What Are Managed Print Services? A Plain-English Guide for UK Businesses

We get asked this a lot: "What actually is managed print?" Usually by someone who's been told they need it but nobody's explained what it means. So here's the plain-English version.

What Managed Print Services Actually Means

Managed print means we look after your printing setup so you don't have to think about it. We supply the machine (usually on a lease), monitor it remotely, send toner before you run out, fix it when it breaks, and give you reporting on what you're spending. You press print. We handle everything else.

It's not a print shop. We don't print your brochures. We supply, lease and maintain the machines that do your printing. The "managed" bit means we take responsibility for the whole thing, not just drop a box and disappear.

What's Included

A proper managed print agreement should include:

The machine on a fixed monthly lease. No big upfront cost.

All toner and consumables delivered automatically when levels get low. We monitor this remotely.

All servicing and maintenance including engineer callouts. If it breaks, we fix it at no extra charge.

All replacement parts. Fusers, drums, rollers, whatever wears out. Covered.

Remote monitoring so we know about problems before you do. Sometimes we fix things remotely without you even knowing.

Usage reporting so you can see exactly what you're spending and where.

What It Costs

There are two parts to the cost:

Monthly lease rental: This covers the machine itself. For a mid-range A3 colour copier, you're looking at £55-80/month on a 5-year term. A4 machines start from around £25/month.

Per-page charge: This covers toner, servicing, parts and engineer visits. Typical rates: 0.4p-0.8p per mono page, 3.2p-5p per colour page. Everything included. No surprises.

That's it. Two costs, fully transparent, in writing before you sign. If someone quotes you a third charge for anything else, ask questions.

Who Needs It

Honestly? Any business with more than about 5 people sharing a printer. At that scale, the alternative is buying a machine outright, buying your own toner (and inevitably running out at 4pm on a Friday), finding an engineer when it breaks, and paying for repairs out of your own pocket.

Managed print takes all of that off your plate. Two predictable costs, one number to ring, everything sorted.

Who Doesn't Need It

If you're a one-person business printing 200 pages a month, a managed print contract is probably overkill. A good desktop printer and a box of toner from Amazon will do you fine. We're honest about that.

But if you're printing 2,000+ pages a month across more than one person, the maths start working in your favour. And the peace of mind of knowing that toner will arrive automatically and someone will fix the machine within hours is worth something.

Common Concerns

"Am I locked in?" Leases typically run 3 or 5 years. We don't use auto-renewal clauses. We remind you before the end date so you can decide what to do next.

"What if I'm paying for pages I don't use?" We right-size the agreement based on your actual usage. If your volumes change, we adjust. We're not trying to charge you for phantom pages.

"What about the per-page charges going up?" Industry standard is a 3-5% annual increase on per-page rates. We're transparent about that from day one. Anyone who tells you rates are fixed forever is probably not being straight with you.

"Can I choose the machine?" Yes. We'll recommend what fits your office, but the final choice is yours. We supply Epson, Sharp and Develop ineo, so you've got options.

How to Get Started

Ring us on 0800 009 6770 or fill in the form on our contact page. We'll ask a few questions about your office, your team size, and what you print. Then we'll come back with a quote, usually within 24 hours. No obligation, no pressure, no sales tricks.

We've been doing this for over a decade. We're ISO 9001 and 14001 certified. We're FCA regulated. And we actually answer the phone when you ring. That last one shouldn't be unusual, but in this industry, it is.