Skip to content
Glossary · Secure printing
Secure & follow me
printing
Follow me printing, also called secure or pull printing, holds your print job on a secure server until you release it.
You walk to any enrolled device, sign in with a card or PIN, and the job prints on the spot.
Documents never sit unattended in the tray.
Key takeaways
- A job only prints when the person who sent it is standing at the device, so confidential pages are never left out.
- One queue serves every device, so staff can release at whichever machine is free.
- Unreleased jobs are deleted automatically, which cuts forgotten prints and paper waste.
- It supports privacy obligations for law firms, medical practices and finance teams.
How it works
How follow me printing works
- You print as normal from your computer, choosing the shared secure queue rather than a single device.
- The job is held on a secure server instead of printing straight away.
- You walk to any enrolled multifunction device and sign in with a swipe card or PIN.
- Your waiting jobs appear, you release the ones you want, and they print on the spot.
- Anything you do not release is deleted automatically after a set time, so nothing is forgotten in the tray.
Try it
Watch a secure release
Send a job, then release it at the device, and watch where the document goes.
Ready. Click Send to print.
Why it matters
Why secure printing matters
In a shared office, a printed contract or patient record can sit in the output tray where anyone walking past can read or take it.
Follow me printing closes that gap, because the page only appears once the right person is at the device.
It also trims cost.
Jobs that are sent and never collected simply expire, so you stop paying to print pages that go straight to the bin.
For regulated teams, that mix of privacy and waste control is why secure release is a common request on a managed print fleet, and those devices are typically supplied on an all inclusive printer lease.
Who uses it
Get your set monthly price
Tell us your monthly page count and we send back one written figure, from $160 a month ex GST.
Toner, parts, servicing and call outs all sit inside it.
The only thing you ever buy on top is paper.
Who benefits most
Any office handling sensitive documents gains from secure release.
It is most valuable where privacy is a duty rather than a preference.
Common questions
Questions Australian buyers ask us
What is the difference between follow me printing and secure printing?
They describe the same idea.
The job is held securely until you authenticate at a device and release it, so a document never sits unattended in the output tray.
Pull printing is another name for it.
How does follow me printing work?
You print as normal, the job is held on a secure server, then you walk to any enrolled device, tap a card or enter a PIN, and the job prints on the spot.
Unreleased jobs are deleted automatically after a set time.
Does follow me printing help with privacy compliance?
Yes.
Because documents only print when the owner is at the device, confidential records are not left in the tray.
That supports privacy obligations for law firms, medical practices and finance teams.
Is follow me printing included in a managed print lease?
It can be.
Global Document Solutions can configure secure release on the multifunction devices in your lease, so it is bundled into one monthly figure with toner, service and support.
How do I set up follow me printing?
It runs through print management software linked to your machines.
GDS configures the server, enables card or PIN release and sets the rules, and our local technicians support it after install.
Get a real quote
Add secure printing to a lease that suits you
Tell us your team size and print volume and we will send a real, no obligation quote with secure release configured for your office.
Printer leasing from $160 a month ex GST, with toner, parts, service labour and call outs included. You only buy paper.
Related glossary terms