How to Eliminate Print Servers: A Step-by-Step IT Guide

Should you remove print servers from your organization? That’s the big question many IT teams are grappling with right now. And the short, boring answer is: “It depends.”

The longer, more interesting answer is that eliminating print servers can simplify your IT infrastructure, reduce maintenance overhead, and make printing easier to manage across multiple locations. That’s a pretty compelling pitch. And if you are looking to eliminate print servers altogether, cloud-based serverless solutions like PaperCut Hive and PaperCut Pocket offer a great, easy-to-implement alternative.

So let’s break this argument down in more detail.

What is a print server, and how does it work?

A print server is a computer or service that manages print jobs between users and printers. Print servers handle aspects like print queues, printer drivers, and printer deployment, giving IT teams one central point for managing printing across an organization. Traditionally, they’ve been quite useful things!

In a normal setup, the process looks like this:

1. A user sends a document to a shared network printer.
2. The print job travels from their computer to the print server.
3. The server queues and processes the job, before sending it to the printer.
4. IT manages printer access, drivers, and configurations through the server.

This model has some clear wins. Centralized administration (tick), established deployment policies (tick), and granular control over print queues (tick tick). All of which make servers a sensible choice for complex environments.

But there’s a flip side, which is that servers also require patching, monitoring, maintenance, and capacity planning. They can also introduce dependencies, particularly when multiple sites rely on one central server, or when remote users need reliable access to office printers.

It’s all about how much infrastructure you’re willing to stomach (and pay for). So for organizations looking to streamline their print management, going serverless makes a lot of sense.

What is serverless printing?

‘Serverless printing’ is a bit of a misnomer. It doesn’t actually remove servers, it just means you don’t have to manage and run your own servers. Instead, printing can be managed through a cloud service, with print jobs processed and delivered locally through a network of connected devices, without necessarily sending the documents themselves through the cloud.

Here at PaperCut, we offer two cloud-based, serverless options:

• PaperCut Hive: A feature-rich cloud print management solution with secure print release, centralized admin and support for printing, copying and scanning on compatible multifunction printers.
• PaperCut Pocket: A streamlined, self-managed cloud printing solution for organizations wanting to manage printing without maintaining print servers.

Both use PaperCut’s Edge Mesh technology to help manage print jobs without relying on a central print server. The key difference is the depth of device integration and print management functionality. Pocket takes a streamlined mobile-first approach, while Hive adds deeper integration for multifunction devices and copiers, including secure print release and copy and scan tracking.

The right choice depends on your environment, the features you need, and how much control you want over your printing infrastructure.

How to eliminate print servers: A step-by-step guide

You need to think of going serverless as an infrastructure change, not just a case of switching a server off. And like any other big infrastructure change, you need a planned migration. Otherwise it’s a hot mess.

Step 1: Audit your existing print environment

Before making any changes, document how printing works across your organization. That means:

• All print servers, shared queues, and connected printers
• Printer models, drivers and configuration requirements
• Identify all users, departments, and legacy applications/scripts that rely on specific print queues.Users and departments that depend on each queue
• Applications requiring specialist printer drivers or direct print paths
• Print policies, including your access permissions
• Applications, scripts or workflows that rely on specific print queues
• Existing print reporting, accounting, and audit requirements

Step 2: Choose your replacement architecture

Not every organization needs to eliminate print servers entirely. It can be a bit of a grey area depending on your needs:

For example, an organization with established on-prem infrastructure, complex workflows, or specific control requirements might benefit from a server-based solution. A business with multiple offices, distributed teams, or a preference for cloud-managed IT is probably going to find serverless a better fit.

Before finalizing your approach, it’s critical to check that your existing printers, operating systems, and required finishing features are supported. A migration from traditional print servers can change how drivers and print jobs are handled, so compatibility is an important part of the decision.

Step 3: Configure your serverless print management solution

Once you’ve picked your poison, you need to configure the cloud environment before migrating users across.

With PaperCut Hive or PaperCut Pocket, this means setting up your organization, registering supported printers, and configuring the relevant print management settings. You’ll also need to sort out controls like user access, printer permissions, and secure print release.

Step 4: Deploy the software to user devices

Next, deploy the software to any computers that need to print.

Follow the deployment instructions for your chosen solution and operating systems. Configure users to access the appropriate printers and confirm that the new printing workflow operates as expected. It’s usually good to start this trial with a small pilot group.

Step 5: Test printing before removing print servers

Before retiring any critical print servers, please, please, please make sure that the new environment supports your day-to-day printing requirements. Don’t skip this step.

You need to test:

• Standard black-and-white and color printing
• Advanced print finishing features
• Duplex printing, paper sizes, and tray selection
• Secure print release, if you’re using it
• Printer access and permissions
• Scanning and copying workflows
• Printing across locations and network segments
• What happens when the internet is unavailable

Step 6: Retire the old print servers

Cue the bagpipes. Once the migration is validated, it’s time to retire your trusty old print servers and let them live out their days on the great server farm in the sky. But the work isn’t quite done. Complete your migration with some best-practice admin; disabling old shared queues, updating deployment policies and scripts, checking for residual print traffic, and confirming that rollback is no longer required before permanently decommissioning the server.

Hot tip: If you can, keep the servers available for a short rollback period. Once the new setup is stable and all dependencies are ironed out, you’re in the clear

Which print management solution is the right one?

That’s hard to say, and it depends on a lot of factors. Plus the decision isn’t simply between old technology versus new technology. It’s about finding a print management approach that fits your organization’s operational and security requirements, which may even be a hybrid of cloud and on-prem infrastructure.

PaperCut MF, for example, is a great option for organizations that still want server-based deployment, including private-cloud environments with maximum control over hosting, data and updates.

Which print management solution is right for me and my industry?

Print Server FAQ’s

Can I remove print servers without replacing my printers?

For sure, but it does depend on the exact printer models. In many environments, you can retain existing network printers while changing how print jobs are managed and delivered.

Is serverless printing more secure?

Not necessarily. Whether you go server or serverless, security depends on things like encryption, authentication, and access controls. A well-configured server-based environment trumps an average cloud deployment any day. And vice versa.

Does serverless printing mean no print management?

Not at all! Cloud-based print management is critical for centralized admin, access controls, usage tracking, and secure print release. The only difference is how the service is hosted and how print jobs actually reach your printers.

Ready to make the jump to serverless? Give PaperCut a call.