---
type: concept
title: Virtual Printer
tags: [printing, software-defined]
related: [print-management-system, papercut]
created: 2026-06-30
updated: 2026-06-30
sources: ["output/rz_uni_greifswald_de_dienste_allgemein_druck_management_system.md"]
---

# Virtual Printer

A **Virtual Printer** is a software-defined printer installed on a client machine that does not correspond to a single physical device. 

In the context of the [[universitatsrechenzentrum-urz]] print management system, the virtual printer serves as a universal endpoint. When a user "prints" to this device, the document is not sent directly to a printer but is instead routed to a central server queue managed by [[papercut]]. This allows the user to release the document at any physical printer across the campus.