Printers for law firms: how to choose the right office printer and photocopier for a solicitors’ practice, barristers’ chambers or in-house legal team.

Law has gone a long way towards paperless working, but anyone who has prepared a trial bundle at 11pm knows the printer is still one of the most important machines in a legal office. Court bundles, completion documents, wills, counsel’s papers and client correspondence all still land on paper at some point, and every page carries information your firm has a professional duty to protect.

This guide is written for partners, practice managers, chambers directors and IT leads who are replacing or reviewing the printers in a law firm. By the end you should know what size and type of multifunction printer (MFP) your practice needs, which security, scanning and finishing features matter for legal work, how costs are built up, and which questions to ask a supplier before you sign a lease.

Why choosing a printer for a law firm is different

A general office printer is judged on speed and cost per page. A printer for solicitors has to do that and meet several demands that are specific to legal practice:

• Confidentiality is a regulatory duty. Paragraph 6.3 of the SRA Codes of Conduct requires solicitors and firms to keep the affairs of current and former clients confidential. A contract left in the output tray on a shared floor, or a scan emailed to the wrong address, is a confidentiality failure and may also be a UK GDPR personal data breach.
• Deadlines are fixed by the court, not by you. Bundles, skeleton arguments and hearing packs have to be ready on time. A printer that jams on long jobs or runs out of staples mid-bundle costs fee earner time at the worst moment.
• Volumes are spiky. A litigation team can print more in the week before trial than in the previous month. The machine has to cope with peaks, not just the average.
• Scanning matters as much as printing. Incoming post, signed originals, ID documents and disclosure all need to go into the case or document management system accurately and quickly.
• Print costs are often recovered. Many firms still recharge printing and copying to client matters, so the printer needs to record who printed what, and for which matter.
• Legal finishing is specific. Two- and four-hole punching for lever arch files, heavy stapling, tab dividers and client guide booklets are everyday requirements.

Typical print requirements for solicitors, barristers and legal teams

Every practice area uses the printer differently. The table below shows the documents most law firms produce and what each one asks of the machine.

What size of printer does a law firm need?

The right machine depends less on headcount and more on how many fee earners print heavily and how much litigation you do. As a guide:

These volume bands are indicative. The quickest way to size a fleet properly is to measure what you actually print, which is exactly what our free print audit does. If you are new to buying office printers, our beginners guide to choosing an A3 office printer explains the terminology.

Recommended printers and photocopiers for law firms

Scriptum supplies, installs and supports Konica Minolta bizhub and Xerox AltaLink multifunction printers. Both ranges suit legal work well. Here is how we typically match them to law firms.

For small firms and chambers: A4 or entry A3 colour

If most of your printing is A4 letters, contracts and short bundles, an A4 colour MFP such as the Konica Minolta bizhub C3321i or C4051i is compact enough for a small office and still offers card or PIN release, scan-to-email and scan-to-folder. If you need A3 (plans in property matters, or A3 schedules), step up to an entry A3 model such as the bizhub C301i or Xerox AltaLink C8230.

For busy practices: the 36-45ppm workhorse

For most law firms with 10-40 staff the sweet spot is a 36-45 page per minute A3 colour MFP: the bizhub C361i or C451i, or the Xerox AltaLink C8235 or C8245. These have dual-scan document feeders for fast scanning, room for extra paper trays and full finishers with stapling and hole punching. The bizhub C451i can staple up to 100 sheets, which suits thick bundle sections. See how two of these compare in our Xerox AltaLink C8235 vs bizhub C361i review.

For litigation departments and larger firms: 55-75ppm

Where bundles run to thousands of pages, speed and paper capacity become the priority. The bizhub C551i, C651i and C751i and the Xerox AltaLink C8255 and C8270 are built for sustained long runs, and accept high-capacity feeders so the machine is not waiting for someone to load paper. Our bizhub C551i / C651i review and AltaLink C8270 review go into detail.

