Why is printing via email slow?

This article describes the steps to check, when you experience that printing via email is slow.

If you notice that printing Scope documents via email is taking longer than usual, follow the steps below to analyze the situation. The process of printing via print2email involves the following steps:

1. The user initiates the printing process by clicking the print button.
2. Scope creates the document in either PDF or TXT format.
3. Scope sends the document to the designated email address.
4. The email is delivered to the designated inbox.
5. The designated local PC or server retrieves the email and processes it to send the document to the connected printer.
6. The document is printed by the connected printer.

To identify which step(s) may be causing delays in the printing process, it is essential to log the timestamp for each individual step.

The timestamps for the first three steps can be found in the events tab of the shipment from which the user initiated the document printing. Scope performs these three steps in immediate succession.

To verify the timing of step 4, review the logs on the email server responsible for receiving the email. Delays can occur at this stage if the email server is not receiving emails directly, but rather checking for new messages at set intervals. These intervals may result in a delay of the actual printing. You can also examine the email headers to trace the path the email took during delivery.

You can verify the timestamp for step 5 by accessing the PC or server responsible for converting the email into a print job. Delays may occur if this software is configured to check the email inboxes at predetermined intervals. Please verify whether the software settings allow for an increase in the frequency of checking the email inboxes.