How to Build a Wooden Printer Stand for Beginners

A home printer is one of those things that never quite has a proper place. It sits on the desk eating up workspace, or it lives on the floor where you have to crouch every time you print. Learning how to build a wooden printer stand for beginners fixes both problems: this measured 20 × 15 × 12-inch (51 × 38 × 30 cm) open stand lifts your printer to a comfortable height, gives you a paper-storage shelf underneath, and keeps the cables tidy with a proper cable hole and open-back ventilation — all from a single sheet of plywood, with simple pocket-hole joinery and no advanced skills required. In this guide, you will learn how to size the stand to your printer, choose the right wood, cut every part, assemble the stand, manage cables and airflow, and finish it so it looks like a proper piece of home-office furniture.

This is an open stand, not a cabinet: the printer sits on top in the open air, the paper shelf below is open at the front so you can grab a ream with one hand, and the back is open so heat escapes and cables route cleanly to the wall. It is the home-office cousin of the desk builds in our easy woodworking projects for beginners that sell collection, and it pairs naturally with our guide to how to build a wooden desk organizer for beginners — build both in a weekend and your whole desk setup finally has a place for everything. Most beginners finish this build in one afternoon — about 3 to 4 hours of hands-on work plus drying time.

What Size Printer Stand Should You Build?

Before you buy a single board, measure your printer — not your desk. A printer stand is sized to what it holds, and the top is the detail most first-time builders get wrong. Measure the printer’s width and depth, then add at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of margin on each side so the printer never overhangs the edge and you have room to lift the lid or open the paper tray. Most home inkjet printers measure about 17 × 14 inches (43 × 36 cm); most home laser printers are closer to 15 × 14 inches (38 × 36 cm).

This build is 20 inches (51 cm) wide, 15 inches (38 cm) deep, and 12 inches (30 cm) tall. The 20-inch top fits a standard home printer with room to spare, the 15-inch depth holds the printer plus its output tray when it extends, and the 12-inch height lifts the printer to a comfortable reach while leaving a paper shelf below with about 5 inches (13 cm) of clear height — enough for two stacked reams of paper plus a notebook.

Printer type	Typical footprint	Top size needed	Fits this 20 × 15 in stand?
Compact inkjet	16 × 12 in (41 × 30 cm)	18 × 14 in (46 × 36 cm)	Yes — with 2 in (5 cm) to spare
Standard home inkjet	17 × 14 in (43 × 36 cm)	19 × 15 in (48 × 38 cm)	Yes — snug, with 1 in (2.5 cm) margin
Home laser printer	15 × 14 in (38 × 36 cm)	17 × 15 in (43 × 38 cm)	Yes — with room for the output tray
Large all-in-one	19 × 17 in (48 × 43 cm)	21 × 18 in (53 × 46 cm)	No — widen the top to 22 × 18 in
Photo printer	14 × 12 in (36 × 30 cm)	16 × 14 in (41 × 36 cm)	Yes — with space for paper beside it

Measure the height your printer needs too: open the lid fully and check it clears any shelf above the stand, and pull the output tray out to its full extension to confirm it does not hang off the front edge. If your printer is a large all-in-one, do not force it onto a 20-inch top — widen the top and the shelf to 22 inches (56 cm) and lengthen the back rail to match; the structure stays exactly the same, only the horizontal parts get longer. Also measure your desk: leave at least 12 inches (30 cm) of clear desk in front of the stand for the paper coming out of the printer, and check that the power cable reaches your wall outlet from where the stand will sit.

Choosing the Best Wood for Your Printer Stand

For a first printer stand, ¾-inch (19 mm) birch plywood is the best choice: flat, stable, strong, and easy to cut, with a clean edge that looks good once sanded and finished. One 2 × 4-foot (61 × 122 cm) sheet is enough for every part in this build, and a sheet costs about $20 to $30. Pine boards are a good alternative if you prefer solid wood — use 1×12 boards (actual size ¾ × 11¼ inches, or 19 × 286 mm) for the sides and glue two boards edge to edge for the 15-inch-deep top — but plywood is simpler for a first build because every part comes from one sheet with no edge-gluing. For a deeper dive into species, grain, and cost, read our guide to the best wood for beginner woodworking projects.

