Automatically printing out pdf attachments

July 25, 2019 11:27 PM

For reasons, an agency I work with is about to start receiving emailed documents as pdf attachments in place of faxes. The agency is going to make mistakes, because they’re used to getting paper. I want a way that the pdf attachments automatically print out on receipt, without anyone having to do anything. The program is Outlook. Is this possible?

I understand the obvious solution is to have someone check the email account. That’s not going to happen, realistically. All the emails at issue are from one sender. The sender will not cooperate in any way- will not set up a dedicated printer in the destination office, will not send the documents in any other format than pdf. This solution, if it exists, has to be on our end. Thanks.

posted by kerf to Computers & Internet (6 answers total)

You can set up a rule in Outlook to print incoming mail. You might also have to toggle an option to print attachments when printing the mail itself.
posted by books for weapons at 11:37 PM on July 25, 2019 [3 favorites]

This will be easier to answer if we know what version of Outlook they are running, and what platform (Mac or PC).
posted by riddley at 11:40 PM on July 25, 2019

Response by poster: It’s all PCs and Office 365.
posted by kerf at 11:53 PM on July 25, 2019

For a low tech solution: if you have an HP printer you could use HP ePrint. Make a rule in Outlook to forward the mail to the HP ePrint mail address assigned to your printer and the mail + attachements should be printed automatically.
posted by IAr at 3:58 AM on July 26, 2019 [6 favorites]

You can do this, but I would advise you not to. Printing is always error prone, the ink will run out,the paper will run out, the printer will randomly decide it doesnt want to print today. So you will end up missing documents.
Training the staff how to use and organise email is the right way to fix this problem.
posted by Lanark at 5:11 AM on July 26, 2019 [11 favorites]

Response by poster: It’s Outlook 2016.
I will go ask the computer people why this can’t just be fixed with an Outlook rule. If you all can figure it out in minutes, I don’t understand why they think this is a problem.
Thanks everyone!
posted by kerf at 10:06 AM on July 26, 2019