What is Print Management?

Print Management: More Than Just Printing

Printing is more than just placing dots on a page. IT professionals must manage devices, print output, security, costs, and user behaviours.

Beyond printing, some print management software also integrates scanning, copying, faxing, and other document management features.

A powerful print management solution is crucial to any organisation looking to minimise waste and reduce costs.

What is Print Management Software?

In large organisations with expansive printing networks, IT managers and sysadmins face the challenge of overseeing numerous devices and users. Print management software offers a centralised tool to monitor and control printing, covering:

Easy Print Enablement – Quick and simple printing from any device to any printer.

Print Security – Protects data during every stage of the print lifecycle through authentication and authorisation.

Waste Reduction – Minimises the waste of resources like paper and ink.

Cost Control – Saves money and recovers printing expenses.

How Does Print Management Software Work?

When choosing a print management solution, ensure it supports your print fleet’s brand and your organisation's operating system (Apple, Windows, Linux, etc.).

These tools allow IT professionals to centrally manage print fleets of any size, deploy printer drivers and queues remotely, and enable secure and efficient printing.

Print Management vs. Print Enablement

Print Management – Involves backend tracking and management of printers, devices and users.

Print Enablement – Makes printing possible on any device by deploying necessary drivers and queues.

Some vendors offer both functionalities as part of their solution.

Server vs. Serverless Print Management

Server Print Management – Printing is managed by a dedicated print server.

Serverless Print Management – Managed in the cloud via self-hosted or fully-hosted solutions.

The shift from server-based to cloud-based management offers flexibility depending on your organisation’s needs.

Print Management Across Different Industries

While print management challenges may be similar across industries, each sector has its unique needs.

Enterprise
Large businesses require scalable, secure, and efficient print solutions with high availability and maximum uptime.

SMBs
Small and medium-sized businesses need cost-effective solutions that free up IT resources while reducing waste and simplifying print workflows.

Education
Schools and universities use print management to track and recover print costs, with special focus on mobile printing for students and staff.

Healthcare
Patient data security and regulatory compliance are key, with print management software ensuring privacy and integrating with systems like EMRs and fax services.

Legal
Law firms rely on print management for cost recovery, compliance, and confidentiality. Integration with legal management software streamlines document workflows.

Industry-Leading Print Management Software

PaperCut has been a leader in print management for over 20 years, offering solutions used by 139 million people in 89,000 organisations worldwide. With a vendor-neutral, cross-platform approach, PaperCut makes printing simple, secure, and cost-effective across all devices and operating systems.

Check out PaperCut solutions here.

Or for more information on Print Management in general, click here.