Avoid MDF for a printer stand: it is heavy, it sags under a printer’s weight over time, and its edges crumble if the stand ever gets knocked. Avoid reclaimed pallet wood too — boards vary in thickness, often hide nails, and need far more sanding to become splinter-free, and a printer stand sits at hand height where rough edges get noticed. Buy a flat sheet by sighting along its face in the store and rejecting any with a bow or a twist. Let the plywood acclimatise in your house for a day or two before you cut it — wood that moves after assembly is the number one cause of a wobbly stand.

Tools and Materials You Will Need

You probably own most of these tools already, and the rest can be borrowed or bought cheaply. Do not buy a tool you will use once if a neighbour or a tool library can lend it — but a decent cordless drill and a pocket-hole jig are worth owning for every furniture project after this one.

Item	Details	Typical cost
Birch plywood, ¾ in (19 mm)	1 sheet, 2 × 4 ft (61 × 122 cm), for all parts	$20–$30
Pine 1×2 board	1 board, 4 ft (1.2 m) long, for the front paper lip	$3–$5
Pocket-hole screws	1¼ in (32 mm) coarse-thread, about 40 screws	$6–$10
Wood glue	One 8 oz (237 ml) bottle	$5–$8
Pocket-hole jig	Single-hole or two-hole jig with drill bit	$25–$40
Hole saw or Forstner bit	2 in (50 mm) diameter, for the cable hole	$8–$15
Sandpaper	80, 120, and 220 grit sheets	$5–$8
Finish	Wipe-on polyurethane or hard-wax oil, 1 pint (0.47 L)	$10–$16
Tools	Circular saw or jigsaw, drill, sander, tape measure, square, clamps	$0 if owned
Total (20 in, plywood)	Lumber, screws, glue, finish	$50–$85

Safety gear matters too: safety glasses, hearing protection for the saw, and a dust mask for sanding — plywood dust is an irritant. Apply the finish outside or in a well-ventilated room, and keep oil-soaked rags flat to dry outdoors until stiff, then throw them away — bunched-up oily rags can self-heat.

Cut List for a 20 × 15 × 12-Inch Printer Stand

This cut list is for a printer stand 20 inches (51 cm) wide, 15 inches (38 cm) deep, and 12 inches (30 cm) tall, with a top deck for the printer, a paper-storage shelf below, and a back rail that keeps the frame square. Cut the top first, then the sides, then the shelf, then the rail and the lip — and always measure twice before every cut.

Part	Material	Size	Quantity
Top deck	¾ in plywood	20 × 15 in (51 × 38 cm)	1
Side panels	¾ in plywood	12 × 15 in (30 × 38 cm)	2
Paper shelf	¾ in plywood	18½ × 14 in (47 × 36 cm)	1
Back rail	¾ in plywood	18½ × 3 in (47 × 8 cm)	1
Front paper lip	1×2 pine	18½ in (47 cm) long	1
Cable hole	2 in (50 mm) diameter, in the back rail	1	1

The paper shelf is 18½ inches (47 cm) long because it fits between the two side panels: 20 inches minus two ¾-inch side thicknesses. It sits 5 inches (13 cm) above the bottom of the sides, which leaves about 5 inches of clear height for paper reams below it and about 5¼ inches (13 cm) of clear space between the shelf and the underside of the top deck — enough for a second ream or a stack of notebooks. The back rail sits at the top of the back opening, tying the two sides together and giving the stand its rigidity; the 2-inch cable hole goes through it, centred, so the printer’s power and USB cables pass straight through to the wall. The front paper lip is a 1×2 strip screwed along the front edge of the paper shelf — it stops a stack of paper sliding forward when you pull the stand out or bump the desk.

Step 1: Measure and Mark Your Boards

Careful measuring comes first, because every later step depends on it. Lay your plywood sheet on a flat workbench or on the floor on top of a sheet of rigid foam insulation — the foam supports the sheet and lets the saw blade pass through without cutting your bench. Check the sheet for flatness, then mark the straightest edge with a small pencil tick; that edge becomes the front of the top deck, where everyone sees it. Measure and mark each cut with a pencil and a speed square, drawing the cut line squarely across the full width of the sheet.

