Where to Print Documents Near You (and How Library Printing Works)

By the Public-Libraries.com Editorial Team · Updated September 21, 2026

Where to print if you don't have a printer

If you need to print a boarding pass, a form, a resume or a PDF and you don't own a printer, you have three realistic options near you:

• Your public library — the cheapest option, usually 10 to 25 cents a page (sometimes free), open to everyone, often without needing a library card just to print.
• Office and shipping stores — Staples, FedEx Office, The UPS Store and Office Depot/OfficeMax all have self-service or staffed print centers, but they charge more per page and pricing often depends on the location.
• Drugstore and big-box photo centers — CVS, Walgreens and Walmart focus on photo prints. Only CVS reliably offers document printing, and it is an order-based service, not a cheap single-page copier.

For most people printing a page or two, the library wins on price and convenience. Here is exactly how it works.

How printing at the library works

At a public library you generally print one of two ways. You can sit down at a public computer, open your document, and send it to the printer; or you can use mobile printing to send a file from your own phone or laptop before you arrive. Either way, your job waits in a queue and you pay per page at a self-service release station — usually with coins, a card, or a balance tied to your library card — then collect your pages. Printing from the library's own catalog is often free.

How much does it cost to print at the library?

Prices are set by each library system, but black-and-white printing is typically free to about 25 cents a page, and many mid-size and large systems land around 10 to 20 cents. Color printing, where it is offered at all, usually runs 40 to 75 cents a page — and plenty of branches offer black and white only. Here is what a few major systems actually charge (verified on their own pages in 2026):

How to print at the library from your phone

Most public libraries now support wireless or mobile printing, so you can send a document straight from your phone, tablet or laptop without logging on to a library computer. You upload the file (or email it) to the library's print system, then release and pay for it at a kiosk inside the branch. Three vendor platforms are common across US libraries: Princh (used by Phoenix and Multnomah County, where you scan a QR code or enter a printer ID), ePRINTit (used by Chicago and Los Angeles, where you upload or email a file and enter a release code), and libraries such as the New York Public Library run their own branded release kiosks where jobs wait about two hours for pickup. Check your library's website for its exact upload page or app.

Copying, scanning and fax at the library

Libraries do more than print. Copying is usually priced the same as printing, per page. Scanning is often free — Multnomah County Library, for instance, lets you scan to email or a USB drive at no charge at every branch — though some systems charge a small fee, so confirm locally. Fax is more of a mixed bag: some libraries fax for free (again, Multnomah County is unusually generous), many charge a per-page fee, and a lot of smaller branches don't offer fax at all. Because fax availability varies so much, it is worth calling the branch first.

Do you need a library card to print?

Usually not. Most systems let you walk in and print, copy or scan and pay at the kiosk without being a member — Chicago and Multnomah County both confirm this. You typically do need a library card or a free guest pass to log on to a public computer for a session, and a few systems ask for your card number to release a mobile print job. If you don't have a card yet, it is free and quick to get — see our guide on how to get a library card.

Printing at Staples, FedEx, UPS and the drugstore

If a library isn't convenient, office and shipping stores are the next stop — but expect to pay more, and note that many don't publish a simple per-page price online because it is set at the store:

In short: for a quick document, the library is cheaper and simpler; the copy shops make more sense for large jobs, special paper, binding or when you need it printed at 2 a.m.

Find a library that prints near you

Nearly every public library offers printing, copying and often scanning and fax. To find one near you with the service you need, browse our verified, state-by-state list: Printing, Copying, Scanning and Fax at the Library. Each library links to its own page with the address, hours and phone number, so you can confirm prices and whether it supports mobile printing before you go.

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