What is Print Scout

Print Scout is lightweight software you install on users' workstations, and on print servers for HP Insights. It handles secure printing on the workstation and collects detailed information about each print job: who printed it, when, on which printer, and so on. It sends that information to HP Insights for reporting and analysis.

What it does

License What Print Scout does
Secure Print
  • Submits, holds and releases print jobs securely.
  • Collects and reports user and job information for Secure Print jobs.
  • Installs the default print queue, HP Secure Printer, and the HP Secure Print desktop app, so users can view or delete their jobs before they go to a printer.
Secure Print Direct Installs the HP Secure Print desktop app, so users can add printers for Secure Print Direct.
HP Insights Collects and reports user and job information for all print jobs.

Types of Print Scout

  • Windows Print Scout tracks all printing from the workstations and print servers it's installed on.
  • Mac Print Scout tracks all printing from the Macs it's installed on.
  • Linux Print Scout is available for environments that use OpenID Connect authentication.

Where to install it

Install Print Scout on When you want to
Workstations
  • Track printing straight to network printers, and to local printers.
  • Track which applications people print from, such as Word or Outlook.
  • Use Secure Print or Secure Print Direct, which need Print Scout on each workstation.
Print servers
  • Track printing when most of it goes through network queues.
  • Have fewer installations to manage.
Both
  • Track printing sent straight to printers as well as through print servers, and collect information about your print queues.
  • Make sure all printing is tracked.
  • Collect as much information as possible while your print strategy is still being decided.

What it collects

For each print job, Print Scout collects:

  • Date and time, job size (kB), and the number of pages, sheets and copies
  • Paper size, and the number of pages in the original document
  • Finishing options, such as one-sided or two-sided, stapling and tray
  • Print path: printer name, port name, share name and server share name
  • The network ID of the job owner
  • The application and document name
  • Transaction type (direct or secure), with a Secure Print license

It also records user information from Active Directory, printer information through SNMP, and the network name, operating system and service pack level of each computer it's installed on. You can turn off or obfuscate some types of data. See Prepare the Print Scout deployment.

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