Print Management FAQs
Print Management FAQs
Print Management Frequently Asked Questions for Students and Faculty/Staff...
Student FAQs
Faculty/Staff FAQs
- What do we do with used toner cartridges?
- I am on a Mac. Will I see any changes?
- Can Index Codes be used on Public Copiers?
- How do I add a network printer to my PC?
Student FAQs
1. What is Print Management and how does it work?
Print Management is a network-based print management system. It does not need a special card, nor does it utilize a separate print station to complete a print transaction. Just print as you normally do and the pages you print are counted.
2. When did the Print Management System go into effect?
UST's print management system went into effect on August 22, 2005
3. What is a printing quota (allotment)?
Each registered student will have a quota (allotment) for "free" printing and will be charged a per-print fee over and above that quota (allotment). The quota (allotment) will be $40 for Fall, $40 for J-Term/Spring and $40 for Summer.
4. Is this being done at other colleges and universities?
Yes. Print management systems are being used at many colleges and universities, and the number increases each year. Our print quota (allotment) is equal to or higher than most in our area.
Here is a comparison:
- Hamline no quota (allotment) - $.10 per page
- University of Minnesota no quota (allotment) - $.10 per page
- Loyola University of Chicago 100 page print quota (allotment) - $.07 per page
- Marquette University 200 page print quota (allotment)- $.07 per page
6. Why is the quota (allotment) 400 pages?The All College Council (ACC) asked Information Resources and Technologies (IRT) to research methods for reducing paper waste on campus. Several methods were considered, vendors were researched and a print management system was decided upon with agreement from the ACC and University leadership.
The goals were to set a number of prints that provided basic support service to all students who required it, to provide an incentive for responsible use of a limited resource, and provide a reasonable cost for printing for people who need to use additional print resources for their work.
7. Is there anything I need before I can use my print quota (allotment)?
You will need an active network account. Use of another person's network account is a violation of University policy.
8. What is the printing quota (allotment) time periods?
There will be a supplied print quota (allotment) of 400 pages for each semester of the academic year (fall, j-term/spring, summer). For print management the dates of each semester tracking period will be:
- Fall semester - August 19th to December 31st
- J-term and Spring semester - January 1st to May 19th
- Summer Sessions - May 20th to August 18th
9. Does the printing quota (allotment) pertain while I am working as a student employee of St. Thomas?
No. Printing done as employees on office hardware and printers is not part of the print management system.
If you find that your account was charged for printing while you were working as a student employee please fill out and submit the print credit form for student employees/clubs/organizations.
10. Is the Print Management System hard to use?
No. It is easier than those installed at other universities in that it does not require you to go to a separate print queue or separate print station to complete your transaction. Our system is entirely network based. Simply display your document and print in the normal way. The counting is done behind the scenes while you go about your work.
11. How do I check my quota (allotment) balance?
You can check your print usage online by either clicking here or copy and paste the following link into your brower http://www.stthomas.edu/irt/support/printing/printtrack.html.
12. What happens when I reach the $40 quota (allotment)?
You can continue to print as normal. If charges are incurred, they will be reflected on the January, May, and August Statements of Account/Invoice (bill) sent to you by the Business Office.
13. How can I stop a print job(s) that I decide I don't want (on a PC)?
Select: Start - Settings - Printers
- Next double-click the icon for the printer where you sent your document
- Click on the line of the print job you wish to stop so that it is highlighted
- On the top menu select Document, then choose Cancel. Be patient as it may take some time for this change to take effect.
Note: You are able to cancel your individual print jobs, you will not be able to cancel anyone else's print jobs. If there is a problem with the print queue see the lab consultant or contact the IRT Tech desk.
14. What is the cost for additional prints beyond my quota/allotment?
Additional prints beyond the quota (allotment) each semester will cost $0.10 cents for a black and white letter size print. Note: Larger paper prints and/or color prints may cost more when these features are available.
15. What do I do if I have a problem printing and am charged for it?
You are responsible for your print jobs. If you send a print job more than once, or print a very long document without realizing it, you are still responsible for the printing charges.
You can request that prints be credited to your account for a limited set of print related problems. Physical evidence of the problem is required to receive this benefit. Acceptable print problems are smudged, faded, streaked, spotted, bent, or jammed printouts. To report a problem or request a credit stop at any of the service desks in any of the libraries.
16. How can I make the best use of my prining quota/allotment?
There are a number of things that students can do to use public printing resources more efficiently. These include: separating those items that are necessary for printing from those that can be maintained and referred to online; using Print Preview to select pages for printing; capturing or sending your content to a storage medium or personal e-mail account; reformatting your content to reduce its print size; printing portions of documents needed instead of the entire document; and other techniques. Check out the printing tips posted near public printers or click here for tips.
17. Why must I logoff when I am leaving a public computing station?
Your print quota (allotment) is tied to your account, if you leave it "open" others will be able to utilize resources provided directly to you. To protect your account remember to log off.
18. Why don't we have printes that can print double-sided pages?
Historically, printers that are able to do double-sided printing have more failures; such as paper jams and printing a number of bad pages. In Minneapolis we are currently testing a printer in a lab setting to see how it performs. If the printer performs well then we will work towards placing more of these printers in labs around campus.
19. Can I use my print quota for Public Copiers?
Yes. To use a "public" copier will require students to enter their UST ID # along with their birthday (mm/dd) on the Equitrac keypad. All student charges will appear on your tuition bill.
20. Can I use my personal Mac laptop to print in a public lab?
Unfortunately not at this time. While we are working on enabling this feature at the current time this is not an option for students.
To work around this try the following:
- Use your U:\ (my storage) to save and store your documents. When you are in the lab you can then use a lab computer to pull up your files and print.
- Email the document to yourself then use a lab computer to open and print the needed files.
Faculty/Staff FAQs
1. What do we do with the used cartridges?
Inside the box of the new cartridge is a UPS label and/or a green sticker. Pack up the old cartridge in the new box, seal it, place the UPS or green sticker on it, and take it to campus mail services.
2. I am on a Mac, will I see any changes?
Yes, there is a change. After clicking on print there will be a box that pops up asking for your UST username and password. It may take up to 45 seconds for the box to appear. If after 60 seconds a box does not appear please call the Tech Desk at 651-962-6230.
3. Can Index Codes be used on Public Copiers?
Unfortunately, index code cannot be used on "public" copiers (located in Ireland, Keffer, OSS lobby and the Information Commons).
4. How do I add a Network printer to my PC?
Click on Start->Search->Find Printers
Type the building code into the name field and click find now
Double click on the desired printer and it will automatically install
For instructions with screen shots click here.
