Let’s face it – printing can be very wasteful. Do you realize how much money you’re losing from paper and toner that's just getting thrown away? The trial and error of printing lends itself to this. I think we’re all tired of shredding documents because they didn’t print the way we wanted them to.
The whole process is just a hassle. There’s a dropdown list of printer names that all look the same. Which printer is closest to you? Are the settings configured to what you need? It can all feel like a big guessing game.
Sometimes it feels like we’re playing darts with our documents- we throw them at the network and hope they land on the right printer.
Technology has made so much in our lives more convenient. Shouldn’t printing have caught up by now? Let’s talk about how we can fix this with a print management software called PaperCut.
What is PaperCut?
PaperCut is a print management software designed to make printing easier and save your business from wasting paper and toner. It makes for a more efficient and secure workplace by allowing you to customize and track all your business’s printing.
Let’s hit on some of the key benefits of PaperCut.
Less Waste and Easier Printing
We’ve all had that moment where we get a delayed response from the printer. Impatiently, we click the print button again. This time your file prints, but so does the job you queued up the first time. Now you’ve created waste by doubling your paper usage.
To cut down on this, PaperCut will not print a file until you authenticate and release the job at the printer. This will reduce paper waste and make your job easier.
By having users release their job at the printer, they can verify that the printer received that file and print only that file.
Wondering more about the print queue? It’s exactly what it sounds like; a place to send your files that are ready to print. What sets this queue apart is that it gives you the option to print from any printer in the organization, whether you’re in the office or not.
For example, let’s say you’re working from home and you have a meeting in the office first thing in the morning the next day. You need to print out a few documents for that meeting, but you won’t have time to do so when the office opens. Through PaperCut, you can queue up that job so it’s ready for you as soon as you walk into work. Just walk up to the printer and authenticate the job.
This will save you from getting into the office and frantically logging in to pull up that file.
Don’t want to wait until you’re back at work? No problem. You can give someone in the office permission to release that job at the printer with their credentials. Then they can hold it for you until the morning.
This feature also works if your company has multiple office locations. Maybe you’re in your headquarters in D.C. and you want to print something in your company’s office in Orlando, Florida. PaperCut gives you the option to do this.
Just queue your print on the dashboard and print it in whichever company location you choose.
Don’t Worry About Queue Clutter
It might sound like there’s a lot of queuing going on, and there are times when we decide we won’t need to print something. There are also times when we’re just downright forgetful. We’re only human!
Don’t fret, though; PaperCut has a way to minimize this clutter. The timeframe on how long jobs are held in the queue is customizable.
If you queue something on Friday with the intent to print on Monday, and just happen to totally forget about it because you had an insane weekend, it won’t just sit there forever. Your company can set a time limit on queued prints.
Security and Tracking
While functionality is important, we can’t forget about security. The printer won’t just allow open access to all the files that have been queued up.
Users will authenticate their job by logging in through a PIN number, proximity card, barcode or magnetic key swipe to make sure files don’t get in the wrong hands.
Printing documents without PaperCut means in some situations you’d have to walk down the hall to the printer while your documents sit out in the open. This is an issue if those documents contain private information.
You may have all the trust in the world in your coworkers, but it is never a good idea to have private information sitting out like that. PaperCut’s queueing and authentication features prevent this.
PaperCut also allows you to track your printing. Every employee has the option to track all their activity and create reports. These reports will give you your prints' who, what, when, where, why and how.
This creates an added sense of security to your printing services. You’ll always be in the loop on what files are being printed and why.
All of this is done automatically, which means no one has to worry about going in and doing print reports. Say goodbye to the clipboard by the copy machine!
Insights into printer usage will also create more accountability in the office and cut down on printer misuse.
Other Features
We don’t have time to do a deep dive into every feature, so here’s a quick rundown of some info that might be useful to your business:
- Ability to lock down printers and copiers outside of business hours
- Option to sync with Google Drive or Microsoft 365
- Third-party integration to almost any billing software
- Ability to enable auto black & white and double-sided printing
- Limit the size or cost of documents on single-function printers
- Specific HIPAA compliant protections to clients and vendors
Let the Printing Begin
There’s no reason for the waste and headache to continue. A printing solution like PaperCut will create convenience, security and accountability in your office. You’ve been looking for a way to bring your printing services into the modern age. This is your chance. Goodbye, old-school printing!
