Printing can be one of those quiet expenses that builds up over time. A few pages here, a stack of reports there, and suddenly you’re spending more on toner and paper than you expected. The good news is that Brother printers, especially their laser models, are already among the most cost-efficient machines on the market — and with the right habits, you can make them even cheaper to run.

Here’s how to keep your printing bills low without sacrificing quality.

1️⃣ Choose the Right Model for Your Volume

The first step in lowering printing costs starts before you even buy the printer. If you print hundreds of pages a month, a high-duty-cycle laser model will almost always be cheaper to operate than an inkjet.

Why?

• Lower cost per page — Laser toner lasts longer and doesn’t dry out between uses.

• High-yield options — Many Brother models accept cartridges rated for thousands of pages.
  
  

If you only print occasionally, you can still benefit from a compact monochrome laser like the Brother HL-L2350DW — it’s inexpensive upfront, uses affordable toner, and doesn’t clog like inkjets when left idle.

2️⃣ Use High-Yield or Super High-Yield Cartridges

Brother offers toner in standard, high-yield, and super high-yield versions. While high-yield cartridges cost more upfront, the price per page is significantly lower.

Example:

• A standard TN-730 toner prints ~1,200 pages.

• A high-yield TN-760 toner prints ~3,000 pages.

• The high-yield version often costs only 30–40% more, but delivers more than double the output.
  
  

Ours paid for itself after the second cartridge change — and it meant fewer interruptions in the middle of big print jobs.

3️⃣ Turn On Toner Save Mode

Most Brother laser printers have a Toner Save option in the settings. It slightly reduces the amount of toner used per page, often without a noticeable drop in quality for standard documents.

Best use cases:

• Internal drafts

• Meeting notes

• In-house forms
  
  

Leave it off when printing client-facing materials, presentations, or anything where rich blacks and sharp contrast matter.

4️⃣ Print in Duplex (Two-Sided) Mode

Two-sided printing cuts paper usage in half for many types of documents. Brother makes this easy — most of their laser models have automatic duplexing, so you don’t have to manually flip pages.

Besides saving paper, duplex printing also reduces bulk for stored files and mailed reports. Over months or years, that’s a noticeable dent in your supply costs.

5️⃣ Use the Right Paper for the Job

It’s tempting to use the same paper for everything, but that can mean overspending. For internal documents or drafts, a lighter 20 lb paper is fine and costs less. Save heavier 24–28 lb stock for presentations, client proposals, or high-quality color printing.

6️⃣ Keep the Printer in Good Condition

A well-maintained printer runs more efficiently. Feed rollers that grip properly and a clean drum unit mean fewer jams and less wasted paper.

Maintenance tips:

• Clean the rollers every 6–12 months.

• Replace the drum when the printer alerts you — worn drums can waste toner.

• Store toner properly to prevent clumping or uneven prints.
  
  

We’ve had units run for years with consistently low cost per page simply because we followed basic upkeep schedules.

7️⃣ Don’t Replace Toner Too Early

Brother printers are conservative with their low-toner warnings. You can often keep printing dozens, sometimes hundreds, of additional pages after the alert appears.

Tips:

• Shake the cartridge gently to redistribute toner — this often extends life for short-term use.
  
  

• Only replace when print quality starts to fade or streak.
  
  

8️⃣ Go Digital When Possible

Sometimes the best way to cut printing costs is not to print at all. Use Brother’s iPrint&Scan app or built-in scan-to-email/cloud features to digitize documents instead of making multiple paper copies.

This works especially well for:

• Archiving invoices and receipts
  
  

• Sharing internal memos
  
  

• Reviewing drafts without hard copies
  
  

9️⃣ Recycle and Reuse

Brother runs a recycling program for toner cartridges — and while it won’t directly save you money on the next purchase, it keeps your office greener and can sometimes unlock promotions or discounts from suppliers.

If you print labels or envelopes, consider using leftover or misprinted stock for test prints rather than wasting new paper.

10️⃣ Monitor Usage

Many Brother printers have built-in usage logs that show page counts by user or department. Tracking this data can reveal waste — like people printing emails in full color or reprinting jobs due to small errors.

Once you know where waste happens, you can adjust workflows, educate users, or set defaults that encourage cost-saving habits.

Final Thoughts

Cutting printing costs with a Brother printer isn’t about one big change — it’s about small, consistent habits that add up. Choosing a model that matches your volume, using high-yield cartridges, turning on Toner Save, and making duplex your default can all make a measurable difference.

We’ve been running a Brother monochrome laser for years with these strategies in place, and the savings are obvious every time we order supplies — or, more accurately, when we realize how rarely we need to order them.

Brother’s combination of efficient hardware, smart features, and serviceable design makes them ideal for long-term cost control. Put these tips into practice, and you’ll see the benefits in your budget before long.