Virtual Printer: Print Online and Get It Mailed to You in Canada

A virtual printer is an online service that replaces a physical printer. Instead of pressing print and watching paper come out of a machine on your desk, you upload your document to the cloud and a remote service prints it for you — then ships the physical copy directly to a mailing address.

Think of it as “printing as a service”: you provide the file, we provide the paper, ink, envelope, and postage. The end result is the same as a regular printer — a real, physical document — but without owning any of the hardware.

Virtual Printer vs. Cloud Printer vs. Print Shop

• Virtual printer (PostPal): Upload online, the document is printed and mailed to your address. Zero in-person interaction.
• Cloud printer (Google Cloud Print, AirPrint): Lets you send a document to your own printer over the internet. You still need to own a printer.
• Online print shop (Staples online): Upload online, then drive to a store to pick up your document.

The difference is delivery. A virtual printer is the only option that handles the entire pipeline — print, package, post — without you ever leaving your couch.

The whole process takes about two minutes. Here are the steps:

1. Open the virtual printer. Go to postpal.ca/virtual-printer.
2. Upload your document. Drag and drop a PDF, JPG, or PNG file. Up to 100 pages, 10 MB.
3. Enter the mailing address. Type the Canadian address where you want the printed document delivered.
4. Pay $6 CAD. Secure checkout via Stripe. Most credit and debit cards accepted.
5. Get it in the mail. We print, fold, seal, and stamp your document, then hand it off to Canada Post. Most documents arrive in 2–4 business days.

That's it. No printer drivers, no ink cartridges, no waiting in line at a print shop, no folding letters by hand.

Virtual printers are most useful when you need a printed copy of something but don't want the hassle of producing it yourself. Common scenarios include:

• You don't own a printer. The most common reason. Printers are bulky, expensive to maintain, and rarely used by people who do most of their work digitally.
• Your printer broke or ran out of ink. Ink replacement often costs more than a few virtual print jobs combined.
• You need to receive something while traveling or abroad. Print a contract, lease, or form to a Canadian address while you're away — perfect for snowbirds, students, and remote workers.
• You need a hard copy mailed to you. Some processes (legal, government, insurance) require a paper original. A virtual printer skips the “print at home, then mail” step.
• You print rarely. If you print fewer than 10 pages a month, a virtual printer is dramatically cheaper than maintaining a home printer.

Common documents people send through a virtual printer

• Contracts, leases, and signed agreements
• Tax forms, T-slips, and CRA paperwork
• Insurance documents and claim forms
• Concert tickets and boarding passes
• Resumes and cover letters for hard-copy applications
• Reference letters and academic transcripts
• Personal photos and printed keepsakes

Owning a printer feels cheap at first — a basic inkjet runs $80–150 — but the math gets ugly fast once you account for ink, paper, and infrequent use.

Cost	Home Printer (yearly)	Virtual Printer (per use)
Hardware	$80–150 every 3–5 years	$0
Ink / toner	$60–150/year	$0
Paper	$10–20/year	$0
Envelope & stamp (if mailing)	$1.50+ per letter	Included in $6
Total to print & mail one document	$2–5 incremental, plus ~$100/year fixed	$6 flat

For someone who prints once a month or less, a virtual printer wins. You only pay when you actually need it, ink never dries out on you, and mailing is bundled in.

PostPal uses a simple flat-rate model so there are no surprises at checkout:

• $6 CAD: Up to 7 pages, mailed anywhere in Canada. Includes printing, envelope, postage, and delivery.
• +$1.50: Documents 8–11 pages need an extra stamp.
• +$6: Documents 12–100 pages ship as an XL package (large mail).

For most everyday documents — a contract, a tax form, a few signed pages — the total is exactly $6. The price you see at the start is the price you pay.

Yes, with a reputable provider. Here's what to look for:

• Encrypted upload: Files should be transferred over HTTPS. PostPal uses TLS-encrypted upload to a private storage bucket.
• Limited retention: Documents should only be stored as long as it takes to print and mail them. PostPal removes files after the order ships.
• No data resale: Your file is used to print your document, period. We never read, share, or repurpose the contents.
• Trusted payment processor: PostPal uses Stripe; we never see your card details.

For especially sensitive documents (financial, legal, medical), consider whether mailed delivery is appropriate at all — or use Canada Post's Registered Mail service for tracked, signature-required delivery.

A virtual printer is great for most everyday document printing, but it's not a perfect fit for everything:

• Same-day printing. If you need a document in your hands today, visit a library or print shop. Virtual printers ship by mail, so plan for 2–4 business days.
• Colour or specialty print jobs. Standard virtual printers (PostPal included) print black and white on letter-size paper. For glossy, large-format, or colour photo printing, use a specialty service.
• Bound documents. If you need a stapled, bound, or laminated document, a print shop is a better fit.
• Confidential pickup. The document is shipped, so it goes through Canada Post like any other mail. For ultra-private documents, in-person pickup at a print shop avoids the postal chain.

For everything else — the everyday letters, forms, contracts, and PDFs that most people need printed — a virtual printer is faster, cheaper, and more convenient.

Can I use a virtual printer from my phone?

Yes. The PostPal virtual printer works on phones, tablets, laptops, and desktops. There are no drivers or apps to install — just a web browser and your file.

What file types does the virtual printer accept?

PDF, JPG, and PNG. Maximum 10 MB per file, up to 100 pages. For Word documents, save as PDF first (File → Save As → PDF).

Can I print to someone else's address?

Yes. The virtual printer mails to whatever Canadian address you enter. If you want to send a letter to a friend or business, you can also use our Send Mail service, which has more letter-writing features built in.

How fast is virtual printing?

PostPal hands your document off to Canada Post within one business day. Domestic Canadian delivery is typically 2–4 business days, so most customers receive their printed document within a week.

Can I cancel a virtual print order?

Email us at [email protected] as soon as possible. If your document hasn't been printed yet, we can cancel and refund. Once printed and mailed, the order can't be recalled.

Is there a virtual printer for international mail?

The dedicated virtual printer is currently Canada-only. To print and mail a document internationally, use the PostPal Send Mail service — it supports international delivery for $12 flat.

How does this compare to printing without a printer at home?

If you can wait a few days, a virtual printer is the easiest no-printer option. If you need it today, a library or print shop is faster. We compare all the options in our guide on how to print without a printer.

A virtual printer is the simplest way to get a document printed and into your hands without owning a printer. You upload, you pay $6, and the printed copy shows up in your mailbox a few days later — paper, ink, envelope, postage, and delivery all bundled in.

It's ideal for people who print rarely, travelers and remote workers who can't access a printer, and anyone tired of fighting with ink cartridges.

Ready to try it? Open the PostPal virtual printer, drop in your file, and we'll have it on its way to you within one business day.