There are undoubtedly fewer printers today than there once were. The demand for printed papers has decreased due to the spread of networks and easy access to the Internet, or at the very least, there is less demand for personal printer ownership. Additionally, printers are an outdated technology, and those who use them frequently encounter numerous issues that have not yet been updated.
Even though many people no longer own an inkjet or laser printer, many processes and procedures still depend on printed information. Nowadays, most people use tablets and cellphones instead of working with standalone printers or keeping a desktop computer at home.
Businesses aren’t the only ones who have stopped using paper papers. Around the world, colleges, universities, high schools, and even middle schools have shifted to digital learning, replacing printed materials and handouts in class with computers and tablets. Paperwork and other homework submissions are increasingly done electronically using tools like email, web apps, and class dropboxes.
Despite the “paperless” tendency, there may still be situations where you need a printer. Here are some excellent resources you can use to get your paperwork on paper, including forms, proof of income, and information for verification, and then send it as needed.
Where Can I Go To Print A Document?
Fortunately, there’s no need for anxiety. There are printers everywhere, and you can frequently locate one by performing a quick Google search. You can also use print-on-demand services, which are available virtually everywhere. These locations are where you can publish a document.
1. Use The Library to Print Documents
Libraries serve more than just literature! Anyone looking for a quick method to print documents should turn to their local library, which is accessible to the general public. Contrary to popular belief, libraries are much more than simply places to check out books and, based on your local selection, DVDs. Depending on where you reside, libraries provide a variety of services, with computer and printing access being one of them. If it’s not free, it’s usually inexpensive.
If you’re not positive if your neighborhood library offers printing services, use this Google search to locate it, then go to their website. For services or computer access, look for an area or category. They are always available by phone. For people who can’t print or use computers at home, libraries typically give computer access. The majority of libraries offer free computer use, and some don’t even require a library pass.
There may or may not be a fee for printing, but the expenses are minimal per page. When printing numerous documents, the cost can rapidly mount, but you’ll probably spend less than $1 for a five-page black and white document. Find out from the library whether you can publish wirelessly from your phone or laptop or whether you must use one of their computers.
Sample library website:
For a modest fee, many libraries also provide scanning and faxing services. Even 3D printers are accessible for rent in some libraries. However, these printers are typically a part of “maker” programs, and they won’t let you use their pricey equipment until you’ve completed courses and demonstrated your familiarity with the technology.
If you are a college or university student, use the campus library to print any papers you need, such as an essay. You typically receive a printing allowance as part of your tuition, which you can use to print papers while on campus. You won’t have any issues printing a paper for class or a shipping label to send back an Amazon shirt that doesn’t fit quite right because college campuses don’t have any printing limitations. The library’s resources are probably available to those who aren’t students at the institution for a small fee.
2. Use Copy and Print Stores to Print Documents
There are still specialized shops that offer copy and print services as well as supplies for paper and other documents, despite being a dying species. The UPS Store and FedEx stores, as well as other packaging and shipping businesses, are not included in this situation. In major and small cities, as well as occasionally in the suburbs, copy and print shops are usually “mom-and-pop” operations run by locals.
Though it might also turn up some of the other locations on your list, you should check Google for copy and print shops in your area. While copy and print shops have the benefit of precisely meeting customer printing requirements, they also have the drawback of charging high prices for their services.
3. Use Shipping Stores to Print Documents
Have you ever delivered a delivery to a FedEx or UPS location? You might be shocked to learn that those companies provide more than just receiving your Amazon returns and delivering holiday gifts. Those looking to print a paper before going to work or school may also be interested in their office services. A printing center is almost always present in shipping shops.
Printing at The UPS Store
For instance, The UPS Store has more than 5,000 sites in the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico, and the majority of them provide copy and print services. For those who require outstanding reports or essays, The UPS Store offers copies, printouts in black and white or color, single-sided or double-sided printing, multiple page sizes, even lamination and binding, according to their website. Additionally, UPS lets you submit documents online and provides you with a printing estimate based on your requirements.
You receive an estimated time after submitting your file (which, for smaller documents, seems to be fairly quick), and you can go pick it up from the shop whenever you’re ready. In our trials, the costs were fairly reasonable, with a color print costing about 40 cents per page and a black-and-white document costing 15 cents per page.
