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Printing & Plotting
Printing and Plotting FAQ
Can I use my own paper with the Laser Jet Printers?
Yes. Always load your paper in the manual feed paper tray (Tray 1), which hangs off the side of the printer. When you load your paper, the lcd display panel on the printer will prompt you to identify the size and paper type. Caution: failing to accurately identify the proper paper type will result in poor quality and in some cases it can ruin the printer! The following paper types are compatible with...
Xerox Phaser 7760: Plain, Heavy Plain, Xerox Laser Jet Transparency, Thin and Thick Card Stock, Glossy Paper.
HP Laser Jet 9040: Plain, Cardstock (less than 163), Rough 90-105 G/M2, Laser Jet Transparency
Can I plot with my own paper (media), how does this work?
In room 521, you will find an HP Design Jet 1100. It is not stocked with paper. This is your resource for plotting on alternative media types (assuming it is compatible with the plotter). It takes sheets or rolls. You can find instructions posted on the wall, or seek assistance from Help Desk personnel.
Supported media types: Bond and coated paper (bond, coated, heavyweight coated, super heavyweight coated), photographic paper (satin, gloss, semi-gloss, matte), technical paper (natural tracing, translucent bond, vellum), film (transparent, matte), self-adhesive and vinyl (polypropylene, vinyl).
When I plot on bond paper, the quality of the output is disappointing. What can be done to improve the quality?
Bond paper queues are designed for fast drafts. The quality of the paper and the speed of the output are not conducive to high quality. The semi-gloss queues are designed for high quality output.
[Tip: to improve quality when working with pdf's, look at the settings inside Acrobat Distller (this is the program that creates pdf files). Turning off compression and downsamples, will in most cases, improve quality.]
If I am plotting (or printing) on behalf of a Department or Faculty member, how do I transfer the charges?
An audit of your activity can be generated by help desk personnel. From here you should identify the charges to be transferred and acquire a billing code from your sponsor. With a billing code and a dollar amount, the Computer Resources Group will add a credit to your termbill.
How wide can I set the dimensions for my plot?
The HP 4500 plotters are loaded with 36 inch wide paper, but they can not lay ink all the way to the edge of the paper. If you have ink coverage that spans 36 inches in width, the plotter will cut off a quarter inch on both the left and right margins. For this reason it is a good idea to leave a little white space on the sides, or specify a width that is 35.5 inches.
If a printer or plotter runs out of paper, where can I go to get more?
Outside of room 520 you will find a closet that contains both paper and toner for the laser jet printers. Nearby in room 521 you will find rolls of bond and semi-gloss. Normally, the extended hours help desk technicians will top off the paper trays so the need to replenish paper should be rare. For instructions on how to load paper on a plotter, see the large touch-screen plasma in room 521 for a video tutorial.
