5 Hidden Ways Businesses Overspend on Ink and Toner

Most businesses keep a close eye on big‑ticket expenses, but there’s one category that quietly drains budgets month after month. Ink and toner overspending often goes unnoticed because it hides inside small, routine purchases made across different departments. The invoices are small, but the problem isn’t. When you add up emergency cartridge orders, inefficient print habits and lack of visibility into who’s printing what, supply waste can quickly become areal operational cost.

The tricky part is that the biggest sources of overspending usually aren’t obvious. They’re built into daily workflows, legacy devices or long‑standing habits no one questions anymore. With better visibility, controls and print management, businesses can reduce ink and toner costs, improve efficiency and get a much clearer picture of their true printing needs.

Here’s five hidden ways businesses overspend on ink and toner (and how to fix them!): 

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1. Lack of Visibility Into Print Volumes and Usage Patterns

For many organizations, print activity is a bit of a black hole. Devices are scattered across departments, people print for different reasons and supply orders flow through whoever happens to notice a low‑toner light. Without clear insight into how much each device prints or which teams generate the most volume, it’s almost impossible to understand where ink and toner overspending actually comes from.

The result is guesswork. Businesses often buy supplies based on what they think they need instead of what the data shows. That usually leads to overordering cartridges. On the flip side, high‑volume printers can get overloaded and burn through toner faster than anyone realizes.

Another issue is that some printers have a much higher cost per page than others, even within the same fleet. A desktop color device tucked in someone’s office may cost more to operate than a shared multifunction device. Without visibility, those costs stay hidden and keep draining the budget.

How to fix it:
Tracking print volumes across devices, departments and users creates a clear picture of what’s really happening. With reporting tools and a managed print partner, organizations can spot unusual spikes, underperforming devices and cost-heavy habits. Better visibility helps leaders make smarter decisions about supply ordering, device placement and long-term print strategy, all of which directly reduce ink and toner costs. 

2. Buying Supplies on an As-Needed Basis

When print supplies run low, most teams do what feels natural. Someone notices a low‑toner light, places a quick order and moves on with their day. It’s simple, it’s reactive and it’s one of the most common ways businesses overspend on ink and toner.

Last‑minute ordering usually means paying higher prices, especially when employees purchase cartridges on their own and expense them later. That creates inconsistent purchasing, inflated supply costs and a cycle where no one has a true sense of how much the organization is actually spending.

Another issue is quality. When people are in a hurry, they often choose whatever they can get fastest, including low‑cost generic cartridges that may not perform reliably. Cheaper supplies can lead to more reprints, device errors and early replacements. Those hidden problems end up costing more than the “savings” on the front end.

Lack of standardization affects inventory too. Different departments may buy different brands or stocks of toner, which creates mismatched supplies and a storage closet full of cartridges no one can use.

How to fix it:
A consistent purchasing process helps stabilize costs and reduce unnecessary spend. Centralizing supply procurement or partnering with a managed print provider gives businesses access to predictable pricing, approved OEM cartridges and automated ordering based on actual device usage. Instead of scrambling for replacements, organizations get exactly what they need at the right time —without the premium price tag. 

3. Inefficient Default Print Settings

Most people click “Print,” pick up their pages and move on. But if your print fleet is running on inefficient default settings, that simple habit can quietly drive up ink and toner overspending across the entire organization.

Color printing is a big one. Many devices ship with color enabled as the default, but many documents don’t need it. If a team prints emails, drafts or internal notes in color without realizing it, toner usage increases fast. High‑resolution modes have the same effect. They produce beautiful output, but they also use far more toner than standard or draft settings.

Another hidden cost is not leveraging the power of duplexing. If printers are defaulted to single‑sided printing, it can nearly double the amount of paper being used. Multiply the misuse of color and lack of duplexing across multiple devices and departments, and the waste adds up quickly.

Even small things like printing graphics‑heavy templates, solid fills or color logos on internal documents can inflate costs without offering much value.

How to fix it:
Setting smart defaults is one of the easiest ways to reduce ink and toner costs. Switching device settings to monochrome, enabling duplex printing by default and adjusting resolution settings to match the document type can dramatically shrink usage without changing anyone’s workflow. When these settings are applied fleetwide, businesses get consistent output, predictable supply consumption and immediate savings. 

4. Aging or Misaligned Print Fleets

Older devices tend to be less efficient, burn through toner faster and require more maintenance. They may also print at a higher cost per page than newer models, which means every document uses more toner than it should. Over time, that inefficiency becomes a real budget drain.

Another hidden issue is fleet sprawl. It’s common for departments to add printers over the years to solve short‑term needs, which leaves businesses with a hodge-podge of devices. Each device uses its own cartridges, maintenance kits and parts, making supplies harder to manage and often leads to overstocking.

Then there are the “orphan” printers. These are the single desktop devices tucked into individual offices or remote corners of the building. They typically produce some of the highest costs per page in the fleet and consume more toner than a shared multifunction device would for the same volume. Because they’re out of the way, overspending often goes unnoticed.

How to fix it:
A print assessment from a knowledgeable managed print provider, helps businesses right‑size their fleets based on real usage. Consolidating devices, upgrading aging printers and standardizing on a smaller set of devices create major supply savings. When the fleet is aligned to actual needs, businesses reduce ink and toner costs, simplify inventory and get more predictable performance from their devices. 

5. Overstocking or Improper Supply Storage

Toner and ink often get ordered “just to be safe,” which leads to crowded supply closets full of cartridges that may never get used. When devices are upgraded or replaced, those older supplies are often incompatible with new printers.

Storage conditions matter too. If supplies are stored in overly warm rooms, near windows or in areas with fluctuating temperatures, they can degrade faster than expected.

There’s also a human factor. In many offices, supply closets become catch‑all spaces where items get misplaced, hoarded or forgotten until someone finds them months later. Without a clear process for monitoring inventory, organizations often buy new supplies even when plenty of usable cartridges are already sitting on a shelf.

How to fix it:
A smarter inventory approach helps eliminate waste. Just-in-Time print management programs automate supply fulfillment based on real device levels, ensuring cartridges arrive only when they’re needed and eliminate the risks that come with overstocking or improper storage. 

Stop the Hidden Waste Before It Adds Up

Ink and toner overspending rarely comes from one big mistake. It’s the small, everyday habits, outdated devices and lack of visibility that quietly drain budgets over time. With the right insights and a smarter approach to print management, businesses can tighten control, cut waste and keep their teams running efficiently.

Ready to uncover your true printing costs? Schedule a free print assessment with the experts at Gordon Flesch Company and start reducing ink and toner spend today.