Printer security for law firms: protecting client confidentiality

An MFP is a networked computer with a hard drive, an email client and a scanner attached. In a law firm it handles some of the most sensitive information you hold. These are the security features we would expect on any printer for solicitors:

• Secure pull printing (follow-me printing). Jobs are held until the fee earner authenticates at the device with an ID card, PIN or mobile app. Nothing sits in the output tray, and staff can release their work at any printer in the building.
• User authentication and single sign-on. The latest bizhub i-Series supports sign-on with Microsoft Entra ID (Azure) and Google Workspace, so access is tied to your existing user accounts and removed when someone leaves.
• Controlled scanning. Scan-to-email can be restricted to the user’s own address, and scan destinations locked to approved folders or systems, which prevents misdirected scans.
• Encrypted storage and data overwrite. Print and scan data held on the device should be encrypted and automatically overwritten. The Xerox AltaLink C8200 Series uses an AES 256-bit, FIPS 140-3 encrypted storage drive and TPM 2.0.
• Malware protection. Konica Minolta offers an embedded Bitdefender anti-virus engine on the bizhub i-Series, plus detection that blocks brute-force login attempts. Xerox AltaLink integrates with Trellix security management tools.
• Audit trails. Logs of who printed, copied or scanned what, and when, help you investigate an incident and evidence your controls.
• Certified data removal at the end of the lease. Ask for the hard drive to be wiped or removed, with a certificate, before any machine leaves your office.

These controls also support wider information security frameworks your firm may work to, such as Cyber Essentials, Lexcel or ISO 27001. Remember that UK GDPR requires reportable personal data breaches to be notified to the ICO within 72 hours; secure release and restricted scanning remove two of the most common causes.

Scanning for law firms: getting paper into the matter file

For many practices, scanning has overtaken printing as the most important job the MFP does. Incoming post, signed completion documents, client ID for anti-money laundering checks and disclosure all need to reach the right matter quickly. Look for:

• A dual-scan (single-pass duplex) document feeder, which scans both sides of a page in one pass. It is much faster and gentler on originals than a reversing feeder.
• Mixed-size and thin-paper handling, so you can scan a pile containing A4, A5 and folded A3 without sorting it first.
• Searchable PDF and PDF/A, so scanned documents can be text-searched and stored in a long-term archival format.
• One-touch scan profiles, set up for each team, that send documents straight to the right place: a matter folder, SharePoint or OneDrive, or your case management system.
• Integration with your case or document management system. Depending on the system, this is done with a direct connector, a watched network folder or scan-to-email. We will check how your system works before recommending a device.

A well set-up MFP can turn the morning post into a digital mailroom: post is opened, scanned in batches and routed to fee earners’ matters before 10am, with the originals retained or returned as your policy requires.

Finishing: court bundles, lever arch files and client packs

Finishing is where legal printing differs most from ordinary office printing. The right finisher saves hours of manual work every week.

• Hole punching. A punch unit that matches your filing (two-hole for lever arch files is the UK standard) means bundles come off the printer ready to file.
• Heavy-duty stapling. Look at the stapling capacity. With the right finisher, the bizhub C451i and larger models staple up to 100 sheets; smaller machines staple fewer. Offline stapling lets staff staple existing documents at the machine.
• Tab dividers and inserts. Many MFPs can print on index tab stock and insert pre-printed dividers or coloured sheets between sections from a separate tray.
• Booklet making. Useful for client guides, seminar packs and newsletters, printed on heavier cover stock.
• High-capacity output. Large finishers stack thousands of sheets, so a long bundle job can run unattended or overnight.

Document workflow: how the printer fits into a modern law firm

The best printers for law firms are not stand-alone boxes; they are part of the firm’s document workflow, from post arriving to files being archived.

• Capture: post and signed originals are scanned to the correct matter using team scan profiles.
• Work: fee earners draft and review on screen, printing only when needed.
• Secure print: documents are released at any device by card or PIN, never left in trays.
• Produce: bundles and packs are printed with punching, stapling and dividers.
• Recover and report: print management software such as PaperCut records the client and matter code for each job, so costs can be recharged and printing reported by team.

What does a law firm printer cost?

Every firm’s price is different, so rather than quote figures that may not apply to you, here is how the cost of a law firm printer is built up and where the savings are.

