Go Gray for Earth Day? How Industries Can Save Money and Resources by Printing in Black & White

April 16, 2018

Earth Day is coming up on April 22, so we put together a few facts on the benefits of printing in black and white or grayscale versus full color. When you’re printing internal or draft documents, grayscale will often suffice. Doing so can also help you use less ink, saving your office money over time.

Why Black & White Printing?

And more specifically, why grayscale printing? Despite what many might think, grayscale is a distinct printing process from black and white. The former only uses your black ink cartridges, while the latter uses a mixture of color ink to create black.

If documents aren’t client- or public-facing, they often won’t need to be printed in the highest quality with the best color. Instead of using up the color ink for black and white documents, set your printing preferences grayscale so that it only uses your black cartridge.

Not only is grayscale printing more cost-effective, but it can also help your office reduce its environmental impact. How? You’ll be able to make ink cartridges last that much longer, cutting back on the number you throw out and saving valuable dollars over time.

Saving Money & Resources for Your Industry, the Easy Way

Many document-heavy organizations like law offices and universities sink major costs into printing paper and ink. Luckily, it’s easy to cut back and streamline printing processes. Here are a few ways your employees and students can help conserve resources and cut costs:

• Set the default to print on two sides
• Print in draft mode to use less ink
• Rather than printing, send documents electronically where possible
• Consider a document management system to organize paperwork and files digitally
• Invest in an efficient multifunction printer for your nonprofit

Want to find more ways to make your office more eco-friendly? Read our blogs on going paperless and recycling ink cartridges.