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Tips for better printing

  1. If possible, do not leave important print jobs to the last minute.  If others do the same it is possible that the printing system will become congested and your print job may be lost.

  2. Never print PDF files, MS Word documents, or any other large documents directly from a web page.  Always download the file to the local computer before sending it to the printer.

  3. When saving downloaded files always rename the file using a short, sensible name.  Do not use quotation marks or similar symbols within file names or document titles.

  4. Never send large documents to the printer as one job. Always split a large document into smaller sections by printing a few pages at a time. Here is a rough guide to printing speeds relative to file sizes:

    • Documents less that 1MB in size should take less than a minute to arrive at the printer (plus a few seconds to print). 
    • Documents over 1MB will take roughly 1 minute per MB to appear on the printer, e.g., a 10MB print file will take approximately 10 minutes to arrive at the printer (plus another minute or so to print).

      N.B.  These sizes refer to a document¿s size after it has expanded to its working size, not the saved file's size on disk.

  5. If your file appears not to have printed do not immediately resend it to the printer.  Always check the print queue to look for your job.  Contact the IT Service Desk to check if any problems have been reported or if there are delays in the system.

  6. Always use Print Preview before you print your file in order to see what your work will look like.  Correct any faults that you find before sending your file to the printing system.  Please be aware that your document may look OK on screen but can appear differently when printed out.

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Contact the IT Service Desk

w: online enquiry form
e: itservicedesk@st-andrews.ac.uk
t: (01334 46) 3333

Level 2
University Library
North Street
St Andrews
Fife KY16 9TR

Open Monday to Friday
Termtime: 08:45 - 18:00
Vacations: 09:00 - 18:00

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