If you work in a law firm, in-house legal department, or corporate professional services team, you’ve probably heard the word ‘reprographics’, usually in connection with court bundles, large-scale copying, or document production. But what does this actually mean?
In this guide, we will break down what reprographics is, what a modern reprographics service includes, and how to know if your business would benefit from outsourcing it.
What is Reprographics?
Reprographics is the process of reproducing documents on a large scale. It usually involves advanced digital systems to manage, print, and prepare files quickly and accurately. It covers high-volume photocopying to more complex tasks like taking thousands of electronic files and turning them into an organised, usable set of documents – physical or digital.
For legal teams in particular, reprographics is essential in getting the right documents in the right order, to the right place, on time. For example:
• Court bundles
• Disclosure documents
• Property files
• Case archives
For corporate and commercial teams, it may cover things like:
• Board packs
• Tender documents
• Technical manuals
• Architectural or engineering drawings
To summarise: reprographics ensures consistency, clarity, and compliance when documents are needed to be reproduced.
More Than ‘Just Photocopying’
Although it may just seem like a bigger version of photocopying, reprographics actually does a lot of work before even a single page is printed. For example:
• Data prep –It also involves extracting metadata, filtering out non-printable files, and applying document ordering as required, page counts, and more.
• Pre-print quality checks – reprographics identifies problems before they cause delays, such as password-protected documents and corrupted files.
• Printing and copying – reprographics is high-volume, high-speed digital printing and photocopying in any format and size.
• Finishing – from pagination and tab creation to bespoke covers, binding, and lamination, the options are endless for finishing these important copies.
• Secure destruction – reprographics ensures the responsible destruction of paper waste and obsolete media like hard drives and CDs or DVDs if required.
When it comes to legal work in particular, this usually also extends to producing court bundles with page accuracy, chronological sets, and eBibles. They are also indexed, word-searchable electronic versions of case files that allow legal teams to quickly find specific documents.
How Reprographics Fits into Legal and Corporate Business
Law Firms
Law firms and legal departments naturally generate a lot of paperwork, bundles, contracts, case files, and documents, with deadlines that aren’t flexible. If something isn’t delivered on time, it can have severe consequences for the case.
By having a reliable reprographics partner on hand, the pressure is taken off, with everything being handled by experts. This includes everything from file preparation through to swift day delivery whilst ensuring strict confidentiality.
Property and Commercial Teams
Property transactions and commercial deals rely on sets of plans, leases, and supporting documents, all of which need to be reproduced accurately and converted into searchable archives.
Corporate Teams
Reprographics helps corporate teams create things like board packs, technical manuals, tender submissions, and marketing materials accurately, with consistent formatting, and with a fast turnaround.
In-House Vs Outsourced Reprographics
A lot of businesses start out managing document reproduction in-house by using office printers and internal staff. With the right printers and MFDs, this can work very well for everyday and smaller jobs. As demand for reprographics grows, though, it can become harder to sustain. Common pressure points include:
• Drained time and resources – high-volume printing means that staff paid for specific jobs are pulled away from their higher-value work to help with reprographics.
• Inconsistent quality control – without dedicated checks, files are prone to errors like missing pages, incorrect ordering, or duplication.
• Limited capacity – some office equipment aren’t built for the volume, format needs, and finishing options that technical, legal and corporate documents require.
• Security – sensitive documents used in legal and corporate teams need a secure destruction process, which is hard to guarantee in-house when you don’t have a dedicated system.
The best approach is often a combination of the two. Well-specified printers and MFDs handle your day-to-day printing, while a specialist reprographics provider takes on the larger or more complex projects. This keeps internal teams focused on core work and gives you confidence in the finished documents.
SOS Systems Can Help
At SOS Systems, we provide reprographic printing services specifically for legal, property, corporate, and commercial clients. We work as an extension of your team, using advanced digital technology to process electronic files in any format, including PDFs, CAD drawings, and legal documents, and turning them into accurate outputs usable in court and other situations.
Our services include:
• Document preparation
• De-duplication
• Thorough checks
• Colour and black-and-white printing
• Any size from A5 to A0
• Full finishing and binding options
• Creation of eBibles
• Secure destruction of paper waste and electronic media where necessary
We are also accredited to ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 27001, which cover quality management, environmental responsibility, and information security, so you can be confident in our ability to deliver consistent, secure, and sustainable service.
If you’re thinking about outsourcing your reprographics, contact us today, and we’d be happy to discuss your needs.
