Deciding how to configure any printing environment always depends on the available IT resources and the how tech-savvy the user base is. Everyone will want a system that works for them and does not cause bottlenecks or IT headaches.

Each setup has its own pros and cons, we touched on the benefits earlier in this article and the evidence would suggest a print server is the way to go. It is not, however, all plain sailing. The print server will cost money for the hardware and the software license. You also introduce a single point of failure on the network, one bad print driver could stop printing in the company. Does this mean direct printing is the right answer? Losing the ability to manage printers centrally, and setting permissions is a big deal for any mid to large sized organisation.

There is no right or wrong, but internally our tech teams lean heavily towards having a print server (or two...).