Label every piece as you mark it: “Top”, “Side L”, “Side R”, “Shelf”, “Rail”, and “Lip”. Plywood pieces look identical once cut, so the labels stop you mixing up a side you already checked for square with one you have not. Next, mark the shelf position on the inside face of each side panel: measure up 5 inches (13 cm) from the bottom and draw a pencil line for the top edge of the paper shelf — mark both side panels at the same time, clamped together, so the shelf sits perfectly level. Then mark the cable hole on the back rail: find the centre of the rail (9¼ inches, or 23.5 cm, from each end) and draw a small cross. Finally, measure your printer once more and confirm the top size. If anything has changed, adjust the pencil lines now, not after the saw is running.

Step 2: Cut the Boards to Size

Clamp a straight board or a speed square to your workpiece as a saw guide, and set the circular saw depth so the blade cuts about ¼ inch (6 mm) past the bottom of the plywood — no deeper. Cut slowly and steadily, letting the saw do the work; pushing hard causes burning and wandering cuts. A jigsaw also works for the back rail and the paper lip: clamp a straightedge as a guide and use a fine-tooth blade for a clean edge. Cut the top first — the largest piece, and the one where a square cut matters most — then the two sides, then the shelf, then the back rail and the lip.

After cutting, dry-fit the paper shelf between the side panels and check the fit: it should slide in snugly with no gaps at the ends and sit flush with the front edges of the sides. A small error here — even ⅛ inch (3 mm) — is easy to fix now by trimming the shelf, and almost impossible to fix after the pocket holes are drilled. Sand the cut edges lightly with 80-grit paper to remove splinters and saw marks; plywood edges are the parts hands touch most when sliding paper in and out. Keep your offcuts: a short piece of plywood makes a perfect stain test piece, and a scrap is ideal for setting up the pocket-hole jig and testing the hole saw.

Step 3: Drill the Cable Hole and Assemble the Stand

Start with the cable hole, while the back rail is still loose and easy to clamp. Clamp the rail to your workbench with the marked centre cross facing up, and drill the 2-inch (50 mm) hole with a hole saw or Forstner bit, running the drill at a slow, steady speed. Drill halfway through from one face, flip the rail, and finish from the other side — this stops the plywood tearing out on the exit face and leaves a clean round hole on both sides. Sand the inside of the hole smooth with 120-grit paper wrapped around a dowel or a pencil.

Next, drill the pocket holes. Using your pocket-hole jig set for ¾-inch (19 mm) stock, drill two pocket holes at each end of the paper shelf and the back rail, and two along each end of the top deck where it meets the sides — always on the face that will never be seen, the underside of the shelf and top, and the back face of the rail. Test the jig setting on a scrap first: the screw should stop just short of poking through the top face. If the screw tip shows, lower the drill collar one notch and test again.

Now assemble, shelf first. Lay one side panel flat on the workbench, inside face up, and set the paper shelf on its pencil line. Spread a thin bead of glue on each shelf end, then drive 1¼-inch (32 mm) coarse-thread pocket-hole screws through the shelf into the side panel — two screws per end. Clamps hold everything tight while you drive the screws; with only two clamps, fix one end at a time and move the clamps along. Fit the back rail the same way, high on the back between the sides, with its cable hole centred. Then stand the half-built stand up and fit the second side panel, working from the top down so gravity helps keep the parts seated. Finally, set the top deck on the sides — glue and pocket screws from underneath, two per side — and screw the front paper lip along the front edge of the shelf. Set the finished stand on a flat desk and press down on each corner in turn. If it rocks, find the long side and trim it — never shim a printer stand, because shims work loose and the printer will wobble again. Check the stand for square by measuring diagonally across the front — the two measurements should match within ⅛ inch (3 mm). If they do not, loosen the screws on one corner, rack the frame square, and re-tighten.

Cable Management and Ventilation

Printers make heat and they make cable mess, so this section is not optional — it is what separates a proper printer stand from a plain box. The 2-inch cable hole in the back rail takes the printer’s power cable and USB cable straight through to the wall, so no cable drapes over the side of the stand or across your desk. Feed the cables through the hole before you plug them in, and leave a little slack inside the stand so you can pull the printer forward for a paper jam without yanking the plugs out of the wall.

