Computer Labs

Printing Tips

Printing alternatives

Write small amounts of information (such as library call numbers, phone numbers, etc.) on scratch paper.
Ask others to provide materials to you in electronic format – and do the same for them (e.g. class notes, e-mail, and other non-copyrighted material). Send/share files electronically.
Email Internet addresses (URLs) to yourself so you can access a site later.
Email files or note to yourself as a quick way to save information for use at a later date.
Use your T-storage. This is a free drive you can access (h: drive) in any computer lab on campus and by using the VPN from off campus.

Download the document to the desktop before printing. Try not to print directly from email, Canvas, or other web sources.
Use Print Preview to check documents before you print.
Double-check print settings before printing. Make sure the number of copies, the choice for duplexing, and all other options are correct before you print.
Get accustomed to working on-screen rather than on paper. Read and edit online and print only your final copy.
After revising, print only the pages you have changed, not the whole document again.
On large documents, like text books, print only the pages you need if you don’t want to read online.
Print duplex (double-sided) copies. Duplex printing helps conserve paper.
Use “Save As” and rename files. This will often remove unseen coding and decrease the size of the file.

PDFs often have errors when printing. Try these suggestions for printing PDFs:

On PCs running Windows 10, right click on the file to ensure it opens in Adobe Acrobat and not Microsoft Edge.
From Adobe Acrobat, try “Print As Image”.
Try using a different program to print the PDF. If Adobe Acrobat is not working for you, try using Foxit instead (and vice versa).
When creating a PDF from Office, go to File, Print, and choose Adobe PDF rather than using the icons for creating a PDF within the program. This will also let you see exactly what the file will look like when it is printed.

Complicated files that include formulae or images will often cause problems when printing. Try printing one page of the document at a time until you get to the page that is causing the problem. That page will often have an image or a mathematical formula on it. Try re-saving the image to a different version, or saving the formula as an image and re-printing.
Print multiple slides per page when printing PowerPoint presentations. Don’t forget to choose “pure black and white,” so the dark background does not waste toner. This also makes the slide easier to read.