Call your local UPS store to get their current prices. UPS offers many document file types for printing, including PDF, .doc, .jpeg, and even Photoshop and Illustrator documents.
Printing At FedEx Office Stores
The FedEx Office shops, formerly known as Kinkos, provide services and are in direct competition with “The UPS Store.” There are over 2,000 FedEx Office sites worldwide, according to FedEx’s website, though there are actually fewer FedEx Office locations worldwide. However, if you chance to live close to a FedEx Office, they provide comparable printing and copying services to their rivals, which makes sense given Kinko’s history. Documents can be picked up locally or mailed there, though shipping them will cost more.
With support for a variety of file types and the ability to upload directly from a cloud storage service like “Google Drive” or “Dropbox,” uploading documents to FedEx is simple. The cost is the only drawback to using their service. Our test document, a one-page, black-and-white piece of writing, was fairly brief, but it still cost close to 70 cents, a significant premium over the 15 cents UPS would charge us. However, it might change based on your location and the competitors. For cost details, contact your local FedEx Office location. Nevertheless, based on the number of pages, it’s not too expensive. If there is a FedEx location nearby but not a UPS location, the choice is already made for you.
Even though those are the two well-known retailers, you should still look around to see if you can locate a locally owned shipping business that might also provide copying and printing services.
4. Use Apartment and Hotel Service Centers or Offices to Print Documents
Business service centers are frequently found in hotels and residential buildings, where they provide residents and visitors with copying, printing, scanning, and faxing services. These services are typically only available to those who reside there.
However, in response to a polite request, the staff (at hotels in particular) are frequently thrilled to let someone come in off the street with a quick print job. Even if your apartment complex doesn’t have a stand-alone business center, the staff in the leasing office may be willing to print out the odd document for a resident if you live there. Asking never harms!
5. Use Office Supply Retail Stores to Print Documents
The majority of large office supply shops offer printing services that might be perfect for you, similar to UPS and FedEx printing options. Despite the fact that establishments like “Office Depot,” “OfficeMax” (a store owned by Office Depot), and “Staples” exist to sell paper, printers, and other related printing materials, they also provide a variety of printing choices for you to choose from.
Printing at Office Depot/OfficeMax
If you make your order before 2 PM local time on business days, Office Depot will print and deliver the majority of important documents the same day. You don’t need to be in front of a computer to submit a document because they also offer mobile uploading through their iOS and Android apps.
Prices at Office Depot and OfficeMax are quite reasonable. We calculated the cost of a double-sided, black-and-white page to be just 9 cents, cheaper than the local library. Even double-sided, full-color sheets cost only 42 cents each. Finding an OfficeMax or Office Depot store close to you is not difficult, but you also have the option to pay to have the item shipped to you.
While we’re concentrating on document printing for the purposes of this piece, Office Depot’s printing software can be used to print many different kinds of projects.
Printing At Staples
Staples offers online document uploading for simple pickup or shipment, similar to Office Depot/OfficeMax, for about 10 cents per page for black and white copies and about 50 cents per page for color prints. For rates, give a call. The printing prices at Staples are comparable to those at libraries and other immediate competitors like Office Depot.
You can pick up your printouts a few hours after submitting them using the Staples desktop web program for uploading documents.
6. Use Online Print Stores to Print Documents
If you don’t need to pick up your prints right away. As was already stated, if you don’t live close to a physical location, you can have your papers shipped by a number of companies, including Office Depot and FedEx. However, it’s also important to keep in mind that some online print shops might offer lower prices or free delivery.
There are plenty of simple-to-use internet print businesses that you can locate using Google. The majority of online print shops are, however, developed for large projects that office supply stores or your local library can’t manage.
Buying from an online print shop might be the best option if you need 500 copies of a particular document. Since you’re buying in bulk, each copy will only cost you a few cents even though you’ll end up spending real money. You might want to search for a different source if you only want to purchase one copy of something.
7. Use Pharmacies and Drug Stores to Print Documents
You might be surprised to learn that, in addition to 1-hour photo services, drug shops and pharmacies may also provide document printing and copying. If you need a place to print your documents rapidly, you might want to see if your neighborhood pharmacy offers printing services that meet your requirements.
