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Beyond cost, print volume is arguably the most crucial factor in deciding which printer or copier to purchase. Your monthly print volume helps determine whether your printer will be able to handle the amount your office prints each month.
Overusing a printer with too little capacity can lead to more service issues and premature wear. A machine built for far more volume than you need can also cost more than necessary. In both cases, the printer is poorly matched to the workload
Strategic Technology Partners of Texas has spent more than 40 years helping organizations choose and maintain office printers. We have seen how overlooking print volume can lead to avoidable service calls, downtime, and replacement costs.
This article explains what print volume means, why it matters and how to estimate how much your organization prints each month. You will then be able to use that number when comparing potential printers.
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Table of Contents
- What Does Print Volume Mean?
- Why Is Print Volume Important?
- What Happens If You Print Over the Recommended Volume?
- What Happens If You Print Under the Recommended Volume?
- How Do You Calculate Monthly Print Volume?
- What Other Factors Should You Consider?
- FAQ
- Know Your Volume Before Choosing a Printer
Short Answer: What is print volume?
Print volume is the number of pages or impressions a person or organization prints and copies during a set period, usually one month. Knowing your monthly print volume helps you choose a printer that can handle your regular workload without being overused or unnecessarily expensive.
What Does Print Volume Mean?
Print volume refers to the number of prints or copies an organization produces regularly. It's typically measured in monthly increments, and may also be called monthly print volume, prints per month, or monthly page volume.
Although people often describe print volume in “pages,” printer meters commonly record impressions. One single-sided printed page will count as one impression, while one sheet printed on both sides normally counts as two impressions.
When searching for a new machine, you will likely see two ways of measuring print volume:
- Monthly duty cycle: the maximum number of pages a printer is rated to produce during a month.
- Recommended monthly print volume: the amount the printer is designed to produce routinely.
The manufacturer sets a machine's monthly duty cycle, representing its power or maximum print capacity. While you could technically print at a machine's maximum monthly duty cycle, you should always follow its recommended monthly print volume.
The recommended monthly print volume is usually around 10% of a machine's monthly duty cycle, which manufacturers set as the standard you should follow.
For a more detailed explanation, read Duty Cycle vs. Recommended Monthly Print Volume: What’s the Difference?
Why Is Print Volume Important?
Print volume matters because it helps determine the class and capacity of printer your organization needs. Printers designed for heavier workloads tend to have faster print speeds, larger paper capacities, greater durability, and a lower cost per page. However, they also tend to cost more upfront.
There isn’t a specific page count that makes every printer “low volume” or “high volume.” It’s all relative to the printer’s design and recommended range. Keep in mind that a workload that’s high for a desktop might be routine for a larger office MFP.
If you don't know your monthly print volume, you might end up purchasing a machine that can't adequately handle your print output. You may also buy a machine that’s larger and more expensive than your office requires.
Both scenarios, overutilizing and underutilizing your machine, can lead to financial and daily operational woes. Let's break them down in more detail:
What Happens If You Print Over Your Recommended Print Volume?
Businesses and organizations sometimes choose lower-volume printers because they’re drawn to the lower initial price.
However, the problem with buying the cheap option is that it can lead to heftier long-term costs if a business has high-volume printing.
Continuously exceeding the recommended monthly print volume can strain your device. This can lead to increased service calls, replacement parts, interruptions, and repair costs. These issues can add up, especially if you're not under a maintenance contract.
The most serious consequence is having to replace your printer prematurely. If a printer expected to last for many years wears out early because of overuse, you’ll have to absorb the cost of a replacement printer sooner than planned.
For practical tips to protect your printer, check out our blog on eight tips for increasing the lifespan of your printer or copier.
What Happens If You Print Under the Recommended Print Volume?
Buying more printer than you need isn’t as damaging to the equipment, but it can be costly. You may end up paying for features that you rarely use.
It's better to slightly overcompensate your print volume than undercompensate it. This will give you leeway for seasonal increases, business growth, and unusually large jobs.
Still, the goal should be to choose a machine with a recommended range that’s best aligned with your workload to avoid overspending or underspending.
How Do I Figure Out My Current Print Volume?
There are three practical ways to calculate your current monthly print volume. Use several typical months when possible so that one unusually busy or slow period doesn’t distort the result.
Check Your Current Printing Bill
Your current printer or copier invoice is the most accurate way to find your monthly print volume. If your device is covered by a maintenance plan or cost-per-copy plan, the invoice will likely tell you exactly how much you print or copy each month. It will also list black-and-white and color impressions for the billing period.
Compare Meter Readings
Meter readings show the cumulative number of impressions recorded by the printer. You can usually find this information in the machine's settings or on a usage report.
Subtract a previous meter reading from the current reading to calculate the volume produced between those dates:
Current meter reading − previous meter reading = print volume for that period
For example, if the current meter is 25,800 and last month’s meter was 22,400, the printer produced 3,400 impressions during that period. Average three or more representative months if usage changes throughout the year.
2. Check the Meter Reads on Your Printer
This is an example of a meter read on a Xerox printer.
Estimate How Much Paper You Use Each Month
If you can't access invoices or meter readings, estimate how many reams of paper you use each month. A standard ream typically contains 500 sheets. So, if you use two paper reams a month, that equals approximately 1,000 sheets.
This method is the simplest but least accurate way to evaluate your volume. Duplex printing produces two impressions on one sheet, while blank pages, spoiled prints, and paper used by other devices can also affect the estimate.
For step-by-step instructions and more examples, read How to Calculate Your Monthly Print Volume.
What Other Factors Should You Consider?
Print volume is one of the most crucial factors to consider when buying a suitable printer for your organization, but it doesn’t tell you everything. Two offices may have the same monthly print volume but still need very different equipment.
Before choosing a printer, also consider:
- How much of your volume is black-and-white versus color
- How many people and departments will use the printer
- Whether employees print short jobs or large batches
- The paper sizes, paper types, and finishing options you need
- Scanning, security, mobile printing and workflow requirements
- Expected business growth and seasonal increases
- Maintenance, toner delivery and long-term operating costs
Print volume narrows the field by showing how much work the printer must handle. The remaining factors determine which appropriately sized machine is the best fit.
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FAQ
What is monthly print volume?
Monthly print volume is the number of impressions an individual or organization prints and copies during an average month. It describes actual usage rather than the printer’s maximum possible output.
What is a printer’s recommended monthly print volume?
Recommended monthly print volume is the amount or range of output a manufacturer says a printer is designed to produce routinely. Compare this specification with your normal workload when choosing a printer.
Is print volume the same as monthly duty cycle?
No. Print volume describes how much you actually print, while monthly duty cycle describes the printer’s maximum rated output. For routine use, compare your volume with the recommended monthly print volume rather than treating the duty cycle as a monthly target.
What is considered high-volume printing?
There is no universal number that defines high-volume printing. A workload is high when it approaches or exceeds the recommended range of the printer being used. Larger office and production printers are designed to handle substantially more output than desktop devices.
What happens if you exceed a printer’s recommended volume?
Consistently exceeding the recommended volume can increase wear, supply use, service calls and downtime. It may also shorten the printer’s useful life.
Know Your Volume Before Choosing a Printer
The best printer is a machine that can reliably handle your organization’s normal monthly output without forcing you to pay for capacity you don’t need.
Calculate your monthly print volume first. Then, compare it with each printer’s recommended range and leave reasonable room for growth or seasonal demand.
Not sure how much your office prints? Reach out to us, and our experts can help you calculate your monthly print volume before comparing printers.
Already know your monthly volume? Use our Product Configurator to compare printers that fit your workload, budget and feature requirements.
