Learn how to install, deploy, and use PrintVisor. Follow the three steps below to get started quickly.
- Quick start
- How to use PrintVisor
- FAQ
- Why is creating a company profile necessary?
- What is the Admin Panel?
- Why link other computers to my company profile?
- Who can monitor all printers in a company?
- How to let only the administrator have access to the program?
- Why is PrintVisor currently in beta?
- Why is data collected via the Internet but not locally?
- Why the document names and user names are hidden with ***?
- How do I unhide the *** symbols to see what files were printed by users?
- How to install or update PrintVisor on all computers in the office easily?
- How can I install the program silently?
- Can I find out exactly who printed this or that document?
- How to get detailed information on each printer?
- What does printer load control exactly mean?
- What are the possible risks if printers are not monitored?
Quick start
1. Download & install PrintVisor on your PC
Visit the download page to get PrintVisor. Enter your valid email address, and you’ll receive an email with the link to download the latest version.
Please check your junk/spam folders if a letter doesn’t come to your inbox in a short while.
2. Create a new company account
After the first launch, PrintVisor will only show you the printers connected to your PC. To let PrintVisor get data from all the printers in the organization’s office(s), you’ll need to create a company account with centralized data collected in the Admin Panel.
- Open PrintVisor
- Switch to the Account tab
- Click the Create new organization button and follow further instructions
Please do not create a new account if you already have one. If you can’t log in, restore your password or contact our support.
3. Install PrintVisor on other PCs & connect them to the company account
To monitor all the printers within the organization, you’ll need to add all workstations to your company profile. To do it:
- Install PrintVisor on each PC you want to connect
- Get the PVZ activation file in the Admin Panel
- Send this activation file to other users and ask them to execute it on their PCs
Alternative method: you can remotely install PrintVisor on other PCs from the command line.
Watch short tutorial video: How to link other PCs to your Company Account
Congratulations! You have installed and set up PrintVisor in your company environment. The administrator can now watch what is printed by all users, how much resources it takes, and when is the right time to buy new supplies.
After linking users to your company account, you can:
- Switch the program to the background mode (for users that don’t need to have access to the interface)
- Perform silent updates without distracting the employees
How to use PrintVisor
To use the software most effectively, learn what you can do in the interface and the Admin Panel.
FAQ
Why is creating a company profile necessary?
You create the company profile only once to unite all printers via the Company Profile ID. Once the account is created and other PCs are linked to it, all data will be collected and tracked remotely by PrintVisor. If you haven’t created a company profile yet, go to the Account tab, and click the Create new organization button.
The Admin Panel is a web dashboard where you can find more summary data on printers, computers, printer statistics, and print activity. Here you’ll see various data on PCs, printers connected to them, users and files which they print, ink levels, logs, and stats.
Why link other computers to my company profile?
If you install PrintVisor only on one PC, you’ll be able to get data from printers connected to this PC only. But the true strength of PrintVisor is the ability to monitor many printers connected to multiple PCs in real-time.
Who can monitor all printers in a company?
With the login (email or Company Profile ID) and password, you can have personal access or grant access to other employees (for example, an office manager). Other employees who do not have access will see the program in the background mode, only as an icon in the Windows tray.
How to let only the administrator have access to the program?
Those who don’t need to watch printers and print statistics should use the program in the background mode. You switch it on either in the Admin Panel or by clicking the Switch to background mode in the Account tab of the interface. In this mode, the standard interface is not available. The program will work in the background (system tray). You will need to enter the password if you want to switch back to the “normal” mode.
Why is PrintVisor currently in beta?
Our goal is to bring the program to market, so we want to increase the number of supported printers and reach the audience. We want many companies to learn about our software and try it out, so now PrintVisor is completely free, and you are welcome to participate in its beta testing. Even though PrintVisor is in the open beta development stage, it collects data from printers and provides a lot of useful data. What is more, the web dashboard called Admin Panel with detailed statistics is available.
Why is data collected via the Internet but not locally?
The easiest way of getting data from multiple computers and printers is by collecting it on a web server. That’s why we designed a web dashboard where you can see printers’ real-time statuses and other print-related data, even from your smartphone. If you need a solution that works locally without Internet access, please contact us and describe your request.
How do I unhide the *** symbols to see what files were printed by users?
It is possible to remove the asterisks by request. If you want to see all file names and it does not violate GDPR regulations or another law in your country that is related to personal data, we can switch off the asterisk symbols and display the full document names. Please contact us, and we may offer you a custom solution for this issue.
How to install or update PrintVisor on all computers in the office?
The program can be installed manually or automatically via the command line. In addition, auto-updates can be easily switched on in the Admin Panel to avoid distracting the employees.
How can I install the program silently?
Yes, you can remotely install PrintVisor on multiple PCs from the command line.
Can I find out exactly who printed this or that document?
With PrintVisor, you can find out the computer from which a specific file was printed and when it was done.
How to get detailed information on each printer?
Real-time printer status and additional information on each connected device are located on the Printers tab. You can click each printer to see its statistics in detail.
What does printer load control exactly mean?
Usually, the fastest or the closest printer is selected for printing; this is convenient. However, in a large office, this can lead to losses of time. With large print queues, an employee can wait a long time until their document is printed out. Therefore, it is a good idea to evenly distribute the print load on all office printers according to their capabilities. Using PrintVisor, you’ll see which printers are heavily loaded in the “Printers” tab and the Admin Panel.
What are the possible risks if printers are not monitored?
Ink or toner supplies may run out at an unexpected time, or prints will fade. If you have many printing devices, keeping track of their supplies is necessary – and PrintVisor can help with it. Printer monitoring not only can optimize consumption and reduce costs but also helps to maintain a smooth workflow in a modern office.