up for the FetchInk newsletter to get notified of sales and special offers. We regularly run promotions on popular cartridge models.

8. Maintain Your Printer Properly 🔧

Estimated savings: variable (prevents waste and extends cartridge life)

A poorly maintained printer wastes toner through smudging, streaking, and reprints. Keep your printer in top shape:

• Clean the drum unit when you notice streaks or spots
• Shake the toner cartridge gently when the "low toner" warning appears — you can often squeeze out another 100–200 pages (see our low toner guide)
• Update printer drivers and firmware for optimal toner distribution
• Use quality paper — cheap paper causes more jams and reprints
• Keep the printer in a clean, dust-free area — dust and debris degrade print quality

A well-maintained printer uses toner more evenly and produces fewer wasted pages. Ollie keeps his kennel clean for the same reason — it just works better! 🐕

9. Implement a Print Policy (For Offices) 📋

Estimated savings: 15–30% across the organisation

If you manage an office, implementing a simple print policy can dramatically cut costs:

• Default settings: Set all networked printers to duplex, grayscale, and draft mode by default
• Print quotas: Many printers support user-based quotas — allocate a monthly page count per employee
• Secure printing: Require users to authenticate at the printer before their job prints — this eliminates the thousands of "forgotten" print jobs that nobody ever collects
• Centralise colour printing: Limit colour printing to one designated printer rather than enabling it on every device

These changes don't restrict people from printing what they need — they just eliminate waste. Most employees won't even notice the difference.

10. Consider Your Printer Choice for Future Purchases 🖨️

Estimated savings: long-term, significant

When it's time to replace a printer, factor in the ongoing toner cost, not just the purchase price. This is where many businesses get caught — a cheap printer with expensive cartridges will cost you more over its lifetime.

Best value printers for Australian offices in 2026:

• Brother HL-L2350DW (mono) — Purchase: ~$179. Compatible toner (TN-2450): ~$25 for 3,000 pages. Excellent value.
• Brother MFC-L2713DW (mono all-in-one) — Purchase: ~$249. Same affordable TN-2450 toner.
• HP LaserJet Pro M404dn (mono) — Purchase: ~$399. Compatible toner (CF258X): ~$55 for 10,000 pages. Great for higher volumes.
• Brother HL-L3230CDW (colour) — Purchase: ~$349. Compatible colour set: ~$89. Best budget colour laser.

The golden rule: Calculate the total cost of ownership over 3 years (printer price + estimated toner costs) before buying.

Bonus: The Quick-Win Checklist ✅

Here's a summary you can implement today:

• [ ] Switch to compatible cartridges from FetchInk
• [ ] Set duplex (double-sided) as default
• [ ] Set grayscale as default
• [ ] Enable draft mode for everyday printing
• [ ] Always use Print Preview
• [ ] Buy high-yield cartridges
• [ ] Order multi-packs for extra savings

Implementing just the first three items on this list could reduce your annual printing costs by 40–60%. That's real money back in your pocket — or your treat jar! 🦴

The Bottom Line

Reducing printing costs in Australia doesn't require drastic measures. Smart cartridge choices (compatible + high-yield), sensible default settings (duplex, grayscale, draft), and basic printer maintenance will save the average office hundreds or even thousands of dollars per year.

At FetchInk, we're all about helping Australians print smarter and spend less. Browse our full range of compatible cartridges or use our Printer Finder to start saving today. Ollie and Noodle guarantee it's worth the fetch! 🐾

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Want more printing tips? Check out our guide to compatible vs genuine toner or how to find your toner model number.