Papercut

[LTurner3692]

Hello All,

 

Is there a way to set a group to print to just one printer?

 

I don't want to restrict anyone else from printing to the same printer, i simply want one group to print to the closest printer without them having to log in to the printer but i would still like to track what is printed.

[MatthewL]

Share the output queue if part of follow me then create a group policy to map it to said users.

[thimon]

Is this in relation to Find-Me Printing? As you've mentioned logging into the printer. Deploy the actual printer to the users as well as / instead of the virtual Find-Me print queue. We do this with our Junior School. Staff print to the virtual Find-Me print queues, students print directly to the printers, meaning they don't have to sign into the printers.

[AB_IT]

I'm not 100% sure what you're asking but wouldn't this be a group policy thing rather than a PaperCut issue? i.e set a particular group in GP to have a single printer deployed to them. As long as PaperCut has that printer added into the portal and all balances and costings have been set up appropriately it should still report on everything that's been printed.

 

We have a follow-me virtual print queue here for our photocopiers and then individual small office printers for where the photocopier don't reach. The deployment of these printers is set per department on an OU basis.

[LTurner3692]

SO we use Papercut and follow me printing across the 2 sites we currently have, However one team dont use it as it 'impacts the way they work too much', So i want it all to go through papercut so we can track it properly and convince them that the way they currently work isn't the best way.

 

At the moment they have a direct link to the printer, but this cuts out the use of papercut and it doesn't track whats being printed, i know i can go through papercut and set the groups, but i would then have to set it for all the printers and ideally i don't want to do it that way.

[thimon]

@LTurner3692 Who's drives your IT strategy? There really is no real reason not to use Find-Me Printing, it will save the school so much money, and the reduction is wasted printing / printing never collected is huge! We have a 4 digit Printing ID number set for all users to enter into the printers to release their jobs. Yes it's a change in process / behaviour, however the good it does far outweighs the "bad". PaperCut can sync to AD, so all your Security Groups will appear in PaperCut. If you need a hand setting this up I have always found PaperCut's support amazing, get in contact with them and I'm sure they'll be happy to help.

[LTurner3692]

Normally We the IT Team do, However, this was dictated from above that the admin team get to stay off it, as it will cause to many issues! i completely disagreed with this but was overruled. Hence why i want to do it in a way that keeps them happy to start with, then with the reporting side that i will be able to use, i can start making people change the processes they use. Some processes have never changed.

[thimon]

There cannot be one rule for some, one rule for others. It's really not that big of a behaviour change, just need to remember a 4 digit number to release your print job...

[Scifigirl]

We set up delegated print codes for classes - its one code but it releases all the prints for that class - doesn't work so well in secondary because of sets, groups and forms, but works like a dream in primary where no one moves around.

[PotNoodleTech]

Yes it can be done. Create a printer, set it as a virtual queue, job redirection to to print to the physical printer you want e.g. one outside IT suite 4, make sure hold release queue box is unticked, then push that printer out to the particular PCs in IT suite 4 (I use GPO) and set it in filters and restrictions so that only the pupil groups you want can print to it e.g. year 7, 8 and 9.

 

They'll then get that printer and be able to print straight too it and each job will be logged with whatever cost settings you set up for that virtual printer.

 

This isn't ideal in terms of enviromental use, as they can still print 20 pages and forget to pick up the job - but we had 3 it suites and 1 printer and having 120 pupils trying to pick up jobs and having to log in with their active directory account simply wasn't going to work and would destroy the lesson. As it is now, they can click file, print and grab the job off the MFD outside the IT suite straight away, yet it's all fully logged and we know how much it is costing us to let pupils print.

[MatthewL]

On the server PaperCut is installed it will monitor any print share regardless of weather its follow me or not unless you specify so you can monitor individual printers providing there is a queue and its shared out.

 

Staff will always do their dam hardest to avoid it but compromise map their queue and monitor then pass the info to those above when they are printing an entire rain forest, least you will have to hard facts if they are abusing it.

[LTurner3692]

Thanks all, I went with @AButters and it's worked a treat so far!