Toner Save can be useful for working copies, but the setting should be judged on the pages you actually use. A large heading may look fine while a small reference number becomes difficult to read. There is no useful saving if someone must print the document again.

Make a representative comparison

Brother describes Toner Save on its listed HL-L2400 and related models as a mode that may reduce toner consumption and produces lighter output. Its guidance advises against the mode for photographs or greyscale images. The cited models expose it under General Setup, Ecology, Toner Save; other printers and drivers may use different controls.

Choose one non-sensitive page containing the smallest text, fine lines and shading you normally print. Include a barcode only if barcodes are part of the real workflow. Print one copy using the usual setting, then one with the saving mode enabled. Keep paper, application and other quality settings unchanged.

Label the samples on the back so you can compare the results without relying on memory. Check them under ordinary workplace lighting, rather than holding the lighter sample close to a bright screen.

Test the next step too

If the paper will be scanned, photocopied or read by a barcode reader, put the sample through that step. An original that looks acceptable to the eye may produce a poorer second-generation copy. Inspect thin characters and shaded table headings in the resulting file or copy.

Use the saving mode for document types that pass the check. Keep a normal-quality preset for final copies, images and pages that depend on subtle shading. If the control changes a shared printer's default, agree the change with the person responsible for it.

Do not promise a particular percentage reduction in running cost from this simple trial. It establishes readability for a defined job, which is the practical decision you can make from the evidence.

Sources: Brother Toner Save guidance.