Tips for Reducing Paper Waste by Optimizing Printing

Printing is a common and sometimes essential part of our daily work routine, but it can also be a large source of paper waste in the home or office. The good news is that with a few simple changes, you can optimize your printing practices and reduce paper waste. Here are four tips to help you get started.

Use Duplex Printing

Duplex printing, also known as double-sided printing, is a great way to reduce paper waste. It cuts paper usage in half, saving you money and helping you practice sustainability. Most printers come with a duplex printing option, so make sure to select it when you’re printing documents.

Evaluate or Adjust your Printer

Before you print, take a moment to evaluate the printer and adjust settings if needed. Misalignment or calibration issues can cause text or images to be skewed or distorted, requiring reprints. Also, if the printer pulls paper from the wrong tray or if the settings are incorrect, it can lead to misprints. Additionally, check the printer queue to ensure there are no pending or failed print jobs. Documents can get stuck in the queue, resulting in wasted paper when subsequent prints are sent.

Print with the End Goal in Mind

Before printing, ask yourself what your end goal is – is your document meant to be professional or casual? For external clients or your own colleagues? Lower quality printing is typically fine for things like routine internal documents or emails, but for things like presentation decks, charts or plans that should have a professional appearance, you’ll want a high-quality look and feel. Knowing how you want it to look in the end will save you from reprints when the quality isn’t up to the right standards.

Choose a Quality Printing Paper

You don’t want to waste time or resources reprinting paper because your paper was smeared with ink or got jammed in the printer, so it’s important to choose a quality office paper. By using a paper like Boise X-9, with a 99.99% Jam-Free® Performance Guarantee, you can keep your day running smoothly. All Boise Paper products are engineered for consistent and reliable run-ability, so they will never come out of the printer smeared or crumpled, producing the look you want for your documents.

By following these simple tips, you can optimize your printing practices and reduce paper waste. Not only will this help you save money on printing costs, but it will also help you do your part to practice sustainability.