For small businesses, freelancers, or anyone running a home office, managing costs is essential. Printing might not seem like the most obvious place to save money, but it can be a surprising drain on resources if not managed wisely. Canon offers a range of printers, tools, and services designed to help you economise without sacrificing quality or efficiency.

With insights from Canon Product Specialist Zubair Rahim, read on to learn how you can take control of your printing setup and save money on printing – while also learning about some of the best printers for small businesses, and tips for choosing the right printer.

When it comes to economising, or finding affordable printing solutions, the printer you choose makes all the difference.

"The first thing to consider is your budget,” Zubair explains. “If you’re looking for a lower upfront cost, cartridge-based printers, such as the Canon PIXMA TR4755i Series or PIXMA TS7740i, are a great starting point. If you’re willing to invest more initially, MegaTank models, such as the PIXMA G1430 or MAXIFY GX3040, are a good investment. Thanks to their refillable ink tanks, these printers offer significantly lower running costs over time.

“For even greater efficiency, Economy Mode, available on MegaTank printers, allows you to print up to 1.5 times more pages vs standard mode," Zubair adds. "This makes them ideal for businesses that print a lot but want to keep running costs down.”

Another important consideration is functionality. “Do you need a scanner or fax, or just printing?” asks Zubair. “Single-function printers, such as the Canon PIXMA TS704a or PIXMA G1430, are perfect for users who don’t need extra features and want to economise on upfront costs. On the other hand, multifunction models such as the MAXIFY GX7040 are ideal for small offices handling both printing and scanning tasks.”

The key is to match your printer to your specific needs, saving money by selecting models with only the features that are suited to you – ensuring you have the capacity to meet your workload.

If you're seeking efficient printing for home offices, ink plays a much larger role than you might imagine in long-term savings. Canon’s MegaTank range, designed for high-volume printing, leads the way here.

“MegaTank printers are particularly suited to those with high-volume printing needs. These models are designed for high page yields, and when combined with Economy Mode, they deliver maximum efficiency," Zubair says. "For example, some models can print up to 21,000 colour pages from a full set of ink bottles in Economy Mode.”¹

For cartridge-based printers, Canon’s XL ink cartridges are another way to economise. “XL ink cartridges cost slightly more upfront, but they deliver more pages per cartridge, making them a better long-term option for frequent users,” Zubair explains.

While paper might not be the biggest expense, using the wrong paper type can be a false economy and prevent you getting the best results.

“For more specialised tasks such as printing photos or business cards," Zubair notes, "Canon’s range of creative media, such as double-sided matte or photographic paper, offers excellent results.”

One of the benefits of using genuine Canon ink and paper is the combination of efficient ink systems and the right paper. Designed to work together, this pairing ensures you’re economising and achieving high-quality results at once.

Canon’s suite of printing apps is more than just a convenience – they’re a powerful tool for managing costs and increasing productivity. By incorporating features designed to save time and minimise waste, these apps ensure a seamless and efficient printing experience.

As Zubair explains: “By using Canon’s apps, you can streamline your workflow and avoid unnecessary steps. For instance, you can scan a document directly to a shared Google Drive™ folder, making it instantly accessible to your team.”

Canon PRINT app
This app is available for iOS and Android for printing using your smart device and accessing all other features of your printer.

It enables you to monitor ink levels to avoid either overstocking or running out unexpectedly. You can also perform maintenance tasks such as cleaning your printer's print heads, which can improve efficiency. You can even print directly from cloud services such as Google Drive™ or Dropbox™.²

Easy-Layout Editor
This app helps you set up your print layout with precision, ensuring correct sizes and efficient use of paper and ink. Whether combining multiple files into a single print or creating tailored layouts for presentations, it eliminates the need for trial-and-error printing.

Easy-PhotoPrint Editor
Perfect for creative projects, this app enables you to customise photo prints, calendars and more with ease, ensuring every print is exactly as intended.

For those looking to get creative, it's easy to design and print marketing materials in-house using apps such as Easy-PhotoPrint Editor and Canon PosterArtist, a free web application.

“PosterArtist is like having your own design team,” says Zubair. “It’s especially useful for small businesses that need to create banners, menus, or flyers without outsourcing."

By harnessing the power of these apps, such as PosterArtist, you’re not just economising on materials – you’re saving time, which is invaluable for any business. Outsourcing print jobs for marketing materials, photos or promotional items can be costly. By using your Canon printer creatively, you can bring these tasks in-house and save a significant amount.

"Many small businesses don’t realise how much their printer can handle," Zubair points out. "Flyers, posters, certificates – you name it. Canon printers, especially the MegaTank and GX models, can produce professional-grade materials at a fraction of the cost of outsourcing."

Canon’s tools, which are accessible in several languages, make this even easier. "With Canon PosterArtist, for example, you can create beautifully designed marketing materials using templates tailored for business users," Zubair says. "It’s a great way to get professional results without the added expense of hiring a designer or printer."

By thinking outside the box, you can get more value out of your printer and reduce reliance on third-party services.

Economising on printing doesn’t mean compromising on quality or cutting corners. With Canon’s innovative printers, apps and tools, you can save money and boost efficiency with just a few small changes to your setup.

“It’s all about matching your equipment and resources to your specific needs," Zubair concludes. "Whether it’s choosing a high-capacity MegaTank model or using creative apps to design marketing materials, Canon has solutions to help you economise and make the most of your budget.”