At IU, how can I conserve paper in the STCs?

The following tips will help you conserve paper when using the printers in the Indiana University Student Technology Centers (STCs). Reducing the amount of paper you use is beneficial in a number of ways:

• Printing less conserves natural resources. Annually, nearly 15% of the paper used in STC printers ends up left behind as unwanted pages.
• At IU Bloomington, using fewer pages also helps you conserve your printing allotment.
• At IUPUI, using fewer pages saves money on your Jagtag card.
• Printing fewer pages helps lower university operating costs.

To help conserve paper in the STCs, try the following:

• Reading eReserves online: Unless directed otherwise by your instructor, consider reading eReserves online. For portability, you can also download them to your laptop. Some materials are even suitable for reading on your PDA. However, not all material in eReserves is suitable for online consumption, and sometimes professors prefer that you bring printed eReserves to class for collaborative study. If you're not sure, ask your professor.
  
  
• Use electronic storage: If you need to take it with you, save your document or file to My Workspace in Oncourse CL, store it on a USB flash drive, or burn it to a CD or DVD. You can also email documents to yourself as attachments and save them to your personal computer when you get home. For more about file storage options, see At IUB and IUPUI, what options do I have for storing my files?
  
  
• Submit assignments electronically: Ask your instructors to accept your assignments electronically (e.g., via Oncourse CL, FTP, or email). Many instructors will.
  
  
• View document properties: Before printing a document, verify that the page count is correct. This prevents printing blank or unwanted pages.
  
  
• Copy documents to your PDA: If you need to have your documents and eReserves available to you when you can't access the Internet, copy these documents to your PDA.
  
  
• Avoid printing email and web pages: Read email and web pages online. If you need to keep a copy, save it to some form of removable storage media. If you absolutely must print documents stored on the web, download them to your desktop before printing them. This will reduce printing bottlenecks and errors caused by network delays.
  
  
• Print just once: Be patient when sending print jobs to STC printers. Don't resend the same job multiple times if your output is delayed. Report the problem to the STC consultant. At IUB, if a consultant is not on site, call 812-855-3802 for assistance.
  
  
• Decrease font size: If you keep a printout for your own use, decreasing the font to the smallest legible size will reduce the number of pages printed.
  
  
• Use duplex printing: Duplex printing (two-sided output) is effective for lengthy material. (This will not save pages of your IUB printing allotment or reduce your cost of printing at IUPUI, but it will reduce waste paper.) For more, see In the IUB and IUPUI STCs, where can I print my output in duplex?
  
  
• Print multiple pages per side: This will make your IUB printing allotment or IUPUI Jagtag dollars go further as well as conserve paper, toner, and other printing resources. See In Windows XP or Mac OS X, how can I print double-sided or 2-up (two pages per sheet)?
  
  
• Use print preview: Most applications in the STCs have a print preview feature that allows you to see how your printed document will appear so you can catch formatting errors or blank pages before you print. It's also particularly useful when you're printing web pages, which are often much longer than they appear to be.
  
  
• Run spell check: Use your application's spell checker to reduce mistakes and avoid reprints.
  
  
• Print only final copies: Instead of printing draft copies of your work, edit your work online and print only the final copy.

Note: To avoid unexpected charges on your bursar bill, check your UITS printing allotment regularly at:

Look under "View Detailed Printing Log" to see your printing activity by printer. Select a printer to see each of the print jobs charged against your allotment. Report errors to the STC consultant. At IUB, if a consultant is not on site, call 812-855-3802 for assistance.

For more about the UITS Student Technology Centers, including site locations, hours, printing practices, and available software and hardware, see:

• IUB STCs
• IUPUI STCs

Also see:

• In the IU STCs and RTCs, what are the printing standards and practices?
• At IUB, what should I do if someone prints from my account without my permission?
• When printing at IUB, how do I get a refund for unacceptable printouts?
• At IU, in an STC or RTC, what should I do if the printer isn't working?
• Information about the UITS printing account at IUB
• At IUPUI, how do I print in the STCs?
• About STC printing allotments at IUB
• In the IUB STCs, where can I print a large map or poster?
• In the IUB STCs, what is an AI printing bonus and how do I get one?
• Why does duplex (two-sided) printing count as two pages on my printing allotment?
• In the IUB STCs and RTCs, what is the policy for printing long laser printing jobs (more than 50 pages)?
• In the IUB STCs and RTCs, where can I print in color, and what are the costs?