Please reach out to us if you run into any issues, or if you have any questions that aren't answered in this guide.
The IMC has several choices for matte printing paper. Use the color charts below when planning to print on the colored papers.
Keep in mind, we don't have all of these colors in stock. The dropdown list you use to select paper type will have an accurate list of our current paper stock.
Let us know the date you'd like to pickup your completed prints. We'll do our best to have the request completed by the selected date. Please keep in mind that we usually ask for 3 printing days for prints on the HP Plotter printer, or 1 printing day for prints on the Epson Art printer.
Also note that no printing is done on Fridays or Saturdays.
During peak print times (usually around midterms or finals) there can be some delays in turnaround time. Especially when selecting printing on the plotter, as many other classes will be sending print requests for the plotter during these times.
This question isn't required for submitting your request, but please consider taking a moment to answer it anyway. This question often leads us to be able to reach out to professors in the future, and often results in future poster projects to be printed in less time.
One of the main reasons we started using this form for print requests instead of simply emailing requests like we've done in the past is this awesome feature! Many email providers greatly limit the size of files that can be sent, but using this form allows user to submit up to 10 files at a time with a 1GB limit per file.
While we accept many file types, we prefer submitted files be saved as a .PDF file as that preserves the original formatting even when switching from Mac to PC.
Let us know exactly what size you'd like your files printed to. If you submitted multiple files, this is a great place to let us know if the different files might need to be printed different sizes.
This is one of the more important questions on the form! If the size you requested us to print doesn't match the size of the file(s) you submitted, we're likely going to put your request on hold until we email you and hear back from you... This can cause delays in printing, so make sure your sizing is right the first time!
For more info on sizing your file visit our poster printing guide: https://library.wcupa.edu/Poster_Printing/Sizing_Extensions
Most print requests will select the HP Plotter. The plotter is used for any large-scale printing. We have 24", 36", and 42" rolls of paper for the plotter. If your file is a poster, banner, or just an image larger than 13" x 19", most likely you will want to select HP Plotter.
The Epson Art Printer can print on a series of matte 13" x 19" sheets, or a 17" roll of archival matte. This printer also uses 11 different ink cartridges and is able to replicate more accurate colors. Prints tend to be more expensive on this printer, we recommend using the HP Plotter for printing art drafts before printing the final draft on the Epson Art Printer.
If you are still unsure which printer you should select, feel free to reach out to us using the info in the "Contact Us" box.
Here you must select a paper type for your file to be printed on. Make sure you pay attention to paper size and cost!
The Bond & Photo rolls are either 24", 36", or 42" wide, but we can rotate your file if needed, so as long as 1 of the dimensions of your print is less than 42" we can print it without issue. Another thing to consider, is if you make sure one of your dimensions matches the roll size there will be no need to trim the poster later. Example: a 36" x 48" poster is a good standard size that we can print on the 36" roll, and you won't need to trim. But if you order a 30" x 40" print we'll likely print it on the 42" roll and will have extra white space that may need to be cut off.
All of the other selectable paper comes in sheets. Make sure your requested print size is smaller or equal to the size of the selected sheet, or we will have to reach out to you, and it could cause printing delays.
The art printer uses a lot more ink, and we have several style matte papers to print on. The size of prints are also limited compared to the plotter. The largest sheet we can print on for this printer is 13" x 19". We also have 2 different thicknesses of 17" wide rolled paper. Keep in mind that files printed on this paper must be 17" or smaller in 1 dimension.
One of the most important questions on the form! This is your chance to let the tech that will be printing your file know if there is anything else they should be aware of. Let us know here if you need multiple copies of a file, or if your request is meant to be printed on multiple different paper types.
This is also a great way to let us know of any sizing issues, or options you'd like us to select. If you want your larger file scaled down by selecting "Print to Fit" or you want your smaller image to be printed "Actual size" in the center of your requested paper, this would be the area to let us know..
If your file is determined to be "Ink Heavy" it will incur an additional fee that could be up to twice the cost of a standard print. This is where you let us know ahead of time if your willing to pay that price, or would you like us to reach out to you about the upcharge and options you can take to avoid the charge if you are willing to edit your file.
Usually what ends up triggering this heavy ink cost are any prints that contain edge-to-edge ink, usually of a darker color. Try to avoid using large amounts of darker colors in your posters, like walls of Black, Dark Blue, or Red.
We are only able to laminate your print if one of the dimensions of your print is less than 26". If you select "Yes" and your print is 36" x 48" we will not be able to laminate it.
How do you want to pay for your print?
Selecting Cash, Check, or Rambucks will mean you pay when you pickup your print.
If you select "Credit or Debit" you will receive 2 emails when your print is ready. The first, will let you know that it's ready for pickup, and the second will contain a link you can go to in order to pay for your prints with a card. We don't have a card reader on site, and would be able to take your card in person.
Select "Cost Center Number" if you'd like to charge the poster to a department on campus. This requires you to know the 10 digit cost center number for that department.
Select "Cost Covered by Department" if you've been approved by a department to have your print covered. Usually this is for things like research day, and we'll get a lit of approved names well in advance. If you select this, and we don't have your name on a list we'll usually reach out to you to see you will be covering the cost.
The IMC has been printing all sorts of wonderful posters and artworks from the students over the past few years, and we wanted an opportunity to help more people see that work. If you are interested you can select to allow us use your work, we may feature your Poster/Artwork on our Instagram.
We're always looking for great research poster examples!
Check out our Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/imc_ulib/
If we do end up using your work, we'd love to make sure you get the credit you deserve! Make sure you use this box to let us know how you'd like your name to appear, and let us know if you want us to share your Instagram handle so others can check out your work!
- I understand that I am responsible for the formatting and content of my print jobs. There will be no free reprints if errors in formatting, typos, or any other errors are discovered post-printing.
- I understand that all printers are different, and that colors may look different in print than they look on a monitor.
- I understand that the IMC handles all print requests in the order they were received.
- I understand that all prints must be paid for before they can be taken from the IMC.
- I understand that if I don't pick up a completed print request, the cost will go on my library account, and could lead to holds on my library and university accounts.
