What does office printing really cost each month? A low headline price is only one part of the answer. The useful figure is the amount your organisation actually pays to print, copy and scan at its normal volumes, including any excess pages, support and consumables not covered by the agreement. This practical guide shows businesses in Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside how to build a straightforward monthly print budget.
Start with your real monthly print volumes
Before comparing suppliers, take three months of printer meter readings or print-management reports. Record A4 black-and-white pages, A4 colour pages and A3 pages separately. Count sides, not sheets: a double-sided sheet normally represents two printed pages for billing purposes, although your supplier’s definition takes precedence. Note any peaks for invoices, reports, marketing materials or drawings.
If you have several devices, combine their figures but keep the individual device totals too. This reveals whether one multifunction photocopier is overloaded while another is barely used. For a closer look at equipment suitability, read our A3 versus A4 photocopier guide.
The office printing cost formula
Use the following calculation, adjusting it to match the terms of each quotation:
Expected monthly cost = fixed monthly charge + chargeable mono pages + chargeable colour pages + chargeable A3 pages + other charges.
Where pages are included in the monthly charge, deduct the relevant allowance before multiplying by the excess-page rate. Do not charge the same pages twice. Ask whether A3 counts as one page, two A4-equivalent pages or another rate, and whether colour scans carry a separate charge.
Worked example: a small office with mixed printing
The figures below are illustrative only, not a MY Print Service quotation or a claim about prevailing market rates. Assume a hypothetical agreement with no included page allowance, a fixed charge of £40 per month, mono printing at 2p per page, colour at 10p and A3 at 20p.
| Cost element | Calculation | Monthly amount |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed service charge | One monthly charge | £40.00 |
| A4 black and white | 1,000 pages × £0.02 | £20.00 |
| A4 colour | 200 pages × £0.10 | £20.00 |
| A3 pages | 40 pages × £0.20 | £8.00 |
| Illustrative total before VAT and any other charges | £88.00 | |
This office prints 1,240 pages monthly in the example. Its illustrative annual cost would be £1,056 before VAT if usage and prices remained constant. Your actual cost may be lower or higher depending on included pages, device type, service terms and the mix of documents.
Run three scenarios, not just one
Normal month: use the average of your recent meter readings. Busy month: add 25% to the volume of each page category, then apply the quotation’s allowance and excess-page rules. Quiet month: reduce volume by 25% and see how much of the cost remains fixed. This simple exercise shows whether a contract still suits you when demand changes.
For the hypothetical figures above, a 25% rise in all page volumes increases the variable portion from £48 to £60, making the total £100 before VAT. A 25% fall reduces the variable portion to £36, giving £76 before VAT. These calculations assume a fixed £40 fee and no minimum usage, tiers or included pages.
Costs businesses commonly overlook
- Consumables: confirm whether toner, drums and other replacement parts are included and whether paper is excluded.
- Support: establish whether repairs, call-outs, remote support and replacement equipment carry additional fees.
- Installation: ask about delivery, setup, network configuration, staff training and collection at the end of the agreement.
- Contract changes: check annual price reviews, minimum terms, notice periods and early-exit costs.
- Staff time: a printer that frequently jams or fails to scan can be expensive even if its invoice looks inexpensive.
For help comparing those non-print charges, use our managed print service comparison checklist and copier agreement checklist.
How to reduce costs without disrupting the office
Set black-and-white and double-sided printing as defaults where appropriate. Restrict colour output to documents that genuinely need it. Encourage scanning and digital sharing instead of unnecessary copies. Review A3 demand before paying for a larger machine, and place devices where staff can use them efficiently. Remember that secure-release printing can help prevent abandoned documents; see our printer security guide for related controls.
Do not optimise solely for the cheapest cost per page. A reliable device, suitable scanning features and clear support arrangements can matter more to a busy finance team or customer-facing office than a small difference in the printing rate.
Questions to put to every print supplier
- What exactly is included in the fixed monthly amount?
- How are mono, colour and A3 pages counted, and what happens after any allowance is used?
- Are toner, repairs, service visits, installation and collection included?
- How does the price change if our volume rises, falls or we move premises?
- What are the minimum term, cancellation process and end-of-agreement obligations?
Office printing support across the North West
Whether your business is based in Manchester, Bolton, Rochdale, Preston, Blackburn, Burnley, Liverpool or elsewhere in Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside, the calculation is the same: start with real usage and ask for a written quote that matches it. Compare the figures alongside service responsiveness and the flexibility your organisation needs.
Explore MY Print Service for business and our photocopier service. For a quotation based on your actual print volumes and requirements, contact MY Total Office Solutions.
All worked-example prices are hypothetical. Always confirm the supplier’s current written quotation, inclusions and terms before making a decision.
