How cloud print services work: A beginner’s guide

Cloud print services are changing how organizations manage print in the workplace today. Instead of relying on local print servers and complex configurations, printers and print jobs are moving to secured, cloud-based platforms that centralize control and reduce daily administrative effort.

This beginner’s guide breaks down how cloud print services work, what benefits they offer, and how businesses can get started with a more adaptable print environment.

What is cloud printing?

Cloud printing is a way to send, manage, and release print jobs using internet-based services instead of relying on a local print server or a direct connection to a specific printer. For businesses, cloud printing can be done in one of three ways.

• Private cloud. An organization contracts for its own cloud space in a data center, loads its print server and management applications, and administers and support the full scope of the application.

• Public cloud. An organization loads its printers into a public cloud space where users then can access the printer.

• Hybrid cloud. A third-party partner hosts, manages, and supports the technology and application – eliminating on-site hardware and infrastructure management – while the organization administers the devices and user access.

In every instance, cloud print provides a central way to control, safeguard, and deliver print jobs across an organization, regardless of where users or printers are located.

Cloud printing vs traditional printing

Compared to traditional printing, cloud printing changes how jobs are managed and delivered across an organization’s print environment.

Traditional printing usually requires users to be on the same network as the printer, with print servers, drivers, and configurations managed locally by IT.

Cloud printing replaces network-dependent print setups and features centralized device management, applying consistent rules and administration controls so that users can more easily print across devices and locations without needing separate setups for each network or site.

Behind the scenes, cloud printing relies on a few core components working together:

• User devices, such as laptops, tablets, or smartphones, where print jobs are created

• A cloud print service, which receives, protects, queues, and manages print jobs

• Authentication and access controls, used to verify users and apply print policies

• Cloud-connected printers or multifunction devices, which receive output jobs once they’re released

Together, these elements create a more flexible and accessible print experience that reduces complexity for IT teams while making it easier for people to print from wherever they work.

How does cloud printing work?

Even though a lot happens behind the scenes, cloud printing follows a simple, predictable process designed to feel intuitive for users while making print management easier and more secured for IT and administrators.

Here’s what typically happens when someone sends a print job using a cloud print service:

• A user prints from an application on their laptop, tablet, or smartphone.

• Instead of sending the job to a local print server, the document is encrypted and sent to the cloud print service.

• The cloud print service authenticates the user and applies predefined rules, such as color restrictions, duplex printing, or job retention policies.

• The print job is held securely in the cloud until it’s ready to be released at an authorized printer.

• When the user arrives at the device, the job is released using a badge, PIN, mobile app, etc.

The cloud print service coordinates this flow, handling job intake, policy enforcement, usage tracking, and logging for reporting and cost control.

Because these tasks run in the cloud, organizations can reduce their reliance on on-premises print servers, simplifying updates, supporting new users and locations, and providing more seamless device maintenance.

Benefits of cloud printing

Beyond simplifying print management, cloud printing delivers many practical benefits, including:

• Cost savings and efficiency improvements: Lowers server, maintenance, and support costs while reducing the time IT teams spend managing print infrastructure

• Work-from-anywhere flexibility: Allows users to print from different devices and locations

• Improved security and document control: Supports secure print release, user authentication, and consistent policy enforcement to protect sensitive data

• Better visibility and usage insights: Provides centralized reporting to track print activity, manage costs, and reduce waste

• Scalability: Enables organizations to scale print services as needs change without reworking existing print infrastructure

• Better integration with modern workflows: Connects printing more easily with cloud-based applications, document management systems, and digital workflows

These benefits reflect a more adaptable approach to print — one that supports changing work patterns, evolving security needs, and growth over time.

Instead of treating printing as something tied to a specific location, cloud printing allows print to evolve alongside the rest of the organization’s technology.

Who can benefit from cloud printing?

Cloud printing is designed to support different work settings, team sizes, and ways of working, making it a practical option for many organizations.

Here are a few examples of how cloud printing adapts to various operational needs.

• Small businesses: Cloud printing can offer a straightforward way to manage printing without needing local servers or dedicated IT resources. Smaller teams get set up quickly while keeping costs and administrative effort low.

• Large enterprises: For larger organizations, cloud printing supports consistent policies, security controls, and reporting across multiple locations. It also makes it easier to scale and adapt print services while managing complex environments, without adding infrastructure.

• Remote and mobile teams: Cloud printing supports employees who work remotely or across multiple locations by allowing them to send jobs from different devices and release them securely when they arrive at an authorized printer.

• Educational institutions: Schools and universities can manage a diverse mix of users, devices, and printing locations with centralized controls, while gaining better visibility into print usage to manage budgets and reduce waste.

• Healthcare and regulated industries: Organizations with strict privacy and compliance requirements benefit from controlled access, user authentication, and audit trails that help protect sensitive information.

Getting started with cloud printing

Moving to cloud printing doesn’t have to be complex. Most organizations take a phased approach that focuses on selecting the right service, connecting existing printers, and putting simple management practices in place.

Choosing the right cloud printing service

Organizations typically start by assessing their current print environment and identifying areas for improvement. The right service should align with existing workflows while remaining flexible enough to support future needs.

Key considerations include:

• Compatibility with existing printers and devices to avoid unnecessary hardware replacement

• Integration with identity and access systems already in use, so users and policies carry over easily

• Support for secured job release, reporting, and policy controls, to maintain security and visibility

• Ease of management and scalability across locations, to support growth and change over time

Setting up printers for cloud access

How printers connect depends on the devices already in place. Many organizations operate a mix of newer and older printers during the transition to cloud printing.

Common setup approaches include:

• Registering cloud-ready printers directly with the cloud print service

• Using connectors to enable cloud access for certain older devices

• Supporting a mix of cloud-enabled and legacy printers during a phased transition

This allows organizations to adopt cloud printing without replacing all printers at once.

Best practices for managing print jobs through the cloud

Once cloud printing is up and running, clear and consistent practices help organizations keep printing predictable and manageable.

Common best practices include:

• Defining default print policies — such as duplex printing or controlled job release — to guide everyday use

• Using reporting and usage insights to understand print behavior and spot opportunities for adjustment

• Reviewing and updating print policies regularly as teams, devices, and workflows change

By applying these practices, organizations can maintain oversight of print activity while giving users a reliable and familiar printing experience.

Taking the next step with cloud printing

As the way people work continues to change, organizations are rethinking how print fits into the bigger picture. Cloud printing provides a more adaptable foundation — one that can keep pace with evolving work patterns, security needs, and technology priorities without constant infrastructure changes.

Explore RICOH CloudStream for secured, cloud-based print, scan, and device management designed to support a wide range of organizational needs.

If you want additional help managing and optimizing your print environment, Ricoh’s Managed Print Services is here to support you.

Ready to move print to the cloud?