Ventilation matters because a laser printer in particular throws off real heat during a long print run. This design is open at the back and open at the front of the paper shelf, so warm air rises out of the top and fresh air flows in underneath — never build a printer stand with a solid back panel, or the heat has nowhere to go and the printer’s fan works overtime. Keep at least 2 inches (5 cm) of clear space behind the stand and the wall so air can circulate and the cables are not pinched. If your printer sits in a closed cabinet or a tight alcove, add a second 2-inch hole in the back rail for extra airflow. One more cable tip: a short USB cable (3 feet, or 1 m) is plenty here and keeps the inside of the stand tidy — a long cable coiled inside the stand is just clutter waiting to snag a paper stack.

Step 4: Sand and Finish Your Printer Stand

Sanding is where a beginner build starts to look professional, so do not rush it. Sand every surface in three passes: 80 grit to remove saw marks and level the cut edges, 120 grit to smooth the surface, and 220 grit for a silky final finish. Always sand with the grain, never across it, and round over the front edge of the top deck slightly with 120-grit paper — hands brush that edge every time you reach for the printer, and sharp edges are uncomfortable and splinter easily. Pay special attention to the plywood edges: they drink up finish and show every saw mark, so sand them smooth and consider a thin coat of wood filler on any voids before the final grit. Vacuum or wipe the dust off with a tack cloth between grits; dust left behind shows up as rough spots under the finish. Our full guide, how to sand and finish wood for beginners, walks through grit progression and common sanding mistakes in detail.

A printer stand needs a tougher finish than a decorative oil, because it meets warm printers, coffee rings, and daily handling. A wipe-on polyurethane is the most forgiving choice: it builds a hard, heat-resistant film that shrugs off warm printer feet and the odd coffee spill, and it is easy to repair later with a light sanding and one more coat. Apply three thin coats, sanding lightly with 220-grit paper between coats, and pay special attention to the top deck, where the printer sits and the heat concentrates. If you prefer an oil look, use a hard-wax oil rated for tabletops, at least three coats, letting each cure fully. Avoid plain Danish oil unless you are happy to re-oil every few months — it looks beautiful but is not heat-resistant enough for a printer that runs warm. If you want colour, stain first, let it dry fully for 24 hours, then seal it with polyurethane. Let the final coat cure for at least 72 hours before you put the printer on the stand — a finish that feels dry is not the same as a finish that has cured hard, and a warm printer will stick to a soft finish.

Finishing Options Compared

Finish	Heat resistance	Coats needed	Best for
Wipe-on polyurethane	Excellent	3 thin coats	Warm printers, coffee spills, busy desks
Hard-wax oil	Good	3 coats	Natural look, easy spot repairs
Paint (semi-gloss)	Good	Primer + 2 coats	Matching desk colour, hiding plywood edges
Danish oil	Fair	2–3 coats	Light-use stands, decorative look only
Stain + polyurethane	Excellent	Stain + 3 coats	Matching existing woodwork

Styling Your Finished Printer Stand

Once the finish has cured, bring the stand to your desk. Set it where the printer’s power cable reaches the outlet without stretching, leaving at least 2 inches (5 cm) behind it for airflow and at least 12 inches (30 cm) of clear desk in front for printed pages. Feed the power and USB cables through the cable hole first, then set the printer on the top deck and centre it — a printer that overhangs the edge even slightly will vibrate and creep forward during long print runs. Load the paper shelf below with a ream of paper and a notebook or two, and keep the most-used paper at the front so you can grab it without moving the stand. A small tray on the desk beside the stand catches finished printouts, and a matching desk organizer keeps pens and clips off the printer’s top — our guide to how to build a wooden desk organizer for beginners makes a matching weekend project.

To keep the stand looking new, dust the top deck once a week and wipe spills with a barely damp cloth, drying it straight away. Add a fresh coat of polyurethane once a year, or whenever water stops beading on the top deck. A printer stand built this way will last for years, and because it is sized to a standard printer, it will fit your next printer too — just re-measure before you buy a bigger one. If your home office needs more storage, the same pocket-hole method builds its bigger cousins: our guide to how to build a wooden storage crate for beginners for paper and supplies, or the simple workbench in how to build a simple workbench for beginners if your office doubles as a workshop.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Most problems come from rushing one of these seven steps — slow down here and the rest of the build goes smoothly.

Sizing the top to the printer’s body, not its footprint. The output tray extends past the front and the lid opens upward. Measure with the tray extended and the lid open, or your printer will hang off the edge.

