Printing Etiquette
Printers are a shared resource on this campus, and it is very important that each user does their part to be courteous to fellow users and to conserve paper and toner.
- Please split large files into smaller print jobs.
- For example: you have a 50 page PDF to print at the color printer. This PDF has a number of photos included as well. Larger jobs and graphic heavy jobs take longer to print.
- Be courteous of fellow users and split the job into smaller batches by printing 10 pages at a time.
- Any print job that is taking longer than 10 minutes to print may be canceled by the Purdue IT staff on duty to allow the fair use of resources.
- This 10 minute rule can be adjusted to less time if circ*mstances dictate.
- We do our best to manage and service all the Purdue IT printers to enable the best quality output possible; but please keep in mind that the color printers and wide format printers are not “production quality” printers.
Printing Locations
The printers are located inPurdue IT Instructional Computing Labs, libraries, and residence halls.
When using printers located in Purdue IT computer labs, please be mindful of the lab signs and do NOT enter the lab if a class is in session.
Daily schedules are posted on the lab doors showing when the lab is available.
Where can I print COLOR pages?
Color printers are located in the in HIKS, HSSE, KRAN, LYNN, and WALC libraries along with the Residence Centers in CARY and SHRV.
Where/how can I print documents larger than 8.5x11 inches?
Color Printers have the capacity to print 11 x 17 inch documents.
Wide format (poster) printing is available to students at the Hicks Undergraduate Library (HIKS) and on the 2nd floor at the Wilmeth Active Learning Center (WALC).
What is the quota for student organizations?
Student organizations are allotted $20 per academic year for printing. By logging on to an instructional computer using the organizations account information, printing costs will be taken from the organization's quota.
Where do I find my organization's log in information?
The president or faculty advisor for the organization may use the Purdue IT account tool to learn the account name and set the password for the student organization.
Visit the Account Tools page.
How do we add more money to our print quota?
The president or advisor of the student organization should email the Purdue IT Labs team at itlabs@purdue.edu to request the Student Organizations Request for Additional Print Quota form.
Complete all of the fields in Section 1 of the form, sign via the DocuSign field, and submit for review by the Purdue IT Labs team.
The completed document will then be submitted to the Business Office for Student Organizations (BOSO) for approval/authorization. Once the request is approved, the quota will be adjusted in PaperCut.
How can our department supplement a user's quota?
Complete the formDepartmental Request for Additional Print Quota.
You will need a valid Departmental fund number for this quota supplement to be charged against. The tool is for supplementing individuals, not for supplementing groups or classes.
Email completed document to itlabs@purdue.edu for final processing. Once the Department Business Office approves/authorizes the charge, the print quota will be adjusted in PaperCut.
Can student workers get a larger quota?
If a particular department or unit would like to subsidize printing for their student workers, we have the capacity to do so. In some cases, the business unit will have printers that are used for administrative purposes and will not be under the quota system. In this instance, student workers will not be charged when they print.
Can my department add a printer on this system?
There are several strategies outlined to allow departments or colleges to participate in the central quota system. If a department or faculty member has printing needs for TA's, student workers, or specific courses above what the print quota system allows, please contactPurdue IT Learning Spaces.
How can I conserve paper and resources in the Purdue IT labs?
There are many ways to conserve paper and resources in the instructional labs. By being conscious of wasteful and careless printing, less paper, toner and resources may be used.
- Format your paper: By changing the default margins of 1.25" to 1" or smaller, you may be able to reduce the number of pages you print. Also, spell check documents. By reducing spelling errors and mistakes, you may avoid reprints. Decreasing font size can also lessen the amount of paper used in printing if acceptable by your instructors.
- Only print what you need: Try printing only final copies of your documents. Also avoid printing emails and Web pages. Read emails and web pages online or save them to your computer for future reading.
- Submit assignments electronically:Ask our instructors if they will accept electronic submissions of assignments via email, BrightSpace, FileLocker, or other means.
- Print multiple pages on a single sheet of paper: Try using duplex printing or print two or four pages on a single side of paper to include even more printing pages on a single sheet of paper.
- Only click "print" once: Even if your job hasn't printed yet, it still may be in the queue. Pressing "print" more than once will add multiple jobs to the queue, use more paper, and use more of your print quota.
- Use "Print Preview": Check your document before printing. Using "Print Preview" will allow you to view the page as you want it printed and also allow you to make needed changes.
- Print only a selection of the page:Print a selection of the text from a document or web page by highlighting the text you want to print and left-clicking and dragging across it. From the "File" menu, selectPrint. In the print window under "Print Range" chooseSelectionand then clickOk. Only the selected text should print.