• The equipment. Bought outright, leased over three to five years, or rented on a shorter term. Finishers, extra paper trays, card readers and fax kits are priced separately, so compare like for like. Our guide on whether to buy, lease or rent an office multifunction printer explains the options.
• The service contract. Usually a cost per page (click charge) for mono and colour, covering toner, parts, engineer visits and repairs. Check whether staples are included, whether there is a minimum monthly billing, and how and when prices can rise each year.
• Software. Pull printing, cost recovery and scanning connectors may carry a licence or subscription.
• The hidden costs. Watch for 13 quarterly rentals in a year instead of 12, automatic renewal clauses and unused volume allowances. These are some of the most common issues we find when auditing existing contracts.

The biggest savings in law firms usually come from mono duplex as the default setting, pull printing (which removes abandoned jobs), controlling colour use and recovering print costs from client matters.

How Scriptum solves common law firm printing problems

These are the problems legal practices most often ask us to fix, and how we approach them.

“Our printer can’t keep up in the run-up to trial”

Bundles of several thousand pages overwhelm a 30ppm machine with a small paper tray. We look at the peaks, not just the average, and usually recommend a faster device with a high-capacity feeder and a finisher that punches and staples, so bundles can be sent in the evening and collected finished in the morning.

“Confidential documents are being left on the printer”

We switch the firm to secure pull printing with ID card release across every device, so nothing prints until its owner is standing at the machine. Unreleased jobs are deleted automatically after a set time.

“We can’t recover printing costs from client matters”

We set up print management that asks for a client and matter code when printing or copying, and exports the data for billing. Barristers’ chambers can use the same approach to allocate costs to each member.

“Scanning the post takes half the morning”

A dual-scan feeder and one-touch scan profiles for each team cut scanning time dramatically, and documents land in the right place first time.

“We’re stuck in an expensive lease”

We review your existing agreement, including rental frequency, click charges and settlement terms, and give you a like-for-like comparison before you commit to anything. You can start with a free print audit.

Law firm printer checklist

Before you choose a printer or photocopier for your law firm, check that it offers:

• Secure pull printing with card, PIN or single sign-on release
• Encrypted storage, automatic data overwrite and a certified wipe at end of lease
• A dual-scan document feeder and searchable PDF output
• Scan destinations that match your case or document management system
• Hole punching and heavy-duty stapling suited to bundle production
• Enough speed and paper capacity for your busiest week, not your average one
• Client and matter code cost recovery if you recharge printing
• A service contract with clear click charges, response times and price review terms

Law firm printer FAQs

What is the best printer for a small law firm?

For a small firm of up to around 10 people, a 30-36ppm A3 colour multifunction printer, such as the Konica Minolta bizhub C301i or C361i or the Xerox AltaLink C8230 or C8235, usually offers the best balance of speed, scanning and finishing. If you never need A3, an A4 colour MFP such as the bizhub C4051i is a compact alternative.

Do solicitors still need a photocopier?

Most firms no longer buy a stand-alone photocopier. A modern multifunction printer prints, copies and scans, and in law firms the scanning is often as important as the printing.

How can we stop confidential documents being left on the printer?

Use secure pull printing. Documents are held on a server or the device until the user authenticates with a card, PIN or app, so nothing is printed until its owner is present.

Can a printer punch holes for lever arch files?

Yes. Most A3 office MFPs can be fitted with a finisher and punch unit that produces two-hole punched documents ready for lever arch files, alongside stapling.

Can we charge printing back to client matters?

Yes. Print management software can prompt users for a client or matter code when they print or copy and export the data to your billing or practice management system.

Should a law firm buy or lease its printers?

Both work. Leasing spreads the cost and usually bundles service, while buying can be cheaper over a longer life. The contract terms matter more than the method, which is why we always review existing agreements before recommending a change.

Talk to Scriptum about printers for your law firm

Scriptum Document Solutions supplies, installs and supports Konica Minolta and Xerox printers for law firms and chambers across London and the UK, from Chancery Lane and Holborn to the City and beyond. We will measure what you print, set up secure printing and scanning around the way your firm works, and give you a clear comparison against your current costs.

Call us on 0800 011 2858, email interface@scriptumds.co.uk or complete the short law firm enquiry form below and we will be in touch to talk it through.

Product information is taken from Konica Minolta and Xerox UK product pages and specifications, checked September 2026. Volume bands are indicative and vary by firm.