7 Rules To Find The Right Printer For Your Coworking Space

Printing comes up constantly in coworking, from operators and members alike, because it’s part of daily work life for a lot of people. The right printing setup makes your day easier as an operator and gives members one less thing to complain about.

We asked our partners at ezeep to answer a question operators ask all the time: “What printer should I get for my coworking space?”

ezeep, a market-leading print management platform for coworking spaces worldwide, moves printing to the cloud so you no longer worry about drivers, operating systems and end devices, and members just print from any device.

Bonus tip: ezeep integrates with OfficeRnD Flex, our coworking management platform 😉

Here’s what Christoph Hammer, former CEO of ezeep Inc., shared when we asked how to find the right printer for your coworking space or managed office.

Printing is one of the few ways to move information from the digital world into the physical one. As long as we interact as physical beings, some form of printing will be expected from coworking and managed-office operators.

The challenge with printing is that it costs real money. It’s not just the printer. Paper, toner, ink, fuser, maintenance, repairs and electricity add up. Some operators skip the hassle, don’t offer printing to members, and call it “going green”.

Printing doesn’t have to be an administrative or cost problem. Here are 7 rules to find the right printer for coworking and managed offices.

What is the best printer for a coworking space?

The best printer for a coworking space is a mid-market color laser model with duplex printing, sized for the third of members who actually print in a given month, chosen for a fast first-page time rather than a high pages-per-minute rating. For most spaces that’s a sub-$1,000 unit, or several small units placed around the location, paired with cloud print management so members can print from any device without drivers.

1. First-page time matters more than pages per minute

Based on ezeep’s work with coworking operators, people print about 6 pages per print job on average. A printer that produces 20, 40 or even 60 pages per minute has little impact on how long most users wait.

A printer that needs 5 seconds instead of 15 from standby to first page makes a real difference to the member experience. Pages per minute (PPM) is one of the big cost drivers in printers. A quick first-page print time is not.

2. Don’t buy a cabinet that can print. Buy a printer that fits on a cabinet

Hosting 1,000 people doesn’t mean you need a printer designed for 1,000 users. ezeep’s numbers show consistently that in an average coworking space, about a third of people print in a given month.

So instead of a printer built for 1,000 users, a printer rated for 300 users is fine. Buying for larger volumes than you need means paying more than you need. And when one big, expensive printer isn’t required, several smaller printers placed throughout the location can be more convenient for members.

3. Bells and whistles mostly create noise

To differentiate, every printer manufacturer adds features. That leads to a long list with little benefit for typical office users, and more features mean higher prices.

Knowing what kind of printing you want to offer members, and prioritizing features accordingly, can make a big price difference.

Most office workers are covered by A4/Letter printing in black and white and color, with double-sided (duplex) printing. There may be other features you want to offer. Start with what you actually need, then look for the printer that supports it.

4. Consider the environment

Printing is not the environmental villain it’s sometimes made out to be. The European pulp and paper industry is the largest industrial prosumer of clean energies, with over 60% renewables in its primary energy consumption. Paper is biodegradable, and a large share of it comes from recycling rather than felling trees.

In Germany, over 75% of paper produced now comes from recycled fiber, and the waste paper share of production has climbed toward record levels on the back of packaging demand. You can still support environmentally conscious members: offer printing on recycled or non-coated paper, and place recycling bins visibly throughout the location. Simple, visible steps.

Less visible but still worthwhile is choosing a printer based on power consumption. Inkjet printers use roughly 20 to 50 watts while printing.

Laser printers need 10 to 20 times more energy during printing. Most energy, though, is spent when the printer isn’t printing at all. A printer with efficient sleep-mode settings uses less energy during all the hours it sits idle.

5. Money spent is money gone

If, after careful thought, a printer worth several thousand dollars is right for you, lease it. You get the peace of mind that a service partner will maintain it. It will likely cost more over time, but there’s no big capital expense up front.

Keep in mind that print service contracts are usually built around the number of printouts (or impressions or clicks, which are similar in concept) you commit to. Like leasing a car with a set number of miles included, you pay for a certain number of printed pages.

If you don’t use them, it’s your loss. Go over the agreed amount and you pay overage costs. Plenty of coworking and managed office operators have met a great printer salesperson and now run oversized, and likely overpriced, machines.

Unless you know your print volume or have specific requirements, buy a mid-market printer. For less than $1,000 you can get a good color laser printer with duplex, copying and scanning. Ask yourself how often it would have to break before buying a new one costs more than leasing an oversized printer.

6. Assess connectivity options

Look for versatile connectivity: Wi-Fi, Ethernet and mobile printing. That flexibility lets members print from whatever device they walked in with, which is what they actually want.

Cloud print management goes a step further. With ezeep, members print from a browser or app with no driver installs, so you’re not troubleshooting connections at the front desk.

7. Evaluate maintenance and support

Choose a printer with reliable customer support and straightforward maintenance. Prompt technical support and simple upkeep cut downtime and keep printing available to members.

Printing policies and cost management

How do you set fair printing policies in a coworking space?

Set clear printing policies to manage usage and costs. Quotas or tiered pricing for different membership levels help control expenses and prevent abuse. Communicate the rules to all members so there are no surprises on the invoice.

This is where cloud print management earns its keep. ezeep’s OfficeRnD Flex integration syncs members automatically, lets you set per-page prices for black-and-white and color, and adds print charges straight to member invoices. You can monitor usage by member or device and turn printing into a paid perk rather than a cost you absorb.

Frequently asked questions

How many pages do coworking members actually print?

About 6 pages per print job on average, according to ezeep’s data from coworking operators. And in a typical space, only about a third of members print in any given month. Both numbers usually mean operators buy more printer than they need.

Should I lease or buy a printer for my coworking space?

Buy a mid-market printer if you don’t have a known, high print volume or special requirements. A sub-$1,000 color laser with duplex, copying and scanning covers most spaces. Lease only when a several-thousand-dollar machine is genuinely the right fit and you want a service partner handling maintenance, accepting the higher lifetime cost in exchange for no big capital outlay.

Is offering printing bad for the environment?

Less than the reputation suggests. The European pulp and paper industry runs on over 60% renewables in its primary energy, and much of the paper supply is recycled rather than newly felled. Recycled or non-coated paper, duplex by default, and visible recycling bins reduce the footprint further. Cloud print management also cuts the pile of forgotten, uncollected printouts.

How do I charge members for printing?

Use a print management platform that connects to your coworking software. With ezeep and OfficeRnD Flex, you set per-page prices for black-and-white and color, sync members automatically, and the charges land on each member’s invoice. No spreadsheets, no manual reconciliation.

To see how OfficeRnD and ezeep work together, visit the OfficeRnD ezeep integration page or the ezeep OfficeRnD integration page.