Printing at CVS
The big-box drug stores can be useful if you don’t reside close to a mom-and-pop or locally owned pharmacy. More than 3,400 CVS locations across the country provide copy and print services, making it one of the biggest drugstore companies in the country.
The downside is CVS doesn’t have a way to tell if a store has just photo printing or photo and document printing, so we recommend calling your local CVS to confirm their printing services.
Go to your neighborhood CVS and search for the “Kodak” kiosk if you need to copy or print any documents. You must ensure that you carry a USB drive with your document on it. At CVS, there is only one method to print documents. Connect the flash drive to the Kodak machine, choose Document Printing, and then specify the color and number of sides you want printed on the page. You don’t have to worry about picking up your documents on schedule because everything is completed in-store.
Finally, compared to the competition, CVS’s prices are a little high. Black and white prints cost 19 cents for single-sided pages and 38 cents for double-sided pages, according to our calculations. Priced at $1.98 for double-sided color copies and 99 cents for single-sided color prints, the color prices were the highest on this list. Call the CVS shop closest to you for the most recent prices as they may change depending on the neighborhood. Although pricey, you get high-quality printouts on high-quality paper, which could be useful for archival reasons. It might be your quickest and closest choice if you need something printed quickly and reside close to a CVS that offers document printing.
8. Use PrintSpots Online Directory to Print Docs while Travelling
The PrintSpots directory of public printing locations is a useful website to bookmark and is especially useful for tourists. Although the site’s listings are mainly for hotels and libraries, it can still be useful if you don’t know the area well or don’t have time to call a lot of hotels. Everything is listed on a single sheet. The entries show places where PrinterOn Inc. services are available.
9. Use a Bank to Print Documents
Your neighborhood bank might be able to meet your requirements if you’re in a pinch and require a printout right away. You ought to be able to locate a lawyer there, as well as somebody who could print something off for you. It isn’t unusual, but not every bank employee will be ready to take a few minutes out of their busy day to print off a few pages for you. Even if they want to charge you, it’s worth asking because you offer them your business.
Finally, not every suggestion on this list will be effective for you. You might not have any choices if there isn’t an office supply store close by or if your neighborhood pharmacy doesn’t provide document printing. Similar to online print shops, they can take a while to send items, which makes them useless if you need something right away.
In the long run, of course, the absence of one or two choices from this list does not preclude your ability to access any of the others. Using your local library is a great option because printing can be done swiftly and in real time there, and prices are usually reasonable. You’ll never find yourself in a scenario where printing is not an option because the majority of libraries provide access to printers for the citizens of their town. You might not have access to a library if you reside in a suburb or city. So it will be simple to print your documents when you need them if you can locate a shipping company like The UPS shop, an office supply company like Office Depot, or even a pharmacy or drug shop like CVS.
Printing without a Printer FAQs
Is it safe to print personal information on public-shared printers?
Is using public access printers safe? is a frequently asked topic. In the end, no. It’s best to refrain from printing anything that contains your financial or confidential information when using a shared computer. Data sent to well-known Wi-Fi-connected printers could possibly be intercepted by hackers. The data is processed on the PC when it arrives to neighborhood public printers, and it is also accessible during processing, whether through cache or a Wi-Fi transmission event.
It is probably preferable to seek assistance from a friend, member of your family, or a trusted coworker in both public sharing situations. In the worst situation, you can purchase a printer on Amazon for around $50 and a ream of paper for a few dollars. If you have no other choice, it’s preferable to pay the price than risk having your financial or social security information compromised. The risk, however, also relies on the data on the printout. In most cases, there is no risk involved in printing a blank application or an answer receipt.
Is it safe to print personal information from retail stores or office services?
In general, it is secure to print confidential information at neighborhood shops or office supply stores, but there is never a guarantee. Although there is a chance that you will encounter a disgruntled or untrustworthy employee, many stores have security cameras to help safeguard both customers and workers.
These businesses use shredding services for their company records and other personally identifiable documents, such as misprints or extra pages printed for the customer, aside from employee relations. Many office supply shops and printing businesses also have a shredder next to the printer that they use for misprinted pages and similar things.
Last but not least, if you’re in a store, a client might be peering over your shoulder.
It is best to hang around the printing facility until you get your papers in any event. (if you can).
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