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If you've ever worked with an office printer, you’ve likely experienced the frustration it can cause.
Printers are necessary in most workplaces, but they’re often misunderstood or misused in ways that can drain money, slow teams down, and create avoidable headaches. These mistakes aren’t always obvious, but over time they can lead to increased downtime, rising repair costs, or a printer that feels like it aged ten years in one.
At STPT, our technicians see these issues every day across businesses and organizations of every size. In this guide, we’ll share the top printer mistakes we see everywhere, why they matter more than most people realize, and how small adjustments can make your printer last longer, run better, and cost less to operate.
Table of Contents
- Printing More Than Your Copier Can Handle
- Keeping a Printer Long Past Its Lifespan
- Replacing Toner Too Soon
- Not Using Your Printer to Its Full Potential
- Setting Up Your Copier in an Inefficient or Unsafe Location
- Conclusion & Next Steps
5 Major Mistakes You're Making with Your Printer
Printing More Than You Can Handle
One of the most common and costly mistakes businesses make is assuming that any copier can handle any amount of printing. In reality, every device has two important numbers:
- Recommended Monthly Print Volume: The range your machine can safely handle (ideal limit)
- Duty Cycle: The absolute maximum the machine can produce in a month
Many organizations unknowingly print more than the recommended volume for their printer. For example, if you’re printing 12,000 pages a month on a device built for 3,000, you’re making your machine work harder and aging it faster. You’ll see more service calls, more worn-out parts, and higher supply costs.
Learn more about the difference between monthly print volume and duty cycle here.
Overuse can also happen when:
Too many people share the same device
Every copier has a recommended workgroup size. If 20 employees are using a device designed for 5, it strains the machine, and eventually the workplace slows down when lines start forming.
You print specialty media on a machine not built for it
Specialty media refers to any paper that isn’t the standard paper size and finish, such as thick cardstock, glossy marketing paper, labels, and envelopes. These require printers designed for heavier media paths. Running these materials through a standard office copier repeatedly can damage rollers, fusers, and feed components.
If you frequently need to print on specialty media paper, consider investing in a printer that is more suited for those needs.
Learn more about the importance of media specifications in our blog: What Are Media-Driven Printers, and Why Should You Care?
Keeping a Printer Long Past Its Lifespan
Many businesses keep their printers until something big breaks… or until the machine quite literally smokes. While we understand you might want to maximize your investment, the typical lifespan of an office copier is 3–7 years.
Once your device crosses the five-year mark, though, it’s time to consider whether it’s still cost-effective or secure to keep it.
The older a printer gets, the likelier it is to:
- Require more expensive and frequent service
- Need pricier or harder-to-find parts for repair
- Lack modern cybersecurity protections
- Miss out on workflow features that can save your team time
- Produce slower and less efficient print jobs
Today’s copiers come with advanced security features, app integrations, mobile print options, and workflow automation tools that can increase productivity.
If you’ve noticed more service tickets, more downtime, or print quality issues that keep resurfacing, upgrading may genuinely save you money.
Read more in our guide: 5 Signs It’s Time to Upgrade Your Printer
Replacing Toner Too Soon
Replacing toner too soon is a mistake we see people make all the time.
If you replace toner as soon as you see a “Low Toner” message, you can end up wasting money. That first warning simply means you should have a new toner ready on standby. At this point, your machine still has plenty of usable toner left.
The right time to replace toner is when your copier says, “Replace Toner.”
If you’re worried that low toner will affect print quality, don’t be. If you’re using high-quality OEM toner, it maintains print quality all the way to the end of the cartridge. This means that even when toner is low, it won’t produce low-quality prints.
If your machine is covered by a maintenance agreement or MPS that includes toner, replacing toner too soon can also disrupt your auto-shipments because your machine will report usage inaccurately.
Want to know more about how long toner really lasts? Check out: How Long Does Toner Last? Everything You Need to Know
Not Using Your Printer to Its Full Potential
Modern multifunction printers (MFPs) can do much more than print and copy. Many come loaded with apps, cloud connectors, security tools, and workflow automations designed to make office life easier. Sadly, most users barely scratch the surface of what their printer can do.
You might already have access to features like:
- Scan-to-cloud workflows
- Automated routing for digital files
- Mobile printing
- Booklet and brochure finishing options
- Document management integrations
If your organization regularly outsources marketing materials like flyers, postcards, or saddle-stitched booklets, you may be spending far more than you need to. Instead, you could lease a light production printer, which would allow you to bring those jobs in-house at a fraction of the cost.
Not sure whether your current machine is the right fit? Reach out to your local print vendor. They can help you see where your printer is being underutilized, and whether a different device might save you time and money.
Learn more about the pros and cons of outsourcing versus in-house printing here.
Setting Up Your Copier in an Inefficient or Unsafe Location
Printer placement might not be the first thing on your mind when installing a new device, but location matters more than most people realize.
Common issues we’ve seen include:
- Placing the copier in a tight corner, making it difficult for technicians to access
- Storing the device in a cabinet or closed space where heat can’t escape
- Situating it near a vent or window that introduces dust, humidity, or extreme temperatures
Restricted airflow can easily overheat a printer’s internal components, shorten its lifespan, and, in a worst-case scenario, create a fire hazard.
Before you install your next copier, make sure you understand not just its dimensions, but also its space requirements. This will help you set up your machine in a space that supports good airflow, easy access, and safe operation.
Not sure what the ideal setup looks like? Read: Ideal Conditions for Your Printer: How to Avoid Costly Repairs & Extend Its Lifespan
Take the Next Step Toward Smarter Printing
By now, you’ve seen how small copier mistakes like overusing your device or replacing toner too early can quietly impact your budget, productivity, and workflow. These issues are common, and they’re usually easy to fix once you understand what’s causing them.
If you’re unsure whether your own copier fleet is sized correctly, costing you more than it should, or simply overdue for a refresh, a quick review can give you clarity.
STPT offers a free Printer Usage & Cost Assessment to help you understand your print volume, device age, supply usage, and where you may be able to save time or money.
And if you’re looking for a more streamlined way to manage supplies, service, and fleet oversight, you can explore our Managed Print Services program, e-valet, to see whether it’s a good fit for your organization.
Whenever you’re ready, we’re here to help you build a more efficient and stress-free print environment.
