When you opt for wide format printing, naturally, everything is bigger. That includes the paper used, the amount of ink, and of course, costs.
The benefits of wide-format printing for banners, posters, and market materials is always worth it – especially when you know a few tricks to reduce wide format printing costs, giving you even more value for print investment.
Here are a few ways to save some money before you start a large format print run.
Opt for Large Ink Cartridges
Regardless of the printer, the larger the ink cartridge, the cheaper the printing. The price of bigger ink modules have higher upfront costs, but you’re getting better value in terms of price per milliliter of ink. Larger ink cartridges last longer than small ones, too.
There are wide format printing options that forgo the cartridge entirely, with ink reservoirs that simply need to be refilled, further reducing large format printing costs.
You might also like: A Quick Guide to Wide Format Printing
Don’t Forget Draft Mode
If you’re printing for internal purposes and not for clients, marketing, or the public eye, photo-quality or high-resolution settings are unnecessary. Using draft mode to lower image quality can significantly reduce print costs.
Some printers can be configured for draft mode as the default setting, so you’re always printing responsibly and cost-effectively.
Group Print Jobs
Printing items individually tends to waste more paper, meaning more costs to you. Instead, try to combine a number of print projects into one run, which reduces paper, overall turnaround time, and costs.
Some printers (like us!) have nesting software that combines different images into the most efficient layout for print, keeping costs at their absolute lowest.
Utilize Dual Roll Mode
Wide format printers that can switch from two or more rolls is an instant money saver. This reduces overall turnaround times as there’s no need to change paper rolls between jobs; dial-roll devices help you choose the best setup options from the menu easily as well, ensuring the run is fast and efficient.
The best way to save money on wide format printing projects, however, is to work with your local digital print experts at Print Three. No matter the volume, every print job we churn out is fast, affordable, and of unmatched quality.