Printing Guidelines

Printing guidelines are available on our website, and specific instructions are included in the mandatory printing and plotting quiz required for all students before accessing the printers. We understand that it can be challenging to remember all the specifics during finals with other priorities on your mind. Therefore, here is a quick tip list to help prevent common mistakes at the print stations and lab computers.

• Before opening and printing, please move your file from the external drive or web storage folder to the desktop.
• To rasterize your linework or text, follow the proper steps and flatten any layers on your boards or files before saving your PDF.
• To print your files use Adobe Reader or Acrobat, select the correct print driver from the list. Uncheck the "Print to PDF page size" box, create a custom page size if needed, and choose "Auto Rotate" in Layout/Output to save paper.
• Keep your file under 500 MB. If the file says “flattening” or takes a long time to process before printing, check the file size and formatting in Adobe Photoshop. Adjust the resolution to 150dpi to make the file size more manageable for printing.
• During finals, allow extra time for printing and avoid waiting until the last minute. Print servers and printers experience high traffic during final reviews, leading to long print queues and delays, even if everything is done correctly.
• Check the print queues for the printer with the fewest jobs and send your print there. Do not send your print job to multiple plotters in an attempt to finish it faster. You will be responsible for the cost of all printed jobs, regardless of when they are completed.

• Refunds and credits will be applied, except when explicitly stated otherwise, only after the initial credit has been spent.
• Unauthorized printing done on a computer that was left logged in will not be refunded.
• Access your PaperCut account from a Weitzman Lab machine, on a personal device using AirPennNet, or while logged in to the Weitzman FortiClient VPN.
• Requests for refunds can be made by logging into your PaperCut account. https://printing.design.upenn.edu:9192/user, email ithelp@design.upenn.edu with notification of your request. IT Staff will review and approve valid requests, or respond with further questions.
• Refund requests must be sent within 30 business days of the original sent print job; in rare cases refund requests made after 30 business days will be considered only if request is made by a faculty or staff member.

• Plotter or printer hardware issues
• Plotter or printer error that results in the job being cancelled
• Streaking or lines in the print due to print head clogs
• Jobs canceled successfully on the printer after being sent from the computer, but before printing. (these requests must be sent in immediately so staff can verify the cancelation)

• Sending the same job to multiple printers.
• Prints sent to laser printers or copy machines, or any single job that is less than $5 value. See more information under Printing Charges and Credits
• Errors due to JPEG images in the document, or PDFs using JPEG compression.
• Color and Image Quality issues that are unrelated to hardware issues; students are expected to utilize test strips and proofing to correct for printer specific color issues and print quality.
• Specifying the wrong paper type; students are expected to check the printers/plotters before printing to verify which paper type is loaded.
• If your job exceeds the recommended file size and is backing up the queue, during high volume printing, the print queue monitor will have permission to cancel the job.
• Prints rotated or cropped incorrectly. Reference the Basic Printing Procedure, as well at the Plotting Tutorial for trouble shooting these issues.
• Any issue related to the print after it leaves the printer; students are expected to promptly pick up prints.
• Prints sent to the wrong device
• Excess printing by selecting multiple copies.

• Make sure you are requesting a refund for a qualifying reason.
• Use the papercut link to log in and request a refund. https://printing.design.upenn.edu:9192/user.
• Access your PaperCut account from a Weitzman Lab machine, on a personal device using AirPennNet, or while logged in to the Weitzman FortiClient VPN.
• Email ithelp@design.upenn.edu if you have any questions or would like to follow up on the status of your refund