DAMTP Printing Rules

Printing is expensive (it costs more than photocopying) so please help to cut costs as follows:

  • Is your printing really necessary?
    • Are you going to read it today? If not, don't print it.
    • Does anyone have a copy which you can photocopy?
  • Use as little paper as possible.
    • Use xdvi to preview .dvi files and get them right before printing.
    • Print on both sides of the paper using a printer with duplex capability.
    • Use dvired, which prints two A5 sized pages of TeX on one A4 piece of paper.
    • Similar use the -np option of a2ps.
    • Split a large TeX document into several manageable files and use \input commands to control what is processed and printed.
    • When printing long documents use the dvips -p and -n options to select only the pages you need to print.
  • Do not print multiple copies - use a photocopier.

Be nice to other users: except in extreme cases of emergency (e.g. your thesis has to be at the binders in 30 minutes) do not send large jobs to a printer during office hours. Be aware that print jobs containing graphics may be very big. Limit the number of graphs in any file to avoid excessive transmission and processing times in the printer. Always use the fastest printers for such jobs.

Do not leave output lying around near the printers for others to clear up. If you waste paper by printing large amounts of output and not collecting it expect to be charged.

You should use only the public printers or group-owned printers which you have specifically been given permission to use.

Never send a document more than once to a printer just because it hasn't printed. Try to find out why it hasn't printed. Look at the print queue (see below).

There are several fast printers available for public use, if one is down (e.g. waiting for a repair) use another.

The List of Printers: their location, capabilities, status and queued jobs is produced by the CUPS server and should always be accurate.

The ones with a description including duplex can print on both sides of the paper, to control the duplex settings see the FAQ entries double, single.

The printers with a description including ohp can also print on transparencies. To print on transparencies see the FAQ entry ohps. Transparencies must only be put into the tray marked fro transparencies. Please only use the ohp's provided, as the wrong type will probably jam and may melt the plastic inside the printer requiring an expensive repair.

Printers listed as COLOR can print in colour.

There are a number of printers reserved for group use -- mostly in offices but a few are in public locations. Please ask the group for permission to use these printers.