Many businesses feel confident after the first year of a copier or managed print lease. Monthly payments feel stable. Service calls are minimal. Supplies arrive on time. Everything appears to be working as promised.
Then costs start creeping up.
Invoices rise. Overage charges appear. Service costs increase. Leadership begins questioning why printing feels more expensive even though the equipment has not changed.
This experience is common, and it is rarely accidental. Understanding why print costs spike after the first year of a lease helps businesses avoid surprises and regain control.
How Copier Lease Pricing Is Structured
Copier leases and print agreements are usually built on assumptions made at the start of the contract.
Those assumptions include:
• Expected monthly print volume
• Ratio of color to black and white printing
• Average service and maintenance needs
• Contracted cost per page
The first year often aligns closely with these estimates. Over time, reality drifts from the original assumptions.
Reason 1: Print Volume Increases Quietly Over Time
Growth Changes Printing Habits
As businesses grow, print volume grows with them. New employees print onboarding materials, training documents, and internal reports. Processes evolve, and printing expands without much notice.
Even small increases matter. Exceeding contracted print volumes triggers overage charges that raise monthly costs.
Seasonal or Project-Based Printing Adds Pressure
Some businesses experience spikes during audits, busy seasons, or major projects. These bursts often push usage beyond contracted limits.
If contracts are not adjusted, overages accumulate quickly.
Reason 2: Color Printing Becomes More Common
Color Defaults Drive Costs
Many copiers are installed with color printing enabled by default. Employees print presentations, emails, and web pages in color without thinking about cost.
Color pages cost significantly more than black and white. As color usage increases, cost per page rises.
Marketing and Client-Facing Materials Increase Color Use
As businesses mature, they produce more client-facing materials. Proposals, presentations, and branded documents rely heavily on color.
Without controls, color usage becomes one of the largest drivers of post-year-one cost increases.
Reason 3: Overage Rates Are Higher Than Expected
Overage pricing is often overlooked during contract review.
When print volume exceeds the allowance:
• Per-page rates are usually higher
• Charges apply retroactively for that billing cycle
• Costs escalate quickly during busy months
Businesses rarely notice overage pricing until invoices increase.
Reason 4: Service and Maintenance Needs Increase After Year One
H3: Wear and Tear Becomes More Noticeable
During the first year, copiers experience minimal wear. Parts are new. Issues are rare. Over time, usage increases and components wear down.
Service calls become more frequent. Parts replacement becomes routine. These costs are often built into service agreements and reflected in higher invoices.
Coverage Limitations Surface
Some service agreements exclude:
• Certain parts
• Labor beyond standard hours
• Excessive usage wear
When exclusions apply, additional charges appear.
Reason 5: Supplies Usage Increases Faster Than Expected
Toner consumption is tied to coverage, not just page count. As more color and image-heavy documents are printed, toner depletes faster.
This leads to:
• More frequent toner shipments
• Higher supply costs
• Increased service visits
These changes often show up after the first year as printing habits evolve.
Reason 6: Contract Auto-Adjustments and Annual Increases
Many print agreements include built-in price adjustments.
These adjustments may include:
• Annual cost per page increases
• Service rate escalations
• Minimum usage adjustments
These increases are typically disclosed in the contract but forgotten after signing.
Over time, even small annual increases compound.
Reason 7: Device Misalignment With Actual Usage
Copiers Become Undersized
A device that fits well in year one may struggle in year two or three. Increased volume pushes the copier closer to its duty cycle limits.
This leads to:
• More maintenance
• Higher service costs
• Increased downtime
The wrong device size becomes expensive over time.
Too Many or Too Few Devices
Fleet design matters. Too few devices increase wear. Too many devices increase lease and service costs.
Poor alignment becomes more obvious after the first year.
Reason 8: Lack of Ongoing Print Management
The biggest reason print costs spike is simple.
No one is managing the print environment.
Without ongoing oversight:
• Print volumes go unchecked
• Color usage is uncontrolled
• Overages are ignored
• Contracts are not reviewed
• Devices are not optimized
Print costs do not manage themselves.
What Businesses Usually Discover Too Late
When costs spike, businesses often uncover issues such as:
• Print volume exceeding estimates for months
• Color usage doubling year over year
• Overage rates far above expectations
• Service exclusions triggering charges
• Devices running beyond intended capacity
At that point, costs are already baked into invoices.
How to Prevent Print Cost Spikes After Year One
Prevention requires active management, not replacement.
Effective strategies include:
• Regular print usage reviews
• Color usage controls and policies
• Adjusting volume allowances
• Rightsizing devices as needs change
• Reviewing service agreements annually
Small adjustments prevent large cost increases.
The Role of Managed Print Services
Managed print services exist to prevent exactly these issues.
A managed approach includes:
• Usage monitoring
• Monthly reporting
• Proactive adjustments
• Supply optimization
• Contract reviews
This keeps print costs aligned with real usage.
Why Replacing the Copier Is Rarely the First Answer
When costs rise, many businesses assume the copier is the problem. In reality, behavior, usage, and contract structure are usually to blame.
Replacing the device without addressing management issues often recreates the same problem with new equipment.
What Print Costs Should Look Like Over Time
A well-managed print environment remains predictable. Costs change only when the business changes. Growth is planned. Usage is monitored. Invoices make sense.
Print becomes a controlled operational expense instead of a recurring surprise.
Next Steps: Review Your Print Agreement Before Costs Rise Further
If your print costs increased after the first year of a lease, AIS offers a Print Cost and Usage Review. This assessment identifies why costs rose and outlines practical steps to bring them back under control.
Topics:
