The modern office looks nothing like it did five years ago. Staff rotate between home and work. Shared desks replace assigned workstations. Meetings shift between in-person and video calls, sometimes on the same day. This is hybrid working in practice, and while most businesses have adapted their communication tools and collaboration software to match, printing often gets left behind.
If your team is splitting time between locations and your printer still assumes everyone is sitting in the same room, it’s time to rethink your setup. Today, we will answer what printing setup is best for hybrid working environments and walk you through the features to look for.
The printer features that matter most in a hybrid office setup
A hybrid workplace puts new demands on office equipment and technology. Your printer needs to work reliably for the person in the office today, the team member who needs to send something from home tomorrow, and the IT manager who can’t always be on-site to troubleshoot.
Here’s what to look for:
Cloud and remote printing
Cloud printing lets your staff print to the office printer from anywhere with an internet connection. That means there’s no VPN required, and you don’t have to email files to a colleague and ask them to press print.
Look for devices that support established cloud printing platforms and offer straightforward setup. Key remote printing features to check for include mobile app support, job queuing, and the ability to print without being on the same local network. The goal is reducing friction, not adding to it.
Learn more about how cloud printing works.
Wireless connectivity
A printer that relies solely on a physical network connection becomes a problem the moment someone tries to print from a laptop docked at a hot desk or from a device that hasn’t been set up on the wired network. A strong, stable wireless office printer – including support for mobile printing – keeps things moving regardless of how your team is set up on any given day.
Having trouble with your printer’s WiFi connection? Here’s how to fix it.
Automation and workflow tools
Hybrid work means more document handling across more touchpoints. Automation features – like scan-to-email, scan-to-cloud, or rules-based routing – cut down on the manual steps that slow teams down when they’re not all in the same place.
Look for printers that integrate with the document management or cloud storage tools your business already uses.
AI and smart features
Newer office printers increasingly include AI-powered features. Predictive maintenance alerts you before a problem becomes a breakdown. Smart image optimisation adjusts output quality automatically. Usage analytics give IT and office managers visibility into how the device is being used. This is useful when you’re managing a shared resource across a flexible workforce.
These aren’t gimmicks; in a hybrid environment, AI printing features reduce the admin overhead of keeping shared equipment running smoothly.
Security
A printer that connects to the cloud and accepts jobs from remote devices is also a potential security vulnerability if it isn’t properly configured. Hybrid office technology needs to include endpoint security for print devices – features like user authentication, encrypted print queues, automatic job deletion, and audit trails.
Don’t overlook this. A printer sitting in a shared office, accessible from outside the building, needs the same security consideration as any other networked device.
See how modern printing is changing document security.
What to look for when upgrading your office printer
Before choosing a new device, map out how your team actually prints. How many people use the office printer on a typical day? How often does someone need to print remotely? Do you need high-volume output or mostly lighter, day-to-day documents? Are there compliance or security requirements specific to your industry?
The answers will point you toward the right combination of speed, volume capacity, connectivity, and features. A small business with ten hybrid staff has different needs from a 60-person firm with rotating shift patterns.
Recommended modern printers for hybrid offices
For hybrid office environments, you can’t look past Kyocera. These multifunction devices are built for shared, high-demand office use and support the cloud connectivity, security, and workflow features that hybrid teams need.
Kyocera TASKalfa Range
Built for shared, high-demand office environments, the TASKalfa range supports cloud connectivity, secure print queues, and the workflow automation features hybrid teams rely on. These are multifunction devices designed to handle volume without creating headaches for IT.
Best for: Medium to larger hybrid teams with regular, high-volume print and scan requirements.
Kyocera EcoSys Range (HyPAS-enabled models)
The higher-grade EcoSys models run Kyocera’s HyPAS solution platform, which allows cloud-based applications to operate directly from the device. That means less manual handling when scanning, routing, or managing documents across a distributed team.
Best for: Smaller hybrid offices looking for smart functionality without the footprint of a larger multifunction device.
Copysonic can help you find the right fit
Upgrading your hybrid office setup doesn’t have to mean starting from scratch. Copysonic works with Melbourne businesses to assess their current print environment and recommend devices and configurations that match how their teams actually work.
Whether you’re running a small office with a handful of hybrid staff or managing a larger team spread across multiple locations, we’ll help you find a setup that keeps things running smoothly – in the office and beyond.
