Struggling With Your In-House Print Shop? Outsourcing May Be the Solution

10/30/2025 William Burkhardt

For many organizations with an in-house print shop, the idea began as a way to see if they could eliminate related costs, reduce delivery times, and/or provide more control over their final printed products. While these are all worthy goals, most of these organizations likely chose to make minimal investments in necessary printing equipment, software, and departmental personnel — and they may not have continued with the necessary investments to maintain an efficient and effective operation.

Here, we’ll take a closer look at 

• Why in-house print shops continue to use legacy equipment and software
• The challenges brought about by legacy equipment and minimal staff investment
• How outsourcing to a professional print provider can help overcome these challenges

Why in-house print shops use legacy equipment

Most organizations view their print shop and its related resources as an expense rather than as an investment — a logical perspective perhaps, since they’re not in the business of printing. This mindset, however, can lead an organization to only invest in equipment that might be geared primarily to the current task at hand — or equipment that’s lacking advanced features and capabilities. The result: an in-house print shop that can perform only basic functions and is unlikely to keep up with current printing demands or advances in technology. 

This expense mindset also holds true for departmental staff and training. One employee may be tasked with doing the job of two or more, or the print shop may not have a dedicated staff person assigned at all. In addition, training might be limited to the most basic education for operating the equipment. As a result, the employee isn’t up to speed on new production techniques or industry best practices going forward. 

For a variety of reasons, an in-house print shop might be considered a low priority within a company. While the initial investment was warranted, an upgrade of equipment, software, and staff may be viewed as unnecessary. This perspective could be fueled by:  

• Budget constraints — prioritizing resources for core business functions often leaves little room for capital expenditures in a support department
• A mentality of “why fix it if it’s not broke?” — as long as the basic printing gets done, the equipment is considered adequate even if it’s slow, inefficient, or produces substandard quality

The challenges legacy equipment brings about

By utilizing older, less sophisticated equipment and software, it’s very likely that your organization’s in-house print shop will realize:

• Poor quality, fewer capabilities: If the equipment or technology being utilized isn’t up to current standards, you can experience lower quality output. In addition, your equipment’s capabilities are significantly limited, restricting your organization from producing high-impact marketing materials or utilizing specialty paper stocks or finishes. Further, this lack of capabilities also limits the customer communication experience.
• Inefficiencies, lost productivity: Legacy or basic equipment typically offers less automation and time-saving features. This often necessitates more steps in the production process and may involve more manual work as well. This extended production time directly translates to lost productivity for the employee operating the equipment — and to longer delivery times for internal clients.
• More frequent and/or higher maintenance and repair costs: Depending on the age of the machinery and available support, parts may be expensive or difficult to source. In addition, experienced technicians who can service older models may be scarce, leading to increased downtime and unpredictable costs and delays.
• Integration and compatibility issues: Older equipment may no longer be compatible with the latest software and support technologies. Plus, your organization may not be able to take advantage of features that provide a certain print effect, and you may struggle to integrate the print workflow with other software in your organization (design programs, inventory management systems, etc.). 
• Security risks: Legacy equipment may lack the necessary security features and software updates to defend against today’s cyber threats. Outdated network-connected devices can be vulnerable targets for hackers, potentially exposing company information or client data.

Realizing the benefits of outsourcing 

Outsourcing to a professional print provider gives an organization access to the industry’s current technology and expertise, without the need for significant capital expenditure or dedicated overhead. Benefits can include:

• Improved quality (and, hence, brand impressions): Professional print providers use top-flight equipment and technology to deliver superior color accuracy, sharper resolution, and specialty finishing options — as a result, your marketing materials can make a stronger impression on your customers.
• Automation and efficiency: By utilizing highly automated workflows and equipment, a professional print provider can produce jobs faster and more cost-effectively, reducing time to market.
• Workflow flexibility: A print provider can offer greater capacity and a wider range of services. Your organization can easily scale up or down as necessary, based on project needs; plus, you’ll have access to specialty printing techniques your in-house shop likely cannot provide.
• Cost savings: Your organization can realize significant cuts in expenditures as it eliminates costs associated with equipment maintenance, repairs, supplies, and dedicated personnel.
• Security: Most professional print providers have invested in robust network and device security protocols to protect client data and printed materials. Because of this, security risks associated with legacy equipment can be diminished. 

An effective, fiscally sound solution 

Maintaining an in-house print shop, particularly one that utilizes legacy equipment, can quickly become a false economy — costing your organization more in terms of lost productivity, maintenance headaches, subpar quality, and even security risks. For most organizations, partnering with a professional print provider is a far more effective and fiscally sound solution that ensures high-quality, efficient, and secure printing services aligning with their business needs.
 

William Burkhardt is RRD’s Vice President of Product and Business Development, Business Communication Solutions.