Print Quotas

Why use print quotas?

Implementing a simple print quotas system is the key to reducing the cost associated with printing in a network environment.

A print quota is a set budget for printing that you give to your users — just like pocket money for the printer. Print quotas let you set the financial printing allowances, automatically track usage, and enforce limits. It helps cut down waste, encourages responsible printing, and makes keeping to budget so much easier.

With print quotas you can:

• set spending limits: set financial quotas for users to control printing costs
• schedule top-ups: automatically replenish quotas at regular intervals — perfect for school terms or monthly budgets
• customize rules: choose which users have printing restrictions, who gets unlimited printing, and who has a little wiggle room with an overdraft allowance
• perform real-time tracking: see who’s printing what, and how much they’re spending.

Both the PaperCut NG/MF and PaperCut Hive/Pocket applications are ideal solutions for introducing print quotas. They use a monetary-based (or unit-based) approach allowing administrators to charge different amounts for different types of printers and print jobs.

The monetary-based approach ensures users are restricted to sensible use but still leaves the flexibility in the end-users’ hands, for example, do I really need to print this 200-page document? For more information, see Why use currency-based print accounting.

Be sure to implement print quotas if you want to:

• restrict users to sensible usage
• encourage responsible printer use
• smooth out printer load by encouraging the use of printers designed for specific tasks
• benefit the environment by saving the resources involved in paper, toner/ink and printer construction and usage.

(NG/MF only) Additional capabilities

Enabling print quotas for color vs black and white printing

The system administrator might choose to define a low-cost on the high volume black and white printer, and a high cost on a color printer. This give users even more reason to ‘think’ before they press the print button!

Add print charging for stricter enforcement

In a large school, college, university or education based organization, you might like to consider running a stricter quota based system by requiring users to pay for their printing upfront or in arrears. This is referred to as a user-pays pre-paid or bill-back system, or a print charging system.

PaperCut NG/MF can help implement such a system with features such as its web-based administration and Pre-Paid/TopUp Cards.

The PaperCut NG software for Windows, Apple Mac, and Linux (CUPS/Samba/LPR) is available for download as a Free 40 day trial. It works with the majority of MFD and copier makes.

Find out more

Find out more about cost-control and waste-saving techniques over on Discover print cost control with charging and quotas.

For best practices, take a look at Top 10 best practices for implementing Print Quotas in education.

Configuring print quotas

If you’re ready to configure print quotas, head over to:

• (PaperCut NG/MF) Set up quota allocations / automate print credits
• (PaperCut Hive or Pocket) Configure print quotas and restrictions