Building a solid back panel. A printer throws off heat, especially a laser printer on a long run. The open back and the cable hole are the ventilation — close them off and the printer’s fan works overtime.

Drilling pocket holes on the wrong face. Pocket holes go on the underside of the top and shelf, where nobody sees them. One shelf flipped the wrong way leaves two visible holes on the top of the paper shelf.

Skipping the dry fit. A shelf cut ⅛ inch too long hides until the screws are in. Lay out every part, check the fit, and mark the arrangement first.

Forgetting the glue. Pocket screws alone will loosen under a printer’s vibration. Glue every joint, and the screws mainly hold everything tight while it cures.

Rushing the finish. Polyurethane over dust or a skipped grit looks blotchy forever, and a warm printer will stick to a finish that has not cured. Sand through the grits, clean the dust, and let each coat cure fully — 72 hours for the final coat.

Forgetting the acclimatisation. Plywood cut the day it arrives can move after assembly. Let it sit in your house for a day or two first.

How Much Does It Cost and How Long Does It Take?

For a 20-inch birch plywood printer stand, expect $50 to $85 in materials if you already own the tools — roughly a third of a comparable solid wood printer stand in a shop, sized exactly to your printer and your desk. A 22-inch version for a large all-in-one costs about $5 more in plywood. Hardwood versions cost two to three times more in lumber alone. Time-wise, plan 3 to 4 hours of hands-on work over one afternoon: half an hour to measure and mark, half an hour to cut, an hour to drill the cable hole and pocket holes and assemble, an hour to sand, and half an hour to finish, plus overnight glue drying and 72 hours for the final coat to cure. The same skills transfer directly to your next home-office project — a desk organizer or a storage crate uses the same cuts, pocket holes, and finishing steps.

Frequently Asked Questions

How big should a wooden printer stand be?

A standard home printer needs a top of about 20 × 15 inches (51 × 38 cm), which fits most inkjet and laser printers with at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of margin on each side. Measure your printer’s width and depth, add 1 inch on each side, and check the output tray’s full extension and the lid’s open height before you cut. Large all-in-one printers need a 22 × 18-inch top instead.

How tall should a printer stand be?

Twelve inches (30 cm) is the sweet spot for a desktop printer stand: high enough to lift the printer to a comfortable reach and leave a useful paper shelf below, low enough that the printer stays stable and the lid opens freely. A stand taller than 14 inches (36 cm) starts to feel top-heavy with a printer on top, and a stand shorter than 8 inches (20 cm) leaves no room for a paper shelf.

Do I need ventilation holes in a printer stand?

Yes — especially for a laser printer, which throws off real heat during long print runs. This design is open at the back and at the front of the paper shelf so warm air rises out and fresh air flows in, plus a 2-inch cable hole that doubles as an air path. Never build a printer stand with a solid back panel, and keep at least 2 inches (5 cm) of clear space behind the stand and the wall.

What is the best wood for a printer stand?

¾-inch (19 mm) birch plywood is the best wood for a first printer stand: flat, stable, strong, and cheap, with one 2 × 4-foot sheet covering every part. Solid pine is a good alternative if you prefer real boards, but it needs edge-gluing for the 15-inch-deep top. Avoid MDF — it is heavy and sags under a printer’s weight over time.

How do I manage the printer cables on a stand?

Drill a 2-inch (50 mm) cable hole through the back rail, centred, and feed the power and USB cables through it before plugging them in. Leave a little slack inside the stand so you can pull the printer forward for a paper jam without yanking the plugs out of the wall. A short 3-foot USB cable keeps the inside of the stand tidy.

Can I build a printer stand without a table saw?

Yes. A circular saw with a straight-edge guide makes every straight cut in this project, and a jigsaw with a fine-tooth blade handles the back rail and the paper lip. Many lumber yards will cut a plywood sheet to size for a small fee, so you can have the top, sides, and shelf cut at the store and do the pocket holes and assembly at home with only a drill.

How much weight can a wooden printer stand hold?

This pocket-hole and glue design, built from ¾-inch plywood, comfortably holds a home printer of 15 to 25 lb (7 to 11 kg) plus a ream or two of paper on the shelf below — far more than any standard home printer weighs. The load sits directly over the two side panels, so the top deck barely flexes. Do not stand on the stand or stack heavy books on it; it is sized for a printer, not a step stool.

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