Printing a confidential document shouldn’t feel like a risk. But in a busy office, it’s easy for printouts to sit unattended on the tray, giving the wrong person a chance to see sensitive information.

That’s where Canon’s Secure Print feature comes in.

Secure Print lets you send a document to the copier as usual, but instead of printing immediately, the job is held in the device’s memory. Nothing comes out of the tray until you walk up to the machine and enter your personal code. It’s a simple way to tighten security without changing how your team works day to day.

In this blog, we’ll cover:

- What Secure Print is

- Why it matters for privacy and compliance

- Exactly how to use it on a Canon device

What is Secure Print?

Secure Print is a built-in security feature on many Canon multifunction printers (MFPs) that American Business Machines deploys for our customers. When you choose Secure Print, your document is stored securely on the device’s hard drive instead of printing right away. The job only prints after you enter your unique PIN or password at the machine.

By requiring authentication at the device, Secure Print:

- Prevents confidential documents from being left on the output tray

- Reduces the chance of someone else grabbing your pages

- Helps support your organization’s privacy and compliance requirements

For busy, shared environments—such as offices, schools, clinics, and legal or finance departments—Secure Print adds an essential layer of document control without slowing anyone down.

Why Use Secure Print?

Whether you’re in healthcare, education, law, finance, or another industry handling sensitive data, there are times when privacy is critical. Secure Print helps you:

- Keep sensitive files from sitting unattended on the printer

- Prevent coworkers from accidentally picking up your documents

- Reduce paper waste from forgotten or abandoned print jobs

- Add a layer of accountability for printed materials

Step-by-Step: How to Use Secure Print on a Canon Copier

Let’s walk through how to set up and use Secure Print, whether you’re on a Windows PC or a Mac.

Step 1: Select Secure Print from Your Computer

For Windows users:

1. Go to your printer settings by clicking on Devices and Printers.

2. Right-click on your Canon printer and select Printing Preferences.

3. In the Output Method section, choose Secure Print.

4. When prompted, enter a User Name and a PIN. You’ll use these at the machine to release your print job.

For Mac users:

1. When you go to print, open the expanded printer dialog box.

2. Look for a dropdown labeled Finishing or Special Features.

3. Choose Secure Print.

4. Enter your User ID and PIN.

Tip: Your User ID can be your name, initials, or employee number—anything you’ll remember at the device.

Step 2: Send Your Document to Print

Print your document as you normally would:

- Select the Secure Print settings you just configured

- Type in your PIN

- Click Print

Your document will not print yet. It is now waiting in a secure queue on the Canon device until you release it.

Step 3: Retrieve Your Document at the Canon Copier

At the Canon device, follow these steps:

1. From the home screen, select Secure Print.

2. Enter the same User ID and PIN you used on your computer.

3. Find your document in the list and press Print.

4. Once you’re finished, the machine will automatically delete the job unless you choose to reprint or save it.

If you’ve sent multiple documents, you can select and release them all at once to save time.

Admin Tip: Make It Easier for Everyone

If you manage your office print environment, you can help your team adopt Secure Print with minimal friction. Canon software solutions like uniFLOW allow you to:

- Enforce Secure Print by default

- Tie print release to employee ID cards for fast, card-swipe access

- Set up shared print queues where users must authenticate before printing

This approach reduces waste, protects sensitive information, and gives you better visibility into how printing is used across your organization.

Secure Print is one of the easiest ways to improve document security in your workplace. Whether you’re printing a single page or a multi-page contract, that extra level of control keeps information in the right hands and builds confidence with your clients and staff.

Need help setting it up across your office?

As an authorized Canon dealer, American Business Machines can configure Secure Print on your Canon devices, optimize your print settings, and recommend the right hardware and software for your workflow.

Contact us for a free quote and see how Secure Print can fit into a more secure, cost-efficient print strategy for your business.