An office print policy template every small business can adapt
A short, well drafted print policy reduces waste, lowers cost and protects sensitive documents without adding bureaucracy. This template runs to one printed page, covers seven clauses, and ships with adoption notes for offices between 10 and 80 staff.
Why a one page policy works better than a long one
Most small business print policies fail because they are too long to read. A 14 page document with sections on equipment, paper grade, recycled content, security and exception procedures gets filed, not followed. A one page policy that fits on a notice board and into an induction pack gets read once and recalled when needed. The template below is calibrated to that one page constraint, with seven clauses that cover the behaviours that matter and leave the rest to common sense.
The policy assumes the office already has a managed print contract or owned MFPs in place. It does not address procurement; that belongs in the RFP and purchase checklist documents. What it does cover is daily use: when to print, what to print, how to handle confidential pages, what to do with surplus output and how the office records the lifetime cost of paper.
Print, scan and document handling policy
Why this policy exists
This policy sets the rules for how staff use office multi function printers and photocopiers. Its purpose is to reduce paper consumption, protect confidential information, and keep the cost of printing aligned with operating budgets.
Who and what is covered
The policy applies to all staff, contractors and temporary workers using office devices. It covers all printing, copying and scanning carried out on company equipment, regardless of whether the work originates from a desktop, a mobile device, or a personal account.
Standard print behaviour
All office printers default to:
- Black and white output unless colour is specifically required.
- Double sided printing for any document longer than one page.
- Standard resolution and economy mode for internal drafts.
- Pull printing where the device supports it: jobs release on PIN entry at the device.
Staff may override these defaults on a per job basis using the print dialog. The policy does not require justification for overrides.
Handling sensitive documents
Documents containing personal data, financial figures, client information or any material subject to a non disclosure agreement must be printed using the confidential print option. Confidential jobs release only when the originating user enters their PIN at the device. Unclaimed confidential jobs delete automatically after 24 hours.
Use of office equipment for personal printing
Limited personal use of office equipment is permitted for short documents, on the understanding that volumes remain low and the practice does not interfere with business work. Printing of large personal documents, books or commercial material is not permitted on office equipment.
What happens to surplus paper and old documents
Unwanted internal drafts go into the office paper recycling bin next to each device. Documents containing personal data, financial figures or client information must be shredded before disposal, using the cross cut shredder on each floor. Office paper recycling is collected weekly by the contracted waste handler.
Keeping the policy current
This policy is reviewed annually by the office manager and the IT lead. Exceptions to any clause may be requested in writing to the office manager. Approved exceptions are recorded in a register held with the policy document.
What this template deliberately leaves out
The temptation when drafting a print policy is to anticipate every edge case. Resist that. A small business policy that runs longer than one page becomes a reference document rather than a behavioural guide, and behavioural guides only work when they sit in working memory. Three categories of clause have been deliberately excluded from the template.
Procurement clauses
How the office acquires devices, what brands are preferred, what budgets apply: these sit in the RFP template, not the print policy. Including them here muddles the operational with the strategic and lengthens the document.
Technical configuration clauses
Driver versions, queue names, paper bin assignments: these belong in the IT onboarding checklist. Staff do not need to read them, and including them invites the policy to expand every time a driver updates.
Punitive clauses
Statements about disciplinary action for misuse generate adversarial reactions and rarely change behaviour. Trust the default settings to shape behaviour, and handle the genuine misuse cases through normal HR routes.
Rolling the policy out
The policy itself takes 30 minutes to adapt to a specific business. Branding, exception register location and review date are the only fields that need updating. The harder work is the rollout, which determines whether the document changes behaviour or sits unread in the staff handbook.
| Week | Action | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Office manager adapts template, IT confirms default settings on every device match clause 3. | Office manager, IT |
| 2 | Policy issued via email and posted next to each MFP. Notice board copy displayed. | Office manager |
| 3 | Five minute briefing at team meetings or all hands. Staff asked to acknowledge receipt. | Department heads |
| 4 | IT verifies confidential printing and pull printing function as described in clauses 3 and 4. | IT |
| 13 | First 90 day review. Meter readings compared against pre policy baseline. | Office manager, IT |
Adapting the template for specific business types
Three small business profiles need targeted adjustments. Each can be handled with a one line edit to the template rather than a separate document.
Legal practice
Add to clause 4: "Originals of signed agreements and client correspondence are filed in the secure cabinet on the same day they are printed." Add to clause 6: "Documents subject to client privilege are shredded immediately on disposal, never placed in general paper recycling."
Healthcare clinic
Strengthen clause 4 to specify that all patient identifiable prints use confidential release. Add to clause 6: "Documents containing patient health information are disposed of in the locked confidential waste bin, collected weekly under the clinical waste contract."
Design studio
Weaken clause 3 to allow colour as a default on the design studio device, while keeping mono default on the administration printer. Add a clause 8: "Test prints and proof copies are printed in low resolution and stored centrally for client review, not reprinted between revisions."
Reviewing the policy each year
The annual review takes 30 minutes if the policy has been working. The office manager pulls 12 months of meter data, compares it against the baseline at policy issue, and notes any drift. If colour share has risen, clause 3 may need reinforcement. If exception requests have built up, a clause may be too restrictive and should be relaxed. If meter data shows the policy has held, the review is a confirmation rather than a redraft.
Reissue the policy with an updated effective date and review date once a year. Treat the document as living: the small adjustments add up to a policy that fits the business it serves.