Posted by Devin Anderson
As the idea of pull printing becomes more commonplace, more and more organizations are thinking about how exactly pull printing solutions might enhance their print environments. But before I tell you how you can use PrinterLogic to improve your enterprise pull printing capabilities, let me begin with a pull printing definition.
Pull printing introduces a deliberate and often necessary second step into the printing process. The first step is the initiation of a print job via the universal print driver—which, if you’re using PrinterLogic, could be done using a PC, Mac, Chromebook, or even a mobile device. The second step is the “pull.” This gives the user who initiated the print job the ability to pull down that job at any Pull Printing-enabled printer, entirely at their discretion.
What exactly is the benefit of a pull printing solution like that? To begin with, it means that a user can initiate a print job from his or her usual workstation, then “pull” that job at a printer in an entirely different building. That could conveniently save the user from having to carry a large print job from one location to another, or it could allow a mobile user to initiate a job on the road and pull it upon arriving.
More importantly, though, it’s about security. If a user initiates a print job and fails to claim it right away, it sits in the output tray for anyone to see. It could be private memo, a sensitive e-mail, specs for a top-secret project, or even a confidential report. Pull printing solutions like PrinterLogic’s Pull Printing module ensure that the user is prepared to retrieve documents like those before they actually begin printing.
PrinterLogic also allows for secure pull printing through its Secure Printing feature. Unlike standard Pull Printing, the first step of Secure Printing sends the print job through a specific printer driver to a dedicated printer, so all native integrity and functionality is maintained. Then, as above, the user can pull the job at that printer when he or she is ready. PrinterLogic’s Secure Printing offers you the choice of three different release mechanisms to best integrate with your current or future enterprise print environment:
- Browser-based release: Any device capable of running a browser (e.g., PC/Mac, Chromebook, mobile device) can be used to access PrinterLogic’s Web-based app and release print jobs securely. This way you can place a spare Android or iOS device in dedicated console mode and associate it with certain printers to act as a release station.
- Badge/card reader release: A reader is placed at the printer or is already built into it. This badge/card reader then integrates with your existing badge system to release the print jobs associated with that badge.
- Printer console release: The PrinterLogic app is installed directly on a printer, enabling users to login and release their print jobs right from the device’s LCD.
Unlike lesser pull printing solutions, PrinterLogic’s standard or secure pull printing doesn’t require you to invent custom workarounds (potentially compromising security in other ways) to implement it enterprise-wide. It can be deployed seamlessly alongside our print management solution, so you can easily and quickly enhance your enterprise’s pull printing capabilities while enjoying PrinterLogic’s renowned benefits like centralized administration, self-service installation, and effortless printer/driver management.